Food safety risk management: Evidence-informed policies and decisions, considering multiple factors

FAO

Food safety risk management: Evidence-informed policies and decisions, considering multiple factors

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Year of publication 2017

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 91

Author FAO

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Book (series)

ISBN 978-92-5-130065-7

Series number 4

Edition 1

Full item page

Synopsis (short abstract) These FAO guidance materials were developed to support food safety risk managers and policy-makers in applying structured, evidence-informed processes to decisionmaking. Food safety issues can have widespread impacts beyond public health. They may contribute to, or detract from the achievement of goals in areas including nutrition, food security, food trade and market access, economic and rural development. The risk analysis paradigm guides risk managers to ensure their decisions are based on an assessment of risks to health, and consideration of other factors in choosing the preferred risk management decision. The materials assist decision-makers in applying a multi-factor approach and is applied to two key decision areas – setting food safety priorities, and selecting risk management options. The principles and approaches can be applied to all food safety decisions. Case studies are included as examples of how to apply this decision-making process. Using this guidance will lead to improved food safety decisions, where decision-makers can demonstrate how evidence was used and any trade-offs made. It also facilitates stakeholder engagement, transparency and accountability throughout the decision-making process.

Language English

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Evidence-informed food safety decision-making considering multiple criteria 2013

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Food safety risk managers should base their decisions on clear evidence and assessment of the potential for foodborne hazards to cause harm. Decisions facing food safety risk managers are varied, and at times complex, e.g. setting food safety priorities, resource allocations, policy recommendations and selecting the most appropriate intervention to minimize food safety risks. In determining appropriate action, decision-makers often need to consider the consequences relating to more than one risk factor eg. impact on public health, trade, food access and security. Making sound strategic decisions is the primary responsibility of food safety risk managers. However to be effective in building strong food safety systems and programmes, they also need to influence higher level decisions and ultimately the priority given to food safety in their country. Basing decisions on the best available data and evidence strengthens their influence. The full set of Highlights on FAO food safety and quality activities is available at the following Url: http://www.fao.org/3/a-au638e/index.html.
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Evidence-based assessment of the sustainability and replicability of integrated foodenergy systems
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Bioenergy when managed sustainably and efficiently can be an alternative energy source that helps reduce energy access problems. Rural and urban communities can benefit from increased access to energy, and therefore improved food security when bioenergy feedstock is produced guided by principles of sustainable production intensification and energy efficiency improvements are made by applying agro-ecological practices and locally adapted technologies.. To mitigate the risks of bioenergy production threatening food security and to harness the potential benefits of bioenergy productionFAO recommends appling good practices of bioenergy production from the onset. The production of bioenergy in Integrated Food-Energy Systems (IFES) is one of such good practices since these systems meet both food and energy demands.This publication presents an analytical framework which serves to screen different IFES options systematically and helps to define which IFES sy stems are sustainable and replicable. In concrete terms, this framework is envisioned to be a guidance document that allows its user to assess which factors make an IFES truly sustainable and which factors need to be considered when replicating such a system - be it a pilot project, a business innovation or a research experiment. Furthermore, it helps to systematically describe the potential contribution of IFES to sustainable agriculture and the growing bioeconomy, and to raise aw areness among decision-makers about which factors can facilitate the replication of such innovative projects.While the concept of IFES builds on the principles of sustainable intensification and the ecosystem approach, it stresses the fact that the diversification of crop and livestock species can lead to a sustainable production of both food and energy feedstock, as long as relevant practices and technologies are locally devised and adapted. It further emphasises that energy efficiency can be reached in these systems when applying sound agro-ecological practices and locally adapted technologies. This can be observed in many smallholder farming systems around the world, for example, agroforestry or intercropping systems that provide food, on the one hand, and generate crop residues and woody biomass for cooking or heating, on the other. However, far less common are those IFES that build on a sustainable production of food and energy feedstock and c ombine it with renewable energy technologies, that eases access to modern energy. Many pilot studies, research projects and business innovations suggest that food and energy for fuel, heat and electricity can be sustainably produced in such foodenergy systems. Yet the supporting evidence to bring these types of IFES to scale is still scarce and projects often remain single islands of success.
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This paper was prepared as a background document for participants to facilitate technical discussion during the FAO Technical meeting on Evidence-informed food safety policies and decisions, Rome, 18-22 November 2013. It includes contextual information (multi-criteria approaches and initiatives at national level) and results of the preparatory activities for the meeting, namely literature reviews in a number of relevant areas and semi-structured interviews. The meeting has been convened with sup port from the European Union (EU) through the food safety component of the EU/FAO Improved Global Governance for Hunger Reduction Programme. The Programme aims at improving food security governance at global, regional and national levels.