Improve the food safety of ACP foodstuffs exported to Europe

Located in Brussels alongside the PIP which is also implemented by the COLEACP, EDES aims at building on the experience of the PIP in ACP horticulture and, on others in the SPS domain, to support activities leading to the strengthening of food safety systems throughout the ACP countries.

EDES is an ACP-EU programme of 29,5m € funded by the 9th European Development Fund. It involves nine partners from France, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Denmark, and is working within a global framework of support of poverty alleviation through economic development. CIRAD is coordinating the programme's training component.

Download the EDES leaflet

EU regulations on food safety have undergone important changes in recent years following in particular the coming into force of EC Regulation 882/2004. It requires from third countries sanitary and phytosanitary control systems that are équivalent to European standards. The EDES Programme has been designed to assist ACP countries in adjusting to this and strengthening their national SPS systems so as to ensure and enlarge access into the EU of their products, while participating at large into regional and international food trade. Thus, EDES contributes to poverty alleviation.

The support of EDES to small producer organizations actively engaged in export sectors aims at mainstreaming them by building their capacity at producing safe food for local, regional or international consumers.

Related: CIRAD 21/03/2011 EDES ou comment renforcer la sécurité sanitaire des aliments dans les pays ACP