The document summarizes the key discussions and recommendations from technical sessions at a conference on enhancing food safety in Africa. Panel 1 highlighted challenges in the informal food sector around limited food safety knowledge and standards. Panel 2 emphasized the need for public-private partnerships to address the significant costs of improving food safety. Recommendations included developing the capacities of informal food vendors, investing in food control systems, strengthening multi-stakeholder collaboration, and adopting risk-based approaches to food safety across sectors. The way forward is to integrate these recommendations into implementing the African food safety strategy.

1. Outcomes of Technical
Sessions of 6th June 2022
OPENING SESSION:
 Welcome Remarks – Dr. Godfrey Bahiigwa, Director, Department of
Agriculture and Rural Development (AUC)
 Keynote Address: Enhancing food safety in informal food markets through
Public-Private Partnerships – Mrs. Lucy Muchoki, Chair of Governing
Council at Coalition of CAADP Non-State Actors
PANEL DISCUSSIONS:
 Panel 1: Innovative approaches to raising food safety standards and
enhancing regulation in the informal food sector in Africa
 Panel 2: Enhancing Public Private Partnerships to advance food safety in
Africa

2. Members of the Panel:
Panel 1:
• Dr. Delia Grace, Natural Resource Institute
(UK)/International Livestock Research Institute
(ILRI)):
• Mr. John Kakungulu Walugembe, Executive
Director of Federation of Small and Medium-sized
Enterprises, Uganda
• Mrs. Delese Mimi Darko, Chief Executive Officer,
Ghana Food and Drugs Authority
• Dr. Blaise Ouattara, Food Safety and Quality Officer,
FAO
• Ms. Diana Akullo, Principal SPS and TBT Officer,
AfCFTA Secretariat
Panel 2:
• Dr. Namukolo Covic, Director General’s
Representative to Ethiopia for the International
Livestock Research Institute
• Ms. Kefilwe Rhoba Moalosi, Senior Nutrition and
Food Safety Officer and currently the Ag. Head of
Nutrition Unit.
• Dr. Ihedioha Onyema Damian, Manager of
Agribusiness Development Division, African
Development Bank
• Mr. James Ojiambo, Regulatory & Scientific Affairs
Manager-Nestlé Eastern and Southern African
Region, Representative of SADC Business Council
• Mr. Bai Dodou Jallow, Director of Scientific Affairs
of Food Safety and Quality Authority of the Gambia

3. Keynote Highlights
• Food Safety is key to achieving Sustainable Development Goals
• Access to safe and nutritious food is a human right
• It is imperative that Africa finds sustainable ways to cultivate,
market and consume safe and healthy foods
• The informal food sector is a major contributor to food security in
Africa but has limited knowledge and training on food safety
• Food Safety involves everyone from producers to consumers, it is
therefore everyone’s responsibility
• Standards and regulations in food safety are major challenges to
governments
Keynote Recommendations
• Food Safety should be addressed through Advocacy and
Partnerships
• Favorable Food Safety environment is imperative to achieve
continental and global commitments
• Effective food safety capacity building must be a requirement for
Sustainable business

4. Panel 1: Key Highlights
• Informal sector provides for majority of food in Africa
• Limited knowledge on Food Safety across the food
chain is a major challenge in Africa
• Limited cold storage facilities, inappropriate storage
and transportation from farm to markets leading to
contamination of produce
• Informal sectors can be threats (in food safety hazards
and risks) but also carry opportunities (where women
can generate income as the main food operators in
informal market)
• Street food is a fast growing business in Africa
• Lack of coordination and communication within
countries with many stakeholders playing a role
• Limited capacity to participate in international
standards setting bodies
• Limited capacity to conduct risk assessment

5. Panel 1: Key Highlights (cont.)
• Limited coverage of the informal market by regulatory
standards while it contributes to 80 % of food product
purchase
• Benefits to gender equity within the informal market
• Food venders in informal markets can be trained
(capacity building), certified and build on their
entrepreneurship skills and use standardization
• Reporting and monitoring tools developed by AfCFTA
expected to benefit SMEs significantly
• AfCFTA secretariat is facilitating trading through
AfCFTA through protocol for trading in goods

6. Panel 1: Key Recommendations
 AUC to continue to use evidence-based approach and latest
research for food safety
 AUC together with partners to continue to strengthen
national food control system, a basic food safety structure
 Develop capacities of food venders in the informal market
 Government and private sector to Invest in the informal
market to provide at least basic equipment for Food safety
 Government and Private sector to invest in the food control
system especially in laboratory and testing capacities
required
 Continue to strengthen the participation of countries in
standards setting bodies
 Countries, agencies and all actors should collaborate to
address food safety at all levels
 Countries should take advantage of digital solutions to
support FS and invest in digital solutions
 AUC and countries should have better accountability to
commitments

7. Panel 2: Key Highlights
 There is a significant cost that Food Safety brings to
Africa and governments can’t address it alone,
partnership with the Private sector and others is
critical
 PPP for Food Safety should be considered at each level
including production, value chain, retail and consumer
levels with specific types of PPP arrangements
 Governments must be supportive of the informal
sector through provision of incentives that allow the
informal sector to bring Food Safety perspective
onboard (training/capacity building etc.. )
 AUDA exemplifies embedding food safety in program
(e.g. Home-grown school feeding program to ensure
procurement of safe produce from implementers)
 Build on the Food Systems common positions and
AfCFTA

8. Panel 2: Key Highlights (cont.)
 Government and private sector should work in
partnership and remove suspicions
 Regulations and Standards on Food safety are
scattered in different ministries, agencies hence
making it difficult for private sectors to comply to
them
 Private sector ready to share its competencies,
train consumers and the public sector on food
safety
 Implementing risk-based approaches is essential
at Food Business Operators levels

9. Panel 2: Key Recommendations
 Countries should take advantage of the Food Systems Africa
common position and AfCFTA to explore and come up with
different structures of PPP to develop common approaches
to promote free trade including the informal market
 Build Capacity at all levels and leverage what is existing,
with various partners, to reinforce the capacity of informal
and formal sector and along the value chain to avoid
duplication
 Ensure that one stop shop mechanism exist in countries for
issues of food safety
 Ensure better coordination at all levels
 Embed food safety in agricultural policy frameworks and
agricultural development financing programmes
 Encourage strong stakeholder involvement/partnership
especially of the private sector
 Strengthen risk-based approach to food safety, while
focusing on both the formal and informal sector increasing
awareness and supporting compliance
 Centers of excellence for PPP through capacity building

10. Way Forward
 Integrate recommendations into the
implementation plan for the Food Safety
Strategy for Africa

11. Thank you