FAO and World Health Organization (WHO) are celebrating World Food Safety Day this month, recognizing the key role of Food Safety for Food Systems transformation.  

The importance of Sustainable Food Systems is more widely recognized in a fast-paced and interconnected world, where growing population, climate change and other shocks are putting enormous pressure on land, soil and the accessibility of food which is safe and healthy.  

To operate effectively, our food systems need a systemic approach, able to involve production, consumption and everything in between in an integrated manner. 
Food Safety is a fundamental element of this integrated approach, and an essential outcome of how the Agrifood System operates.  

The journey to food systems transformation and towards the achievement of 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was a key aspect of the 2023 World Food Safety Day (WFSD), hosted by FAO and this year focused on the importance of Food Standards. These can literally “save lives”, being a crucial component to food security, and playing a vital role in reducing foodborne diseases. 

If we want to look at sustainable food systems, food safety must be considered a priority. Safe food is critical, not only to better health and food security but also for livelihoods, economic development, trade and the international reputation of every country. Food borne illnesses are currently affecting the global population impeding socioeconomic development and straining health care systems. They are harming national economies, with the impact of unsafe food reported to cost low- and middle-income economies around US$ 95 billion in lost productivity each year. 

During the WFSD event, Corinna Hawkes, Director of the FAO Food Systems and Food Safety Division (ESF), moderated an expert panel on the role science plays in creating these food standards and the impact they have on the agri-food systems transformation. She also wrote a piece for Food Safety magazine outlining the nexus of food safety and food systems. 

“Science and standard setting is so important in the transformation we need, in identifying problems and solutions. Standards are a critical part of achieving safe food and all of the sustainable development goals,” Dr. Hawkes added. 

As countries work to transform their agri-food systems in more resilient, inclusive, efficient, and sustainable ways, they need tools and capacity building elements to help in the process. 

During the Event, FAO also launched a new Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) and HACCP Toolbox for Food Safety. The goal of the toolkit is to provide entities of all sizes in the food systems a method to produce, process, and distribute safe food while working with food safety authorities 

For more information about the day, please consult the FAO Food Safety and Quality Website and the World Food Safety Day Portal which is run by Codex Alimentarius, created in 1963 by FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) for international food standards.