The future of food safety: transforming knowledge into action for people, economies and the environment

An essential part of human health and food and nutrition security, food safety can also determine market access and spur economic growth. Though its role in sustainable development is increasingly recognized, progress on food safety governance and delivery has been fragmented. Foodborne diseases continue to hinder productivity and pose a public health burden on par with those of malaria, tuberculosis or AIDS, especially in developing countries. This pivotal moment in 2019 provided impetus for two major conferences to identity key actions and strengthen commitment to scale up food safety. Under the theme, "The future of food safety - Transforming knowledge into action for people, economies and the environment", the discussion started in February in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with the First FAO/WHO/AU International Food Safety Conference and continued in April in Geneva, Switzerland at the International Forum on Food Safety and Trade. The two events brought together more than 1500 food safety leaders from over 140 national governments and agencies, academia, international organizations, civil society and the private sector. The various sessions highlighted how ensuring food safety can help countries reach the goals set forth in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as well as support the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition