In December 2024, the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection took the next step in operationalising ePhytos, conducting extensive practical training on the IPPC ePhyto Solution for its lead inspectors. This marks a crucial step in the country’s efforts to digitalise phytosanitary processes and to support its businesses in facilitating the export of plant products.
The ePhyto Solution allows countries to exchange phytosanitary certificates with trading partners quickly, accurately, and at a low cost by digitalising the process. It also reduces the risk of error or fraud while ensuring that agricultural products are free from pests and diseases.
An Alliance-led initiative is supporting the government to digitalise phytosanitary processes and to connect the national Phytosanitary Inspection System (PHIS) to the IPPC ePhyto Hub. The initiative complements the European Union’s EU4SaferFood project aimed at helping Ukraine improve food safety and veterinary control systems.
Highlighting the importance of the initiative, Andrii Chelombitko, Director of the Department of Phytosanitary Safety and Control in Crop Production said, “The digitalisation of the national phytosanitary certification system for the import and export of plant products not only solves a number of pressing issues for both Ukrainian business entities and the system of state control in the field of phytosanitary, but also opens up new opportunities for domestic producers.”
The practical training sessions mark an important milestone in making the ePhyto Solution operational in Ukraine. In the coming weeks, lead inspectors will roll out the training to all regions involving more than 750 inspectors. All inspectors have also received online trainings and guiding material developed with the support of the Alliance.
The Alliance project in Ukraine is part of a broader effort to modernise and digitalise trade processes in the region. The Ukrainian agricultural sector, cornerstone of the country’s economy, has faced significant challenges in cross-border trade due to the ongoing war and disruptions in traditional trade routes.
Many of the world’s poorest countries rely on Ukrainian grain and food imports. Disruptions in Ukraine’s food exports have a direct impact on food security in these countries. Efficient and transparent trade processes are more critical than ever.The Alliance’s ePhyto project addresses these challenges by providing a secure, efficient, and reliable method for managing phytosanitary certifications.
“Switching to paperless trade using digital tools such as ePhyto will help Ukrainian agribusinesses increase the efficiency of logistics for grain and oilseeds trade by reducing time and costs for exporters. Digitisation of phytosanitary services is a win-win for all parties—business, government, and our foreign partners,” said Irina Dushnik, Grain & Oilseed Committee Executive Director, European Business Association in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s admission to the ePhyto system is included in the National Strategy for Increasing Foreign Direct Investment in Ukraine. The strategic importance of digitalising trade processes is demonstrated by the recent passing of a regulation to legalise ePhytos.