Food Safety Considerations for CGIAR Research

Abstract

ABSTRACT In view of the CGIAR's identification of food safety as an area requiring priority attention to safeguard the economic interests of smallholder farmers and the poor, this paper aims to provide a general overview of the level of research and development attention accorded by the scientific and development community to this theme. This baseline survey of work undertaken exposes the nature of the problem; the food safety situation of the poor; food safety concerns in technology and policy research in the CGIAR; the role of capacity-building; and, subsequently, attempts to provide pointers to the CGIAR research community along which it could proceed. It is clear that within the CGIAR System, there has been no set strategy to provide guidance on the topic, and that work done to date has been largely of an ad hoc nature. The formulation of a strategic framework to guide the incorporation of food safety considerations in CGIAR research is now essential and would prevent duplication, capture synergies from the currently isolated activities and promote greater efficiency.