The cooperation between the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and authorities in developing and middle-income countries are based on developing the relevant framework conditions for green transition and sustainable development in the food area through the development of policies within the strategic sector cooperation (SSC).
The SSC projects create platforms, networks and knowledge of the local conditions and market, while strengthening the bilateral relations and promoting Danish solutions for the benefit of Danish business.
The SSC projects run in phases. Firstly, there is a one-year initial phase (pre-project) followed by up to three three-year phases (phase I, phase II and phase III).
The projects are locally anchored at the Danish embassies in the respective countries, where sector counsellors play a key role in the cooperation by facilitating the link between the authorities of the partner country and the Danish partner authority.
The projects are financed by Danish aid funds.
Strengthening the framework for the SSC projects
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration has been part of the strategic sector cooperation since 2015. In 2021, the Danish parliament decided to strengthen the financial framework for the Strategic Sector Cooperation from 2023.
The strengthened framework aims to utilizing Danish key skills, to an even greater extent, in order to promote the green agenda through development work – while at the same time, increasing focus on Danish commercial solutions.
In a time of climate crisis, supply crisis and a looming global food crisis, the new framework agreement focuses on three of the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration's core competences:
- Food waste and food loss: including resource efficiency in agriculture, effective food safety, quality control systems, hygiene and improved management of feed and animal health.
- Agro-ecology and organic production methods: including effective control system for food, feed and veterinary control.
- One Health: including animal health and the fight against antibiotic resistance.
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration's international strategy thus promotes and supports stable and sustainable food systems locally, and at a global scale, enhancing food safety and the green transformation of global food production.
In order to succeed, we believe it is essential to tackle the challenges in the entire food supply chain, that is why competences of the entire Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries are brought to the table, in order to cover a greater perspective and involvement for the future.
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration's SSC projects:
Moreover, the strengthened international cooperation framework has resulted in an increased engagement of the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration's, which entails that our current SSC projects in China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Kenya, Mexico, and Nigeria are supported with projects in South Africa, Bangladesh India and, Ukraine.
In addition to these ten projects, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration implemented a successful SSC project in Colombia (2016-2021) focusing on the pig meat sector.
The SSC project in Colombia was essentially centered around animal welfare, antibiotic resistance (AMR), and the preparation of a national food control plan, aiming to improve food safety in the country.
You can learn more about the SSC projects below: