Pest Risk Analysis: New plants and plant products from new origins

Introduction

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulates the importation of plants for planting, fresh fruit and other plant products to prevent the introduction and spread of plant pests of quarantine concern to Canada. Quarantine pests are plant pests which could cause significant damage to Canada’s agriculture, forestry and/or environment and which do not currently occur in Canada or, if they do, are not widely distributed and are under official control. Until the pest risk has been evaluated and phytosanitary import requirements have been identified and implemented in order to manage the risk, the CFIA will not authorize the importation of plants, fruits and vegetables which may be a pathway for quarantine plant pests.

Pest risk analysis (PRA) is an internationally recognized process that the CFIA uses to evaluate the pest risk posed by a specific organism or by a specific commodity originating from a specified PRA area. This PRA process may be triggered by many different situations, including a proposal to import a commodity that has not previously been imported or a commodity from a new place of origin. The CFIA considers these commodities “Not Authorized Pending Pest Risk Analysis” (NAPPRA) and a PRA must be completed prior to importation. Most plant products (many fruits and all plants for planting) and new origins are considered NAPPRA until importation is first authorized (e.g. by issuing a Permit to Import). If new information becomes available indicating there are unassessed risks associated with the product or origin, the product may be returned to the NAPPRA category. Examples of taxa from specific origins that are considered to be NAPPRA can be found in:

• Plants for planting: Appendix 1 of directive D-08-04.
• Fruits: Temperate fruits that are not listed in Appendix 1 of directive D-95-08.

The PRA process consists of three stages: (1) initiation, (2) pest risk assessment, and (3) pest risk management. PRA is not necessarily a linear process because, in conducting the entire analysis, it may be necessary to go back and forth between various stages. Information gathering, documentation and risk communication are carried out throughout the PRA process. The PRA uses scientific and economic evidence to identify pests of quarantine concern, evaluate their probability of introduction and spread, and determine the magnitude of potential impacts should they be introduced into Canada. Information is gathered from a variety of sources including available scientific literature, the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of the exporting country, scientific experts and industry stakeholders.

If the risk is deemed unacceptable, the analysis may suggest management options that can reduce the risk to an acceptable level, which can then be used to establish phytosanitary measures, such as import requirements. In some situations there is no single measure available that would adequately manage the risk. In these cases, the CFIA may consider accepting a systems approach as an alternative to a single measure, provided it offers an equivalent level of phytosanitary protection. A systems approach requires the integration of different phytosanitary measures, at least two of which act independently, but which have a cumulative effect of ensuring the commodity is free of regulated plant pests.

The PRA is generally a multi-year process. The length of time required to complete a PRA depends on many factors, including the priority level assigned to it, the availability of information, the responsiveness of the exporting NPPO to requests for information, etc. Canadian importers who initiate a PRA process must pay the associated fees.

Note: Conducting a PRA does not guarantee that importation will be permitted, since the PRA may determine that the risk cannot be adequately addressed through available phytosanitary measures.

References

The following International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures provide guidance on the PRA process and potential risk management options for quarantine pests:

• ISPM 2: Framework for pest risk analysis
• ISPM 11: Pest risk analysis for quarantine pests
• ISPM 14: The use of integrated measures in a systems approach for pest risk management
• ISPM 36: Integrated measures for plants for planting

Requesting approval to import a new product from a new origin

Canadian importers

Those interested in importing a new product, and/or from a new area, that is classified by the CFIA as NAPPRA should contact the Horticulture Section. Please include a brief preliminary description of:

• The product that will be imported (including scientific name).
• A description of the product (e.g. with or without roots, with or without soil/growing media, fresh/dried/processed).
• The origin of the product.
• The intended use of the product (e.g. propagation, consumption).

The CFIA will review the information and will follow up to request additional information and outline the next steps in the process.

National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) of exporting countries

Please contact the International Plant Protection Convention contact point for Canada.

Exporters in foreign countries

Please contact your country’s NPPO to indicate your interest. Alternatively, if you are working with an interested Canadian importer, the importer may contact the CFIA as per the instructions above.

Prioritization and phytosanitary evaluation process

The following summarizes the steps required for the completion of the prioritization and phytosanitary evaluation process (including the PRA) for plants and plant products from new sources:

1. Triage: Requests are reviewed in the order they are received and are subjected to a triage process to ensure that the highest priority requests are actioned first. Factors such as the domestic Canadian demand for the commodity and the importance of the potential trade to the foreign NPPO are taken into consideration when assigning priorities.
2. Initiate PRA: The exporting NPPO is expected to provide the CFIA with technical information regarding the commodity, associated pests and production practices that can be used in developing the PRA. In some situations, the CFIA may need to conduct a site visit to gather the information required to complete the PRA. The objectives of the first step of the PRA are to identify plant pests of quarantine concern to Canada that might be associated with the commodity as produced in the exporting country, evaluate their probability of introduction and spread, and determine the magnitude of the potential consequences of their introduction into Canada.
3. Identify plant pests of potential quarantine concern: The list of plant pests of quarantine concern is then shared with the exporting country’s NPPO in order to seek additional technical information about the pests and crop production practices. This information is used to finalize the list of regulated pests requiring phytosanitary measures.
4. Determine risk management measures: In some cases, specific phytosanitary measures which have already been established for a particular pest or commodity may be adopted. In other cases, the CFIA will ask the NPPO of the exporting country to propose phytosanitary measures to manage the risk posed by the quarantine plant pests identified through the PRA. If there is no single measure available that would adequately manage the risk, the CFIA may consider accepting a systems approach, provided it offers an equivalent level of phytosanitary protection. Step 4 is complete when the CFIA and the exporting country agree to appropriate risk management measures for all the plant pests identified through the PRA.
5. Stakeholder consultation: Depending on the outcome of the previous steps of the phytosanitary evaluation process, the CFIA may determine that a Risk Management Document (RMD) is required. The RMD, which outlines elements of the PRA and proposed phytosanitary measures for the commodity, is used to consult with stakeholders and to record decisions made by the CFIA.
6. On-site audit and/or trial period: An on-site audit of the exporting country’s export certification program by CFIA phytosanitary experts may be required prior to approving importation or prior to normalizing trade. A trial period may also be established to closely monitor imports and verify compliance.
7. Implement import requirements: The CFIA will update the import requirements for the commodity to reflect the risk management measures that have been agreed to by the CFIA and the exporting country’s NPPO in the CFIA’s Automated Import Reference System (AIRS) and any relevant directives. In some cases, such as when a systems approach is adopted, a formal bilateral workplan between the CFIA and the exporting country’s NPPO may be required. Once the required documents have been finalized and the requirements have been published in AIRS, the commodity may enter Canada.

Date modified:

2016-10-25