IUFoST and World Bank Striking Poverty Dialogue Generates Ideas and Call To Action

Earlier this year IUFoST took a leading role in one of the World Bank Striking Poverty development dialogues during which IUFoST members from around the globe dove into the discussions with thoughts, ideas and recommendations for action.

The World Bank Striking Poverty virtual space targets significant topics related to endingpoverty and boosting shared prosperity. It brings together panelists to foster discussion andshare knowledge about tools, approaches and solutions to development challenges in a salon-style online conversation that encourages an online audience to add thoughts, insights andsuggestions.

Jairo Romero, International Food Safety Risk Management Expert and Governing Councilmember from Colombia, led the online discussion regarding the safety of domestic and international food supply.

Jairo got the discussion underway by outlining the some of the challenges facing all of us, and particularly those in developing countries and net exporters of food and food products, which face serious difficulties in accessing or maintaining a presence in global markets where strict food safety standards are required.  “A global standardised food safety curricula is one of the efforts that IUFoST has undertaken to improve food safety systems,” he stated. He then asked, “What can be done to persuade more stakeholders to come to the table around this global issue, which is all too often neglected until a crisis hits or a product is recalled? Who needs to take action and why?

The comments and discussions that followed can be read as they appeared here: link?

As the discussion came to a close Jairo reflected on what was an interesting series of exchanges by stating, “I learned a lot more about food safety reading all this comments. Among other things I have learned a great about aflatoxins in food as a worldwide food safety problem. He asked that we all keep in my mind some of the challenges we, as food safety fans, have to address in the near future. They are to:

*  Continue building "Team Food Safety" on a global scale, strengthening, among others, public private partnerships such as the GFSP to improve and ensure the food supply is safe across all borders.

* Continue developing food safety curricula for the next generation, the GFSP program IUFoST is leading right now.

* Continue efforts to build consumer understanding and partnerships though trust and transparency of the global food supply.