STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS ON THE GUIDELINES FOR INFORMAL FOOD SECTOR ENGAGEMENT TOWARDS IMPROVED FOOD SAFETY IN AFRICA

It was indeed a rare privilege to be called upon from Nigeria to join invited stakeholders from other fourteen Member States of African Union (AU) Commission between 10th to 13th June, 2024 at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Campus, Nairobi, KENYA to share my professional and field experience at the STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS ON THE GUIDELINES FOR INFORMAL FOOD SECTOR ENGAGEMENT TOWARDS IMPROVED FOOD SAFETY IN AFRICA.

The Member States of African Union (AU) Commission, having realized that in Africa, majority of the food products including crop, vegetables, fish and livestock products are sold by the informal food sector operated by hawkers, street vendors, etc., from their kiosks, shops and these sellers in traditional wet markets, middlemen and small-scale and subsistence farmers constitute a larger percentage of the populace and their businesses are often unlicensed and unregulated and often escape formal public health and food safety compliance requirements.

Despite the informal food markets being the primary source of income as well as nutrient-rich foods for most people in Africa due to their convenience and affordability, they continue to face major challenges and many African governments have had uncomfortable, even difficult, relationships with the sector which is an engine room and main supplies for the formal food markets and bigger corporations but are often neglected with the operators, vendors, marketers, etc., operating  without portable, clean water; without access to electricity, and without other appropriate sanitation tools thus making it difficult to comply with basic food hygiene practices. More than ever regulators are generally unable to enforce compliance with food safety requirements in this large, growing market while at the same time consumers are attracted to its affordable prices and placing less attention on food safety consideration on their purchase and choices and this situation poses public health concerns and it affects nutrition objectives.

So, in addressing all these challenges confronting the informal food sector towards achieving the continent’s nutrition and food safety goals of ensuring consumption of safe, nutritious foods for improved nutrition. The guidelines will ensure improvement in the ability of informal food sector actors to provide food of assured safety and quality to consumers across the continent. which is the linchpin of Africa’s food and nutrition security this workshop facilitated by ILRI could not have come at a better time than NOW.

Thanks to AU and ILRI team for this great opportunity to contribute my insights to the discourse.

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