Experts from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) visited five countries of the Caribbean Sea. The purpose of the visit was the transfer and successful implementation of the National Animal Identification and Traceability System (NAITS) created in Georgia in the mentioned countries.
The NAITS is implemented by the National Food Agency with technical support from the FAO.
To date, the NAITS has been implemented internationally in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The system is being implemented in two more countries - North Macedonia and Mauritius.
The NAITS is an electronic platform that records various data on legally identifiable domestic animals in Georgia. The project serves to reduce food risks in the country and increase productivity in the livestock sector. The goal of NAITS is to contribute to the improvement of animal health and food safety through the traceability of animals and their products. It helps farmers to access regional and international markets and to meet the import requirements of the EU market. The program also plays an important role in the implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area Agreement (DCFTA) with the European Union.
The FAO team met with the local government representatives and other system stakeholders in the Caribbean. The specificity of the NAITS work in each country was discussed. The system and its Android application were presented to various relevant institutions and potential users together with the government organizations. The priorities that require an individual systematic approach for different countries were also highlighted.
"The FAO's regional and sub-regional offices for Georgia, Europe and Central Asia and the Caribbean agreed to continue their cooperation and efforts to disseminate the system and work on its implementation among other interested CARICOM [Community of Caribbean States] members." This will be an opportunity for the countries to achieve full regional integration of data sharing on animals and animal products, which, unfortunately, has not yet been achieved in the Caucasus region," said FAO Chief Technical Advisor Dragan Angelovski.
Georgia is the first country in the region to implement the NAITS. The project is implemented by the National Food Agency, The FAO with technical and financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC). The NAITS implementation started in 2017; It can be used from 2021. Currently, the second phase of the NAITS is underway, which serves to introduce the system at the national level and ensure its perfect functioning.
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