Madagascar: future managers trained in SPS quality management

Madagascar: future managers trained in SPS quality management

On 12 July, the École Supérieure des Sciences Agronomiques (ESSA) at the University of Antananarivo officially launched the “Management of Quality, Health and Plant Health” (MQSPS) training course. The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Director of ESSA, the head of the specialisation and the head of the course, the representative of the Directorate of Plant Protection (DPV), the COLEAD national relay, teachers and students.

An Innovative course in tropical agriculture and sustainable development

The MQSPS course is an innovative academic training programme integrated into the Tropical Agriculture and Sustainable Development (AT2D) option at ESSA. It was created in response to the need to improve the quality of agricultural production and meet international standards in order to boost exports.

The main objective of this course is to train Masters students to become senior managers in the field of quality management of agricultural products, with an emphasis on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) aspects. The course aims to equip future professionals with the skills needed to ensure compliance with international standards and promote high quality, sustainable agriculture. The MQSPS course has been officially accredited by Order 33385/2023-MESUPRES of 18 December 2023.

The course content has been developed in collaboration with AT2D, COLEAD (through the Fit For Market programme) and the DPV, ensuring a multidisciplinary approach adapted to the realities of the agricultural sector.

From the third year of the Bachelor’s degree (L3), students with a background in agronomy or equivalent can choose the AT2D option. In the first year of the Masters (M1), students have the option of specialising in the MQSPS, Tropical Agriculture (TA) or Soil and Environmental Biofunctioning (SEB) pathway. The MQSPS pathway takes students through to the completion of their Masters’s thesis and provides in-depth, specialist training.

Ten students chose the MQSPS pathway for this first intake, marking the start of a new era in sanitary and phytosanitary quality education at the University of Antananarivo. The AT2D programme remains open to collaborations and partnerships in these areas of training and research to continue to develop the skills and knowledge essential for the future of sustainable tropical agriculture in Madagascar.

This activity is supported by the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, implemented by COLEAD within the Framework of Development Cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union. This publication receives financial support from the European Union and the OACPS. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or the OACPS.