The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/International Atomic Energy Agency (FAO/IAEA) Programme assists Member Countries of FAO and IAEA to use nuclear techniques and related biotechnologies for developing improved strategies for sustainable food security.

1. The IAEA, through its Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, has been actively supporting the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) during the last 7 years to review and develop International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) and in creating phytosanitary capacity in IPPC Contracting Parties in order to level the playing field in international agricultural trade.

2. In terms of normative activities, the Joint FAO/IAEA Division has participated in the development of the following adopted ISPMs Nos. 3, 18, 26 and 30. In addition we have also contributed to the development of the draft ISPM on Systems Approaches for Pest Risk Management of Fruit Flies, a draft appendix to ISPM No. 26 on Fruit Fly Trapping, the draft ISPM on Phytosanitary Procedures for Fruit Fly (Tephritidae) Management, and the draft ISPM on Protocol to Determine Host Status for Fruits and Vegetables to Fruit Fly (Tephritidae) Infestation.

3. Our Joint Division has also organized and funded the last four annual meetings of the IPPC Technical Panel on Pest Free Areas and Systems Approaches for Fruit Flies that we hosted in Vienna and we are now in the process of organizing the next meeting, which due to our financial support is the only IPPC technical panel that will meet in 2011,  The meeting will be held in Recife, Brazil in August 2011, and will focus on developing of a the draft annex to the ISPM 26 on Establishment and maintenance of fruit fly regulated areas in the event of outbreak detection in Pest Free Areas for fruit flies.

4. In support of the IPPC Technical Panel on Phytosanitary Treatments, the Joint FAO/IAEA Division provided technical expertise and supporting data which helped facilitate the successful adoption of eleven post-harvest phytosanitary irradiation treatments for pests of quarantine importance. These treatments were adopted by the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures for inclusion in ISPM No. 28 on Phytosanitary Treatments for Regulated Pests.  It is hoped that three more of these types of treatments will be adopted at CPM-6 (see CPM2011/04).

5. The Joint FAO/IAEA Division is continuing its Coordinated Research Project on the Development of Generic Irradiation Doses for Quarantine Treatments; the second Research Coordination Meeting under the project will be held at Texas A&M University from 11-15 April 2011. It is hoped that this research network will determine generic and specific doses for pests and pest groups of quarantine importance (29 insect species from 13 arthropod families). Based on this research, submissions in response to the IPPC’s call for phytosanitary treatments may be made. Once adopted, these phytosanitary treatments may help facilitate trade by reducing technical barriers to the international trade in agricultural produce.

6. The Joint Division is also currently developing Guidelines for the Audit and Accreditation of  Irradiation Facilities used for Sanitary and Phytosanitary Treatment of Food and Agricultural Products, and has held three FAO/IAEA Regional Meetings in 2010 on the development and review of the Guidelines in Austria, Indonesia and the Republic of Korea.  The Guidelines will provide a common framework for the audit and accreditation of irradiation facilities used for sanitary and phytosanitary purposes to ensure proper dosing and safeguarding of food articles traded by APPPC Member Countries, and will be used to assess the effectiveness and ability of a facility to fulfil requirements for the irradiation of food and agricultural products.
 
7. In terms of capacity building, the Joint FAO/IAEA Division has devoted part of its technical assistance delivery to the implementation of the ISPMs in developing countries through national or regional workshops and technical meetings. During 2009 and 2010, three FAO/IAEA Regional Training Courses on “Area-wide Integrated Pest Management of Tephritid Fruit Flies”, “Surveillance of Tephritid Fruit Flies in Support of Planning and Implementing Area-wide Integrated Pest Management Programmes” and “Taxonomy, Ecology and Control of Fruit Flies of Quarantine Importance” were held in respectively China, Thailand and Panama. These courses were attended by 93 participants from 30 countries of the Latin America, and Asia and Pacific regions. Additionally, the FAO/IAEA Division has funded each year fellows for two other fruit fly training courses in Latin America (Mexico and Brazil) and lecturers on the regulatory aspects of fruit commercialization.

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