The 3rd African Continental Association for Food Protection (ACAFP) Food Safety Conference concluded last week in Ogere-Remo, Nigeria, issuing a powerful call to action to revolutionize food safety across the continent. With the theme “Enhancing Food Systems for Improved Public Health, Trade Competitiveness, and Economic Growth in Africa,” the conference underscored the urgency of addressing the pervasive issue of foodborne illnesses, which disproportionately affects African populations.
The event, hosted at the Ogere Resort, brought together approximately 200 participants from diverse sectors, including government, academia, the private sector, and international institutions. The discussions centered on critical aspects of food safety relevant to the African context, identifying key challenges and proposing actionable solutions.
“Food safety is a critical component of food security,” the conference declared, highlighting the multifaceted nature of the problem, encompassing “the control of microbial contamination, physical hazards, food fraud, and chemical contaminants.” The Communiqué also pinpointed key obstacles such as “low awareness, low compliance with best practices, and limited synergy among stakeholders.”
A Continent Grapples with a Critical Burden
The conference highlighted the stark reality of the situation: “Africa currently bears the highest global burden of foodborne diseases, with an estimated 91 million cases and 137,000 deaths annually.” The delegates acknowledged that this devastating burden necessitates immediate and comprehensive action.
Key Takeaways and Actionable Recommendations:
The conference emphasized several key areas needing urgent attention:
Affordable and Accessible Testing: Recognizing the high cost of food safety testing, the conference urged for the development and implementation of “affordable, reliable, and fit-for-purpose testing methods.” This is crucial to ensure that all actors within the food system have the means to detect and mitigate potential hazards.
Integrating the Informal Sector: A significant portion of food production and distribution in Africa occurs within the informal sector. The conference recognized the vital need to integrate this sector into food safety interventions, advocating for the “development of evidence-based policies that is inclusive of this sector.” Research findings have shown that the formal sector “is significantly more regulated and controlled compared to informal actors.”
Collaboration and Funding: The Communiqué stressed the critical importance of “strategic and strengthened collaborations” to effectively address food safety matters. Furthermore, it advocated for increased funding to support vital research, acknowledging the “high costs of research.”
Community Engagement and Education: Recognizing that “Food Safety is Everybody’s Business,” the conference emphasized the need for community engagement to improve food safety practices. The slogan “If you see something, say something” was emphasized, alongside a call to expand food safety education to “settings such as places of worship and markets, and to integrate it into general studies within educational curricular.”
A United Front for Food Safety
The conference issued a clear and decisive call to action, urging concerted efforts to transform food safety across Africa. This included:
Behavioural Change: Acknowledging that “behavioural change is essential to reducing the incidence of foodborne diseases,” the conference called for “coordinated efforts across the public and private sectors, as well as research and development institutions, particularly within the dominant informal sector.”
Consistency, Collaboration, and Synergy: “Consistency, collaboration, and synergy are imperative to enhance efficiency and minimize duplication of efforts.” The public sector, including government agencies, academia, research institutions, and value chain stakeholders, must lead this effort.
Policy and Finance: The conference called upon national and sub-national public-sector institutions to “strengthen policy frameworks” and ensure “adequate financing” for research, program implementation, and data generation. “Governments (at all levels) and private-sector actors should contribute to financing by incorporating food safety into their investment priorities to better safeguard public health.”
Prioritizing Inclusivity: The conference urged that “Food safety must be prioritized as a public health and trade imperative, incorporating youth- and gender-sensitive approaches to ensure inclusivity and sustainability.”
The ACAFP Food Safety Conference 2025 concluded with a renewed sense of urgency and a commitment to collective action. By implementing the recommendations outlined in the Communiqué, Africa can take significant strides towards building safer, more sustainable, and more prosperous food systems for all. The transformation of research outputs into “accessible knowledge tailored to diverse literacy levels is needed to support underrepresented groups, including farmers, traders, processors, and aggregators.” This unified approach, encompassing a One Health perspective, is essential for addressing food safety issues at the “intersection of food safety, food security, and health security.”
