Participation in the development of international food standards for trade is essential if countries are to reap the benefits of booming global trade and prepare for imminent technological changes, according to a joint publication issued by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 12 July. Developing countries, in particular, should invest in the capacity and skills to achieve effective engagement in institutions and multilateral bodies such as the WTO and Codex Alimentarius - the world's primary international food standards setting body. The publication Trade and Food Standards offers a concise explanation of how international food standards are set and applied. It advocates for deeper involvement by developing countries in both the harmonized food standard setting processes in Codex Alimentarius and the WTO's Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committees.