FAO Food Safety Programme CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT GLOBAL GOVERNANCE

FAO Food Safety Programme CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT & GLOBAL GOVERNANCE Renata Clarke Head of Food Safety and Quality Unit

Food safety is a complex, global problem • • Population growth Rapid urbanization Lifestyle and dietary changes Increased global and regional trade Market access Food safety is a health priority Food safety is an essential component of food security Food safety is an essential component of market access

The new food safety strategy has 5 key elements 1. Strengthening national food control capacities and global trade facilitation 2. Supporting science-based food safety governance and decisions 3. Enhancing food safety management along food chains 4. Providing food safety platforms and databases 5. Developing food safety intelligence and foresight

Element 1: Delivering Food Safety Capacity • We are small but we leverage inputs from national authorities and other partners • We have wide range of food and agriculture specialists • We translate experience from more mature systems into advice for developing member countries. • We are the only UN agency with a Development Law service • Increasing importance of trade facilitation agenda Policy environment Training & stakeholder consultation Monitoring Food safety emergency planning Technical services for enforcement Capacities for risk-based planning Promoting food chain approach • Commitment of resources • Accountability Legal and regulatory framework

Element 1: Supporting steady improvement of national food control systems National Food Control Systems Assessment Tool Functions and Efficiency Core business functions Control activities International stakeholders Interactions with stakeholders Domestic stakeholders Human resources Infra-structure & finances Inputs and resources Policy and legal Continuous improvement Evidence / risk base Science/knowledge/ improvement

Element 2: Providing scientific advice to Codex advice requests JECFA JEMRA JMPR Ad-hoc Consultations Process outputs Examples: – MLs for pesticides – Specifications for additives – Veterinary drug residue limits – Guidance on microbiological risk – Guidance on GMO risk assessment

Element 2: Scientific advice to countries and partners Examples are: • • • Safety of food aid to vulnerable populations Decisions in emergency situations (e. g. flood in Haiti) New technologies (e. g. Nanotechnology) http: //www. fao. org/food-safety-quality/publicationstools/food-safety-tools/en/

Element 3: Enhancing food safety management along food chains • FAO integrates food safety support into broader sector development programmes • • Drawing on specific food chain expertise of FAO Technical Divisions (e. g. fisheries, livestock, dairy, crop) Association with work on strengthening capacities of regulatory agencies Requests for guidance on implementation of Codex texts Synergies with FAO normative programmes (e. g. Impact of agricultural practices on AMR)

Element 4: Providing mechanisms to support networking, dialogue and access to information • • • FAO databases provide information to support work of countries on food safety management Networks (e. g. INFOSAN) facilitate the timely exchange of information There are challenges with sustainability

Element 5: Developing food safety intelligence and foresight • Economic, social, environmental and technological context is changing • This creates new challenges and new opportunities for addressing longstanding problems as well as emerging issues • FAO has a key role in contributing to global food safety foresight. • We are currently defining a more systematic approach to identifying emerging issues: – Antimicrobial Resistance – Guidance on early warning – Engaging with other agencies

Wrapping up • FAO has a key role in global governance • To improve food safety globally countries must implement good practices and enforce national regulations aligned with international requirements • Partnerships are essential for our delivery