FAO, EU and Government of Zimbabwe launch National Food Safety Strategy
If it is not safe, it is not food. There is no food security without food safety. More than 120 stakeholders in the food value chain gathered in Harare to witness the launch of the National Food Safety Strategy (NFSS) 2022 – 2026. The strategy’s vision is anchored on “Safe food from farm to fork in Zimbabwe” to improve management of the country’s food control system and ensure consumer protection from foodborne diseases as well as enhancing trade. The development of the strategy was coordinated by the Government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with support from the European Union under the auspices of the FAO led Transforming Zimbabwe’s Animal Health and Food Safety systems (SAFE) project.
“The National Food Safety Strategy is fully aligned to the Constitution of Zimbabwe and other government policies. It primarily puts the protection of public health and the promotion of ease of doing business at the forefront of the national food safety agenda. It seeks to guide investment into desired food safety initiatives and to strengthen the capacity of food control stakeholders with regards to conducting food safety risk assessments, performing risk management functions and risk communication actions,” said Honourable Air Commodore Dr. Jasper Chimedza, Permanent Secretary in the MoHCC.
The NFSS was developed through wide and extensive consultations among key food control and management stakeholders following up to the assessment of National Food Control Systems for Zimbabwe which was supported by FAO. This assessment revealed several weaknesses in the country’s food control system which necessitated the development of this strategy to guide the national effort towards a higher level of food safety and consumer protection. The interventions aligned to the food safety strategy include strengthening of the food safety legal and policy framework, strengthening institutional capacity and strengthening of food safety information management systems.
The strategy aligns with the FAO’s Strategic Priorities for Food Safety 2022–2031 which encourages a more consistent integration of food safety into the development of sustainable and inclusive agrifood systems, food security and nutrition policies, and agriculture development strategies.
“The Food Safety Strategy offers a broad vision and strategic priorities for collective national action in food safety. It is designed to enhance work of all stakeholders underpinned on the notion that food safety is everyone’s responsibility. To considerably reduce the burden of food borne illnesses, the strategy highlights the crucial role that each stakeholder plays in public health and the necessity for improved nationwide cooperation along the entire food chain,” said Patrice Talla, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa and Representative to Zimbabwe in his remarks read on his behalf by Berhanu Bedane, FAO Lead Technical Officer.
To support delivery of the national food safety strategy, FAO under the SAFE project collaborated with the Department of Environmental Health in development of the Standard Operating Procedures for Environmental Health Practitioners and Food Establishment Health Guidelines. During the launch ceremony, FAO and EU handover these strategic tools to the Government of Zimbabwe for adoption and operationalization.
The SAFE project is one of six crucial components under the EU-funded Zimbabwe Agricultural Growth Programme (ZAGP) that has supported beef, goat, pork, poultry and dairy value chains. The overall objective of the ZAGP is to contribute to the development of a diversified and efficient agriculture sector that promotes inclusive green economic growth. Affirming alignment and support to the National Development Strategy 1, the EU acknowledged that the launch is a result of the collaborative efforts of the different key stakeholders in the food value chain.
“I would like to express my gratitude to all those involved in this project, especially our implementing partners. FAO as the main coordinator, the Department of Veterinary Services, and the Department of Environmental Health have been instrumental in making this project a success. Together, they have formed a robust partnership that have played a crucial role in strengthening animal health and food safety policy and its regulatory frameworks," said His Excellency Ambassador Jobst von Kirchmann in a speech read on his behalf by Frank Porte, Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Zimbabwe
FAO underscored the critical importance multisectoral interventions to attain food safety and that the provision of safe, healthy, and nutritious food is a shared responsibility along the food value chain. Going forward, food value chain players committed to adopt and utilize the strategy as a roadmap to always guide food safety management in the respective food value chain businesses for the safety of consumers.