From Assessment to Action: Mobilizing Investment for Stronger Food Control Systems

Thursday 10 July 2025, 11:00-12:00 CEST

Watch the recording here

FAO/WHO food control system assessment tool Presentation

Assessment guiding principles Presentation

Robust food control systems are the key instrument to ensure food safety. In doing so, they provide the basis for protecting public health from foodborne hazards and support economic growth through safer trade. Yet in many countries, food control systems face operational gaps that hinder their ability to deliver consistently across the entire food chain.

To help address these challenges, FAO, together with WHO, created a unique assessment tool in 2019. This instrument helps countries measure how effectively they implement Codex Alimentarius standards pertaining to the food control system. The “FAO/WHO food control system assessment tool” evaluates the performance of a national food control system, leading to the development of a comprehensive analysis and recommendations at system level, and to the collective development of a strategic framework to guide interventions and track progress over time. It feeds into the implementation of SPS related agreements and supports trade facilitation.  It is also a critical contribution to well-functioning food systems.

From January 2022 to June 2025, EUR 6.4 million European Union funded project “Strengthening Food Control and Phytosanitary Capacities and Governance” supported, among other activities, 10 food control systems assessments in African countries, namely Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Their results are feeding both into the implementation of the African Union SPS policy framework and its related food safety strategic plan, and the African continental free trade area (AfCFTA) implementation.

With assessments completed, strategic plans in place, and regional dialogue underway, the FAO–EU project leaves behind a strengthened platform for African nations to build safer, more resilient food control systems to support public health and boost regional trade – including access to high value markets.

This webinar on Thursday 10 July 2025, from 11:00 to 12:00 CEST, will focus on exploring these findings including the benefits of implementing the food control system assessments, with particular emphasis placed on the potential of the food control system assessments to leverage investments at national and continental level and what needs to be done to secure the investment needed to address these gaps, strengthening food safety capacity and ultimately facilitating safe trade.

It will facilitate a discussion around the following key questions:

• Why does effective food control systems matter for SPS compliance and the facilitation of safe trade?
• What is the potential of the food control system assessments and why are they relevant for regional integration and trade facilitation?
• How are assessment process and outputs supporting incremental improvements through strategic capacity development? 

Target Audience:

• Government officials from ministries of agriculture, health, and trade
• National food safety authorities and competent authorities
• Trade and export promotion agencies
• Agricultural policymakers and regulators
• Researchers and academia
• Private sector stakeholders in agrifood value chains
• Farmer organizations and producer groups
• NGOs and development partners involved in food systems, trade and public health
• Donor agencies and international organizations involved in SPS capacity development
• Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and regional food safety bodies
• Representatives from Codex Alimentarius Committees
• Digital tool providers and data analysts working on food control

Key message:

Financing & Investment:

Highlight the need for strategic and sustained investment to implement assessment findings and improve food control systems.

Inclusivity:

Ensure all stakeholders across the value chain are engaged and involved in identifying and addressing food safety gaps.

Collaboration:

Highlight importance of promoting a cross-sectoral approach, engaging government agencies, private sector, academia, and consumers to co-develop solutions.

Empowerment:

Emphasize importance of building stakeholder ownership and sustainable capacity to strengthen national food control systems over the long term.

Agenda:

Image