Dominican Republic: strengthening the sanitary framework to support agri-food safety and trade

As part of the Sanidad e Innovación Agropecuaria (SIA) project, funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for the benefit of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Dominican Republic, COLEAD has supported the development of a comprehensive set of legislative and strategic documents aimed at modernising the country’s sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) system.

This work includes a new sanitary law, its implementing regulations, and a national SPS policy. Together, these instruments are designed to establish a legal and institutional framework adapted to current food safety challenges, while enhancing the competitiveness and international trade potential of Dominican agricultural products.

These documents are fully aligned with the One Health approach, which seeks to better integrate human, animal, and environmental health. This integrated perspective contributes to the prevention of zoonotic diseases, the improvement of food safety, and the protection of ecosystems.

The main outputs were presented between March and April 2026 to key public and private sector stakeholders, including the Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AIRD), the Dominican Exporters Association (ADOEXPO), and the National Competitiveness Council (CNC). These presentations helped strengthen stakeholder ownership and engagement around the proposed reforms.

In parallel, the documents are currently being used as a foundation for a national food safety working group convened this month by the government, with the objective of updating and strengthening the national agri-food system.

Produced between November 2024 and the end of 2025, these deliverables are the result of an extensive participatory process. The sanitary law and its three main regulations were developed and validated through a series of SWOT workshops and consultations involving public authorities, notably the Ministry of Agriculture, as well as private sector representatives. The SPS policy was developed in close collaboration with the National SPS Committee, following a similar approach.

In addition, six complementary technical regulations are currently being finalised and are expected to be completed by June 2026. The national policy is also supported by three dedicated three-year action plans, one for each sanitary domain, to ensure its effective and phased implementation.

Once adopted and implemented, the sanitary law and the SPS policy are intended to serve as national references, providing a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework for both public and private stakeholders in the agri-food sector.

This activity is supported by the SIA project (Sanidad e Innovación Agropecuaria), implemented by COLEAD on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Dominican Republic and financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) under loan no. BID-4909/OC-DR. This publication has been produced with the financial support of the IDB. The contents are the sole responsibility of COLEAD and in no way reflect the views of the Dominican Ministry of Agriculture or the IDB.