Course Outline

Module 1: Foundations of Phytosanitary Systems & International Frameworks

• Introduction to plant health: economic, environmental, and social impacts of pests.

• The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the WTO-SPS Agreement.

• Role of National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) and Regional Plant Protection Organizations (RPPOs).

• Overview of International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs).

• Case Study: The economic cost of a major pest incursion (e.g., Fruit Fly, Fall Armyworm).

Module 2: Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) & Phytosanitary Measures

• Principles and stages of Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) as per ISPMs.

• Concepts of regulated pests, quarantine pests, and regulated non-quarantine pests.

• Phytosanitary measures: inspection, surveillance, treatments (fumigation, heat/cold), and systems approaches.

• Workshop: Walking through a simplified PRA for a hypothetical pest pathway.

Module 3: Principles & Design of Traceability Systems

• Definitions: Traceability vs. Tracking. "One-up, one-down" principle.

• Drivers for traceability: regulatory, commercial (food safety, quality), and social.

• Key components: Product, Process, and Location identification.

• Technologies: Barcodes, RFID, GS1 standards, and blockchain for agriculture.

• Practical Exercise: Mapping the traceability data points in a fruit export supply chain.

Module 4: Phytosanitary Certification & Export/Import Procedures

• The Phytosanitary Certificate (e-Phyto): legal basis, data elements, and issuance.

• Pre-clearance programs, audit-based certifications, and compliance agreements.

• Import permitting processes and conditions.

• Port-of-entry inspection procedures and handling of non-compliant consignments.

• Document Workshop: Completing a sample Phytosanitary Certificate and understanding an import permit.

Module 5: Integrating Traceability with Phytosanitary Compliance & Crisis Management

• Using traceability data to prove origin, production practices, and treatment history.

• Designing internal audits to ensure ongoing phytosanitary compliance.

• Crisis management: Steps in a product recall/withdrawal and outbreak response.

• Communication strategies during a phytosanitary incident.

• Capstone Simulation: Teams manage a phytosanitary non-compliance alert using traceability data to identify the source, scope, and execute a containment/communication plan.