GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – USDA contributed $600,000 (USD) to the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Standards and Trade Development Facility last year. According to the WTO, the donation will help developing countries and least-developed countries meet international food safety, animal and plant health standards for trade, with the objective of increasing their access to world markets. The U.S. Ambassador to the WTO, Dennis Shea, said: “The United States is pleased to be renewing its support for strengthening the implementation of the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS), a unique agreement aimed at improving health and preventing disguised trade barriers. Its provisions ensure regulatory approaches are transparent, and science and risk-based, setting the gold standard for protecting consumer health, supporting rural livelihoods and facilitating trade. Extreme poverty is predominately found in rural areas where agricultural productivity is low. Building farmers’ capacity to implement the SPS Agreement is critical to improving access to safe tools and technologies, increasing agricultural sustainability and achieving the vision of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming.” The investment comes as the U.S. continues to push for major reforms at the WTO, especially in the area of dispute settlement.