European Union Grants Extension to enhance food control and plant health capacities in African Union Member Countries

The European Union (EU) recently announced a six-month extension, expanding the scope of an ongoing project led by FAO to advance food safety and plant health in the African Union (AU). This extension will now benefit three more countries, allowing for four additional assessments to take place.

The project "Strengthening Food Control and Phytosanitary Capacities and Governance" was launched in November of 2022 with EU funding to complete comprehensive assessments of the food control and/or phytosanitary systems in 11 AU member countries.

Thanks to the extension, the team of experts from the FAO and the IPPC Secretariat leading the project will be supporting Djibouti in conducting a food control system assessment, Uganda in conducting a phytosanitary capacity evaluation and Egypt in conducting both assessments. Uganda completed a food control system assessment at the beginning of February with the support of FAO.  Thanks to the progress made in the initial phases of the project, Uganda, Djibouti, and Egypt will have successfully completed both assessments by the project's conclusion. The project is made up of a food safety and a plant health component, and relies on two complementary tools developed respectively by FAO and WHO, and the International Plant Protection Commission (IPPC) Secretariat to review and assess countries’ capacity on food safety and plant health. The evidence and knowledge stemming from the assessments are meant for countries to make informed decisions about Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) investments.

The initiative was specifically designed as an important component of the "SPS Policy Framework for Africa” developed by the African Union to strengthen the capacities and governance of food control systems and phytosanitary systems at the national, regional, and continental levels, in alignment with the strategic objectives of the newly established Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).