Food Chain Crisis

Without concerted action, it is expected that threats to globalized food chains will only increase.

Prevention has proven to be four to seven times cheaper than responding to emergencies. It is also ecologically less devastating and will save lives and safeguard livelihoods. Prevention includes vaccination, hygiene, observance of standards and good practices, enforcement of regulation, surveillance, early warning, early action, planning, partnerships and collaboration.

Multi-disciplinary approaches - such as One Health -, partnerships between organizations and multisectoral policies are needed to address the factors that cause the emergence and persistence of diseases and pests.

They often occur when food quality and hygiene standards, or norms regarding processes (e.g. Codex Alimentarius Convention), are not observed. The development of food safety policies, regulations and institutions is critical to prevent, contain and respond to major food safety incidents.

Collaboration is essential to address threats that pervade value chains across countries. Special attention must be placed on supporting those countries whose institutional and technical capabilities are limited.