NMPF Works to Keep the Science in Scientific Mandate
August 5, 2019
The Codex Executive Committee met the first week of July in Geneva, Switzerland, with the question of whether to preserve the scientific basis of international food standards high on the agenda. The committee recommended that Codex should not embrace other non-scientific factors in its decision-making, a topic then hotly debated during the Codex Alimentarius Committee meeting. The U.S. emerged victorious against an EU-led charge to undermine Codex’s scientific mandate.
This win would not have been possible without the efforts of NMPF staff to build partnerships and strengthen U.S. relationships with overseas authorities and organizations.
For years, the United States struggled to rally support from other countries for the U.S. position on Codex. However, NMPF has worked hard to drive greater cooperation and build allies internationally. USDEC colleagues leveraged the Memorandum of Understanding established with our FEPALE partners to rally support for the U.S. position and to present a united front against the EU’s effort to seek revisions to Codex’s scientific mandate.
Continuing to build upon these international relationships will be key to defending Codex’s science-based standards. NMPF is pleased to report the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). This MOU will complement the one NMPF already shares with FEPALE and provide NMPF with another way to engage directly with stakeholders in Central and South America.
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