A side event held in the margins of the 48th Codex Alimentarius Commission meeting in Rome has discussed the topic of “Strengthening the foundations of Codex: contributions from, and opportunities and challenges for, Observers”, with a range of Codex Observers contributing to discussions.

The conversation was opened by the Chairperson of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF), Sally Hoffer, who addressed the issue of data, which is so important to Codex generally and CCCF particularly. “Data is at the heart of Codex work,” she said. “It provides the evidence base that underpins our standards; decisions are science-based and trusted by consumers and producers.

Without data we cannot serve this purpose.” She went on to explain that for CCCF, data is foundational because the Committee’s guiding concept is the ALARA principles – where levels of contaminants are set “as low as reasonably achievable”. This principle can only be upheld and produce globally representative maximum levels of contaminants if CCCF work is based on what Hoffer called “good data”: data that are fully representative geographically and demographically. She suggested that Codex Observers have a crucial role to play in supporting governments to collect and analyse data that will permit the best possible outcomes of CCCF work. “They play a crucial supporting role,” she said, “not just in providing data, but in providing the right data.”

Five Observers then spoke about challenges and solutions they have encountered in answering Codex’s need for representative data. Overwhelmingly, the range of perspectives all spoke to the need for and advantages of collaboration, of working together across institutions, nations and regions.

Nevena Hristozova, Regulatory Affairs Manager at CropLife International explained how her organization participates chiefly in the work of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) in two ways: by developing information for assessment by the Joint FAO/WHO Meetings on Pesticide Residues (JMPR), and by providing a platform for the plant protection industry in order to understand what data is needed. CropLife International seeks to support the work of JMPR and CCPR by following the standards-setting process and seeking to identify and propose solutions to bottlenecks in this process. CropLife International, like the other Observers present, provides training where needed in developing regions.

Rola Bou Khozam, Section Head at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), described how IAEA, too works to develop capacity to help Member Countries produce reliable data. Through tailored projects, technical officers from IAEA and other experts from developed countries work with low- and middle-income countries to exchange knowledge and train laboratory staff on data collection and analysis. In addition to this “theoretical” support, where needed, IAEA also provides equipment and training on its use. She also explained that IAEA encourages Members to engage with emerging issues such as climate change, increases in mycotoxins, foodborne antimicrobial resistance and microplastics in food.

John Oppong-Otoo, Coordinator, Economics, Trade and Marketing Unit at the African Union (AU) offered a different perspective and explained how for capacities to develop in Africa, the AU sees a need for structured partnerships, an ecosystem of laboratories and a harmonized system. The AU and subregional economic communities are doing much to build not only capacity but also networks of collaboration to press towards a harmonized system on the continent. Reference laboratories have been identified across Africa and training has taken place to the extent that data has “started coming piecemeal,” he said, “it is a work in progress, but we are seeing an appreciation of data requirements”. “Africa cannot afford to be left behind in terms of collecting data for Codex,” he concluded. “We trade in several commodities and if you don’t have the data for these commodities, the chances are you will miss out on these commodity chains.”

Another regional perspective came from Ahmed Eddouaicer, Coordinator of the Arab Codex initiative at the Arab Industrial Development, Standardization and Mining Organization (AIDSMO). Eddouaicer recounted similar experiences to Oppong-Otoo, whereby the Near East region has typically lacked both capacity and infrastructure. One of the approaches here was to improve communication between focal points and encourage communication and collaboration among the different competent authorities at national level in some countries. Regional level issues were identified, for example regarding peanuts and dates, and working groups set about addressing the regional data gaps. This approach has started to bear fruit. “Now,” he said, “we are working on capacity building to put in place a framework for data analysis, and we have pushed for harmonized system for data collection.”

From the Latin American perspective, Ana Marisa Cordero Peña, Technical Specialist at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), explained the lengthy history of capacity building work undertaken by IICA in the region, in particular regarding sanitary and phytosanitary measures and also in specific methodologies. The training extends also to efforts to strengthen institutions, otherwise “how can we ensure mandates are operational?” she asked. Like other contributors to this event, IICA promotes partnerships as well as multilateral cooperation. The organization works very much at regional level harmonization.

Wrapping up the Session, Sarah Cahill, Codex Secretary, highlighted the spirit of collaboration and partnership that dominates the work of all contributing Observers. “None of us can do everything,” she said, "but together we can do a lot more!”

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