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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