Dr. Biandri Joubert - AgriPraxis

29/05/2026

I write short but frequent email updates on matters related to sanitary and phytosanitary measures. No long reads, just what you should know. A lot of what I share there I don't share on other platforms.

This includes ePing notifications worth your attention, global SPS developments, notable alerts, recent developments at the international standard-setting bodies and other SPS-related news.

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25/05/2026

Over the next couple of weeks I am going to use the word phytosanitary a lot. So let's start there.

A phytosanitary measure is a government rule designed to protect plants and plant-based agriculture from pests and diseases. It covers, for example, what plants and plant products can cross a border, what can move between provinces, and what conditions must be met before plant material can be sold or planted. These decisions must be science-based.

This is the framework behind decisions like which pests trigger cold treatment requirements on citrus exports, which plant material requires inspection at the border, and why a pest outbreak in one region of a country can or cannot restrict what reaches markets in another.

If you are reading this and thinking this does not apply to you because you are not a large exporter, keep following. That is exactly who this series is for. It is for everyone. Phytosanitary measures shape production decisions, input choices, and market access at every scale. Your size is irrelevant. If you work with plants or plant-based products in any part of the value chain, this regulatory framework affects you. You should be empowered with the knowledge of where it comes from and what its basis is.

If any of this is unfamiliar or if you are unsure whether it applies to your operation, that is precisely why I am sharing it. Follow along on my SPS for everyone, explained simply. One topic per video. As the weeks progress I will add more technical detail. But I am starting off with some key terms and phrases.

21/05/2026

SPS measures are very specifically defined: they protect human, animal, or plant life and health from specific risks. Sustainability is a much broader concept covering environmental impact, carbon emissions, land use, water consumption, labour practices, and more. The two operate under different legal and policy frameworks and serve different objectives.

They often look and feel similar, but they are not the same thing. Both can apply to agricultural products.

For now, SPS compliance remains the more established and legally binding obligation in international agricultural trade. You need to be compliant and increasingly fluent and strategic in both SPS and sustainability to effectively participate in international trade.

20/05/2026

Have you ever wondered about the law behind disease management: plant health, animal health and food safety in trade? Most people haven't, but it affects every piece of food or agricultural product that crosses a border.

My name is Dr Biandri Joubert and I specialise in sanitary and phytosanitary measures, or SPS for short. Over the next few weeks I will be sharing videos covering everything from international standards and standard-setting bodies, to what disease-free status actually means and why some trading partners allow trade even when a pest or disease has broken out while others don't.

These are fascinating questions with real consequences for farmers, exporters, and anyone involved in agricultural trade.

Follow along, share with anyone you think would find this useful, and bring your questions.

CONTEXTUAL NOTE: The content shared on this page covers sanitary and phytosanitary measures in the context of international agricultural trade.

20/05/2026

The WOAH Aquatic Animal Health Code has been in place since 1995. It sets the standards that national Aquatic Animal Health Services use to prevent, detect, report and control pathogens in fish, molluscs, crustaceans and amphibians. In trade terms, it is the framework that underpins the safety of the international movement of aquatic animals and their products.

19/05/2026

The obvious place fish fit into the SPS conversation is food safety (Codex Alimentarius). However, fish are also subjects of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

The WOAH Aquatic Animal Health Code defines "aquatic animals" as "all viable life stages (including eggs and gametes) of fish, molluscs, crustaceans and amphibians originating from aquaculture establishments or from the wild."

Some examples of WOAH listed fish diseases are: koi herpesvirus, salmonid alphavirus and tilapia lake virus. In the same way as with terrestrial animals, the guidelines cover a range of issues from general obligations related to certification through to welfare of farmed fish and specific aspects related to listed diseases.

Given the volume of fish consumed worldwide, aquatic health or fish health is an important SPS topic.

18/05/2026

When a country urgently introduces an SPS measure due to an unexpected health risk, it can bypass the normal advance notification process and act immediately. It still has to notify the WTO, but notification happens at the same time as implementation rather than before.

An example of a frequent trigger is a disease outbreak, for example, avian influenza and FMD. Emergency SPS measures are regularly notified across plant health, animal health and food safety. It is usually targeted towards a specific country or set of countries, depending on the nature of the risk and whether a broad or narrow application is appropriate.