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Our Strategic Direction
Institutional actions of the National Service for Agri-food Health and Quality (Senasa)
are guided by a management model relying on science-based risk analysis and process
control.
Thus, Senasa offers scientifically validated safeguards and controls supported by
accreditable documentation that guarantee the health and quality of farm products from
the origin and throughout the entire value chain to consumers in domestic and foreign
markets.
This strategy strengthens the role of the State in the area of animal and plant health
and food safety whilst taking into account the environmental impact of the activities it
controls.
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Values, Vision and Mission
The values we share
Ethics, reliability, transparency, professionalism and competence, social commitment,
equity, respect and recognition.
The vision we share
To be the national and international referent government agency for its reliability,
technical capability and human values in preserving animal and plant health, including
hygiene and safety of farm products, inputs and foodstuffs within its sphere of
responsibility, working towards the general welfare with sustainable procedures.
The vision we are committed to
Planning, regulating, executing, overseeing and certifying processes and actions within
a framework of programmes related to animal and plant health, including safety, hygiene
and quality of foodstuffs, products and inputs, responding to national and international
requirements and demands, emerging issues and trends in new scenarios.
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“Approximately 5000 highly
qualified employees hold a broad
range of scientific, technical and
administrative positions at Senasa.”
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Who we are
Established in 1995, Senasa is a
decentralised body of the National
Government that reports to the Secretariat
of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and
Food (Sagpya) of the National Ministry
of Production. Senasa is the agency
responsible for executing national policies
on animal health, plant protection and
food safety.
Our Service meets its institutional goals
with 14 regional centres.
The central level (National Directorates)
issues rules on animal health, plant
protection and food safety whereas the
regional centres execute specific animal
and plant health programmes and verify
that participants in the agri-food chain
conform to regulatory requirements.
Senasa does not work alone. In coordination
with provincial and municipal
animal health and plant protection
authorities, the Service ensures,
with a national approach, continuous
improvement of the sanitary and
phytosanitary status, as required by local
and global consumers.
Our people
Approximately 5000 highly qualified
employees hold a broad range of
scientific, technical and administrative
positions at Senasa.
The employees of the Service carry out
their activities at Senasa headquarters,
the regional centres and in the network of
laboratories.
Veterinarians, agronomists, technicians
and veterinary assistants in the field,
slaughterhouses, packing houses, ports,
airports and borders, with the support of
biologists and chemists in the laboratories
and employees in administrative positions
work towards one goal: to protect plants
and animals from pests and diseases for
Argentineans to eat healthy foods.
To carry out this mandate and conform
to the guidelines on animal and plant
health and food safety established by the
Argentine government, Senasa employees
strive to:
• Develop an efficient and effective
regulatory framework and check that
farmers, processors, truckers, distributors,
as primary responsibles for the health,
safety and hygiene of their products,
conform to statutory requirements;
• Safeguard the sustainability of animal
and plant resources;
• Ensure professional, respectful and
transparent management.
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“For the employees of the Service to
carry out their functions efficiently,
as of 2004 Senasa has a Strategic
Training Programme in place.”
Precisely, for the employees of the Service
to carry out their functions efficiently, as
of 2004 Senasa has a Strategic Training
Programme which provides professionals,
technicians, veterinary assistants and
administrative clerks the necessary tools
to manage animal health programmes,
analyse and define objectives and
expected results, and include ethical and
social responsibility criteria in the public
service they perform.
Leadership and Management Structure
Senasa is managed by a President, a Vice
President and a General Manager.
The President is the legal representative
of the Agency; responsibilities of the
President include implementing current
regulations within the scope of authority of
the Service and defining, together with the
Vice President, the policies and goals for
the management level.
The Vice President is also responsible
for overseeing technical, legal and
administrative issues and chairs Senasa’s
Advisory Board.
The General Manager is responsible for
planning and guiding the activities to
attain the expected results, as defined in
the strategic objectives previously set by
Senasa’s authorities.
The Advisory Board, a nonbinding
advisory body, is formed by
representatives of farmer´s associations
and the agri-food industry as well as
rotating representatives from the five
major production regions of Argentina
(NOA, NEA, Nuevo Cuyo, Patagonia and
Pampeana). The Board also represents
Senasa employees.
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“To implement and promote
sanitary and phytosanitary
actions and food safety within
its sphere of authority, Senasa
issues regulations that ensure
conformance to the Argentine
Food Code and international
statutes.”

