Alignment of Pesticide Regulations and Standards in Africa | USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 20 0009

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 20 0009

The grant opportunity "Alignment of Pesticide Regulations and Standards in Africa" (USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 20 0009) is a U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) technical assistance award focused on improving how African countries set and implement pesticide maximum residue limits (MRLs). It is framed around a common problem that has grown alongside food safety modernization: as governments update food safety systems, some pesticide residue standards end up being set in ways that are not well grounded in science or aligned with good agricultural practices. When MRLs become overly stringent or inconsistent across borders without a scientific basis, they can function as non-tariff barriers that restrict agricultural trade, particularly for horticultural and specialty crops. The opportunity emphasizes that non-science-based MRLs can conflict with the World Trade Organization (WTO) Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement, and it promotes the use of science-based approaches including adoption of Codex MRLs and import tolerances where appropriate.

The central goal is regional harmonization across Africa, with the expected result being better alignment of pesticide registration systems and MRL standard-setting processes across the four regions of the continent. USDA/FAS is seeking a partner organization that can coordinate a strategy using existing regional networks and identify specific countries to serve as leaders within each region. The partner is expected to help regional authorities move toward shared regulatory approaches that are efficient, protective of public health, and supportive of trade. In practical terms, the project is meant to reduce fragmentation where different countries require different data formats, apply different evaluation methods, or set different residue limits for the same pesticide-crop combinations, even when the underlying science would support alignment.

The work is organized around two main implementation tracks. First, the partner will support the establishment of regionally harmonized regulatory systems for pesticide MRL regulation, meaning more consistent rules, procedures, and decision-making frameworks across countries within a region. Second, the partner will strengthen laboratory capacity and help develop regional laboratory networks, recognizing that credible MRL enforcement and risk-based decision-making depend on reliable analytical testing, trained personnel, and coordinated lab capabilities. The intended outcome is not only new or updated rules on paper, but also stronger regional ability to generate, interpret, and apply residue data in a consistent way.

USDA/FAS describes a set of concrete examples of what successful harmonization could look like. These include adopting crop grouping systems at the regional level to streamline pesticide registrations and MRL setting, improving mutual understanding and acceptance of efficacy trials conducted in different African countries, and creating common registration requirements and standardized dossier formats so companies and regulators are working from the same templates. The opportunity also highlights risk-based registration assessments and decisions, along with MRL decision pathways that are explicitly trade-facilitative while still protecting consumers. Another key element is aligning crop-group MRLs with Codex crop groups, which can make it easier for countries to rely on internationally recognized benchmarks rather than creating unique limits that disrupt trade.

On the data and capacity side, the program envisions establishing regional mechanisms to prioritize which pesticides should be targeted for registration and MRL work, so limited regulatory resources are directed toward the most relevant chemicals and crops. It also calls for residue data generation programs in each African region to conduct supervised residue field trials, which are essential for setting scientifically defensible MRLs based on how pesticides are actually used under local conditions. Finally, it includes the establishment of a residue trial training center, which would help build sustained expertise in designing trials, collecting samples properly, maintaining data quality, and meeting the kinds of study standards regulators rely on when making MRL decisions.

Administratively, this is a discretionary opportunity under the agriculture activity category (CFDA 10.960, Technical Agricultural Assistance). Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and other entities as further clarified in the funding notice. The award ceiling listed is $500,000, with an expectation of one award. The opportunity was created on March 16, 2020, with an original closing date of April 17, 2020. Overall, the funding is designed to support a coordinated, regional approach that modernizes pesticide residue regulation in a way that is science-based, aligned with WTO SPS principles, and capable of reducing avoidable trade barriers while strengthening food safety governance.

• The Department of Agriculture, Technical Agricultural Assistance 10.960 in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Alignment of Pesticide Regulations and Standards in Africa" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.960.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 16, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 17, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for USDA FAS 10960 0700 10 20 0009

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