FAO Presents Food Safety Project at the 25th Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Africa

At the 25th Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Africa, held in Kampala, Uganda, in January, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) introduced its "Strengthening Food Control and Phytosanitary Capacities and Governance" project. This initiative, funded by the European Union, aims to enhance food safety and plant health systems across the African Union.

The session provided a platform for countries involved in the project to share their experiences with the food safety component of the project, based on implementation of the FAO/WHO Food Control System Assessment Tool. This innovative instrument is designed to conduct comprehensive assessments of national food control systems, evaluating the entire food chain—from production and distribution to retail and consumption. The tool supports the African Union’s efforts to modernize food safety frameworks, foster regional cooperation, and harmonize sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards in accordance with international regulations.

FAO experts highlighted the tool's ability to provide data-driven insights into national food control systems, pinpointing areas for improvement at national and regional levels to ensure alignment for a continental free trade market.

Representatives from Seychelles, Egypt, and Comoros, who recently completed the assessment, shared critical gaps identified in their assessments, including issues with traceability, food import controls, regulatory frameworks, and inspection capacity.

But, as Luis Lechiguero,from the Delegation of the European Union to Uganda, noted, “diagnosis is not the cure,” stressing that the assessment’s findings must be followed by concrete actions.

The tool is designed to generate tailored strategic actions and plans for each country. The countries spoke of the tangible outcomes of the assessment, such as enhanced collaboration among national authorities, which has laid the foundation for more strategic, data-driven reforms. Countries discussed their plans to invest in equipment to improve food safety, particularly for imported products, and to increase joint inspections across Competent Authorities. They also emphasized the importance of the assessment in aligning their food control systems with international standards, improving coordination among stakeholders, and prioritizing modernization initiatives. This process has enabled them to attract both domestic and international funding to advance their food safety frameworks.

As mentioned by FAO Officer, Saber Mansour, the assessments are strengthening local capacity by creating a pool of experts through FAO-facilitated training and workshops. This empowers national stakeholders, improving data collection, and measuring progress over time.

Several countries expressed keen interest in adopting the assessment tool. The African Union Commission Representative, Mr. Chiluba Mwape, encouraged AU member states that have not yet undertaken the assessment to do so, highlighting its crucial role in strengthening SPS systems, advancing the One Health approach, and aligning with both regional and international standards.

This project aligns with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), ratified in 2019, which aims to promote safe agricultural trade by ensuring that products meet necessary SPS standards in pursuit of stronger, more resilient food control systems.

By continuing to support capacity-building, foster collaboration, and harmonize SPS measures, FAO is contributing to a more prosperous and integrated African food trade system.

Read more about the FAO/WHO Food Control System Assessment Tool

Photo: © UNBS/Paul Kiyemba