The SIA project (Sanidad e Innovación Agropecuaria), led by the Ministry of Agriculture and financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), closed in August 2026. It leaves the country with revised health legislation, a national SPS policy, digitalised services and 22 good practice manuals ready for use in the field.
The Dominican Republic is one of the Caribbean's main agri-food players, and its access to domestic and export markets rests on the strength of its sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) systems. The SIA project was designed to reinforce that foundation: strengthening sustainable production capacity, raising the level of food safety, and improving the country's compliance with international standards.
Launched in May 2024, the project ran for 28 months, a scope initially planned over 48. COLEAD provided the technical assistance, mobilising 21 experts — staff and external specialists from Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Honduras, Mexico and the Dominican Republic — alongside the Ministry's teams.
A renewed legal and policy basis
Twelve laws and regulations covering plant and animal health were revised, updating the legal framework within which the Ministry operates.
The project also supported the drafting of a national SPS policy. Internally, it gives Agriculture, Health and Environment a shared basis for coordination. Externally, it strengthens the country's application of requirements set by international bodies, and with it its standing as a reliable trading partner.
Systems reinforced, services digitalised
Surveillance, traceability and certification systems were all strengthened. These technical improvements were paired with the digitalisation of a number of processes handled by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Dirección General de Ganadería, improving the services both institutions provide to their users.
Good practices, ready for the field
Twenty-two good practice manuals were produced across a range of commodities, making good agricultural and livestock practices easier for Dominican producers to understand and apply. They also give extension staff an up-to-date basis on which to train producers in the different regions of the country.
What comes next
Further collaborations are under discussion with the Ministry, on these topics and others. A COLEAD office opened in Santo Domingo in 2026, giving the organisation a permanent base from which to work with partners in the country and the wider region.
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.