What we do
Maintain an Effective Regulatory
Framework
To implement and promote sanitary and
phytosanitary actions and food safety,
Senasa issues regulations that ensure
conformance to the Argentine Food Code
and international statutes. To this end,
Senasa verifies that all participants in
the agri-food chain conform to current
regulations.
To ensure a framework of sciencebased,
effective and transparent national
regulations, Senasa continuously
reviews the statutes and participates in
international fora where it actively cooperates
in drafting animal and plant
health legislation.
Protect Plants and Animals in Argentina
The health of farm products and food
safety are the “heart” of Senasa.
The Service works to ensure that
products are healthy both for consumers
in the country and in the foreign markets
to which Argentina exports agri-food
products.
By protecting the health of plants and
animals from pests and diseases, Senasa
agents make it possible for our population
and millions of people around the world to
eat safe, quality products.
Inspect Farm Products and By-products
At a national level, Senasa oversees
that processing and manufacturing
establishments, fishing vessels and
storage facilities for edible and non-edible
animal products, by-products and derived
products conform to hygiene and sanitary
regulations.
Control of In-country Movements of
Goods and Animals and our Borders
Senasa is also responsible for checking
in-country movements of goods and
animals, imports and exports of animals
and plants and their derived products,
agri-foods, veterinary medicinal products,
agrochemicals, fertilizers and soil
amendments.
With border controls, and strengthened
surveillance and follow-up activities,
Senasa is capable of rapidly detecting
pathogenic agents that pose a risk to
animal and plant health.
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“Efficient achievement of the
objectives set by Senasa requires
having in-house capabilities
to analyse the technical
characteristics of products, drugs,
containers, labels, inserts and
brochures related to veterinary
medicine, plant health and
agricultural production.”

Prevent Transmission of Animal Diseases
to Humans
Senasa also works on preventing,
eradicating and reducing the possible
incidence of zoonoses (diseases
transmitted by animals to humans such
as, for example, Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy, also known as Mad Cow
Disease, and Avian Influenza).
Likewise, Senasa is responsible for the
surveillance of other diseases (Foot and
Mouth Disease and Brucellosis, among
others) together with provincial and
municipal authorities and others working in
animal health in Argentina.
Certify Exports
Senasa certifies the exports of plant
products and their by-products, which are
shipped to over 150 markets.
In the last five years, Senasa certified an
average of 20 billion US Dollars in agrifood
products for export.
Maintain a Network of Laboratories
Efficient achievement of the objectives
set by Senasa requires having in-house
capabilities to analyse the technical
characteristics of products, drugs,
containers, labels, inserts and brochures
related to veterinary medicine, plant health
and agricultural production and to test for
the presence of contaminants or residues
in products, by-products and derived
products of animal and plant origin.
The network of laboratories has analytical
capabilities to test microbiological,
technological, chemical and physical
characteristics of derived products
of animal and plant origin. Senasa is
responsible for approving, granting
accreditation and overseeing diagnostic
laboratories and antigen manufacturers
which participate in the national network.
Senasa’s network of laboratories is
internationally recognised for its scientific
reputation.
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Develop Animal and Plant Health
Programmes
The Service is responsible for planning,
scheduling, organising, executing and
overseeing surveillance, detection,
prevention, control and eradication plans
and programmes for plant pests and
animal diseases.
The surveillance and inspection
programmes implemented by Senasa
focus on detecting risks to the health
of animals and plants and their derived
products. These programmes also
propose and evaluate campaigns to
eradicate animal diseases (infectious,
parasitic and zoonótico diseases) and
plant pests, particularly those requiring
quarantine.
The programmes also co-ordinate
on-going research in endemic animal
diseases and quarantine plant pests, and
review applicable statutes.
Register Agrochemicals, Pharmacological
and Veterinary Products, and control their
production
With regard to agrochemicals and
pharmacological and veterinary products,
Senasa is responsible for developing and
overseeing conformance to the rules and
regulations on production, marketing and
use of agrochemicals and biologicals used
in agricultural production and trade and for
pest control.
Develop Two-way Communication
As primary responsibles for animal
health, plant protection and food safety,
participants in the agri-food chain must be
informed about a broad range of topics
related to Senasa’s activities, particularly
the regulations it issues.
From this viewpoint, communication is,
for Senasa, a management tool which
facilitates dialogue and interaction with
farmers, processors, truckers, distributors
and consumers and the democratic
commitment to transparency.
As consumers also play a fundamental
role in preserving food safety and to keep
the population informed, Senasa posts
information on safe practices for healthy
food selection and handling of foodstuffs
on its web page.
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“Communication is, for Senasa, a
management tool which facilitates
dialogue and interaction with
farmers, processors, truckers,
distributors and consumers.”

Protect the Environment
The environment is a common good
of the entire community and as such
should be preserved and supported by
all citizens. To this end, Senasa works
with participants in the agri-food chain to
implement good agricultural practices and
animal welfare principles.
Thus, Senasa promotes sustainable
development, responding to today’s needs
without jeopardizing the capacity of future
generations to respond to theirs.
This publication is part of Senasa
communication with the agri-food
chain and the community.
For further information, contact us
at:
www.senasa.gov.ar
info@senasa.gov.ar
0800-999-2386
Copyright Senasa – 2009
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