Food safety: a critical part of the food system in Africa

19 September 2018. Brussels. The latest Brussels Development Briefing no. 52 on “Food safety: a critical part of the food system in Africa ” was organised by the ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), in collaboration with the European Commission (DG DEVCO & DG Health and Food Safety), the ACP Secretariat, CONCORD and the Global Food Safety Partnership.

To improve the quantity and quality of food safety capacity building in sub-Saharan Africa, the Global Food Safety Partnership (GFSP) commissioned a mapping and analysis of current institutions, initiatives and resources devoted to food safety capacity building in sub-Saharan Africa. 

• The report, “Food Safety in Africa: Past Endeavors and Future Directions” provides data, analysis, and recommendations that organisations working on food safety in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) can use to improve the impact of their efforts. 
• The report focuses on food safety capacity-building investments and activities of the international donor community and ways that both donors and African governments can better target and coordinate those investments, with greater synergy between the public and private sectors. 
  
• The central theme of this report is that donors, African governments, and the private sector can work together to maximise the impact of food safety capacity-building investments and improve food safety. Everyone agrees that such collaboration is needed. The difficulty is catalysing and sustaining a shift in current practices.
• The report provides findings and makes recommendations based on data from over 500 donor-funded projects and activities and input from nearly 200 experts and stakeholders. It provides advice to help donors and African governments better target and coordinate investments, with greater synergy between the public and private sectors.

Panel 1: Ensuring food safety along the entire food chainThis panel will share food safety concepts, approaches and trends across Africa. It will present the findings of the GFSP study, lessons learned from selected countries and the implications for the investments in the sector.

• Food Safety in Africa: Past Endeavors and Future Directions - Lystra N. Antoine, CEO, Global Food Safety Partnership [presentation]
  
  
  
• Importance and experience building capacity of informal markets in SSA - Kristina Roesel, Jointly appointed scientist, Freie Universität Berlin and ILRI [presentation]
• Market access for African countries agri-food products to the EU - Michael Scannell, Director for the Food Chain, DG Sante, European Commission 
• Building capacity of public and private actors on food safety: best practices - Morag Webb, Policy Adviser, PIP-COLEACP [presentation]
  

Panel 2: Drivers for success for improving food safety in Africa

This panel discussed investments in African food safety capacity to improve public health, food security, and economically beneficial market access for African food producers. It will feature public and private perspectives and best practices.

• Enabling the private sector to support food safety in domestic markets - Kelley Cormier, Division Chief, Bureau for Food Security, USAID [presentation]
  
  
  
  
• The role of Farmers in ensuring safe food in the value chain - Elizabeth Nsimadala, Entrepreneur & President of Eastern Africa Farmer’s Federation (EAFF) [presentation]
• What role food safety play in Africa regional trade? - Chris Muyunda, Chairman of the Governing Council of CAADP Non State Actors Coalition [presentation]
  
  
  

Resources:
Background Note
Programme
Reader
Biodata of the speakers
Additional Resources
Brussels Briefing 11: “ Meeting Food Safety Standards: Implications for ACP agricultural exports ”
Brussels Briefing 47: “ Regional Trade in Africa: Drivers, Trends and Opportunities ”
Brussels Briefing 48: “ Strengthening rural livelihoods in the face of rapid urbanisation in Africa ”
Brussels Briefing 50: “ Growing food in the cities: Successes and new opportunities ”