Foresight is an essential tool for early identification of emerging food safety issues – including challenges and opportunities – driven by societal, economic, political, legal, environmental, scientific, and technological factors.

A new report, Food safety foresight: approaches to identify future food safety issues, released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), presents a collection of food safety foresight approaches shared by experts from governments, international organizations, research institutes, universities, and the private sector. The findings of the report were finalized during an expert meeting in April 2025, organized by FAO’s Agrifood Systems and Food Safety Division (ESF) as part of the Food Safety Foresight Programme.

The publication highlights best practices and key guiding principles, particularly in the context of emerging digital tools such as artificial intelligence (AI). It also emphasizes the importance of human oversight and collaboration to strengthen global food safety foresight capacity in an increasingly complex world.

“Combining digital tools with human expertise offers a successful formula for food safety foresight, enabling the identification and management of emerging trends,” said Riccardo Siligato, Programme Support Specialist for ESF.

Incorporating foresight into food safety strategies enables governments and stakeholders to address emerging issues through timely and cost-effective actions. While early warning systems focus on detecting immediate hazards, foresight takes a broader view by identifying medium- to long-term trends that may impact food safety and inform related policy decisions.

The report outlines that new digital tools, including AI, offer powerful solutions to advance food safety foresight. AI tools can be particularly applied to support data screening, extraction, structuring, analysis and prediction, with the potential to transform traditional approaches to food safety foresight. However, human expertise and oversight remain critical to defining search criteria, assessing data relevance, interpreting outputs, and ensuring appropriate quality control and feedback mechanisms are in place.

In addition to using digital tools, strong partnerships and multisectoral collaboration among competent authorities, international organizations, industry, academia, and consumers are essential for the early identification of potential food safety issues. A food safety foresight approach should promote open, transdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral communication and knowledge sharing among all stakeholders.

The report suggests that launching a foresight exercise does not require large teams or extensive funding. Internal foresight capacity can begin with a small project and gradually expand based on needs and available resources.

Best practices for an effective foresight approach include:

1. Rationale and problem formulation: Successful food safety foresight exercises should begin with clearly defined objectives, timelines, scale and scope.
2. Structured yet flexible approach: A combination of qualitative and quantitative data, along with the ability to quickly scan a broad range of information sources is key for identifying emerging food safety issues and trends.
3. Human-centred intelligence gathering: Intelligence gathering, led by subject-matter experts and supported by staff with a strong understanding of foresight requirements, fosters early identification of potential issues in a cost-effective manner.
4. Integration of digital tools: Digital tools, including AI, can significantly enhance the speed and efficiency of collecting, scanning and analysing large amounts of data.
5. Multistakeholder engagement: Broad communication channels, involving internal and external experts from various disciplines, are essential for strengthening the foresight process, facilitating intelligence sharing, and ensuring a wider pool of insights.
6. Clear communication and buy-in: Securing the necessary resources and funding is critical to ensuring the sustainability and effectiveness of the foresight exercise.

Download the publication:
https://openknowledge.fao.org/items/7961a82f-d66e-4e54-b97d-4d11e85a399e

Read more

Food Safety Foresight Programme
FAO Food Safety Foresight Framework Expert Meeting in Rome