Sandy Thomas presents the food safety policy brief

Food safety and aflatoxins in Africa

Prof. Sandy Thomas, Director, Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition

Global Panel and PACA Roundtable – Accra – 12 April 2016

The Global Panel: who we are

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The benefits of improving nutrition

2016 Work programme• African Leaders for Nutrition

24 May: Lusaka, Zambia • Foresight Report Summer: Rome, Italy • Regional Workshop 5-6 September: Nairobi, Kenya• SAPLING Initiative 6-7 October: New Delhi, India• Five briefs Production and global dissemination throughout 2016

Image: DFAT

New policy brief on food safetyAssuring Safe Food Systems: Policy Options for a

Healthier Food Supply

Food safety burdenEvery year, an estimated:- 1 in 10 people fall ill after eating contaminated food, - 420,000 die, resulting in the loss of 33 million ‘healthy life years’

Children under 5 years are most affected; accounting for almost 33% of all food contamination deaths, although they represent only 9% of the world’s population.

Global burden of foodborne disease (DALYs)

Why food safety matters to nutrition

Unsafe food can:

•affect nutrition directly resulting in impaired growth and development

•indirectly, affecting the availability of and people’s access to safe, nutritious food

Food safety threats in Africa Food safety is a threat to:•Public health •Agriculture •Food systems

It affects:•Trade•Rural incomes & purchasing power•Worker productivity •Consumer confidence

• Integrated policy actions backed up by regulation, surveillance.

• Training of those involved in the food environment.

How to assure a healthier food supply?

The Global Panel recommends that policymakers consider actions across the food system:

•In the food production domain •In the markets & trade domain•In the consumer domain

Key Policy Recommendations:•Integrate food safety policymaking with agriculture and nutrition; and establish context appropriate national regulatory frameworks; •Strengthen national research on foodborne diseases and the effects on malnutrition;•Strengthen food safety information systems;•Promote enhanced awareness and application of practices to prevent and mitigate agricultural hazards;•Support inclusive and progressive formalisation of markets, including investment in infrastructure and storage facilities;•Support enhanced consumer awareness of the importance of food safety in ensuring access to high quality diets.

Get your copy: glopan.org/food-safety

Impact of aflatoxins

30% of liver cancer cases in Africa

Affect up to 25% of the world’s food crops

Africa loses up to US$

670 million annually

African Union established a flagship program focusing on aflatoxins

PACA’s mission:- To support agricultural development, safeguard consumer health and facilitate trade by

- Catalyzing, coordinating and increasing effective aflatoxin control along agricultural value chains in Africa

Key messages• Food safety, nutrition,

food security and public health are linked.

• Moral economic and social imperatives.

• Partnership, multi-sectoral and integrated approach.

• Coherent strategies, evidence based plans and accountability.

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