Article in Nature: Global food safety and circular agrifood systems

An article by FAO authors has been published in Nature on the opportunities and challenges for global food safety in advancing circular policies and practices in agrifood systems.  

A shift from linear practices in agrifood systems to circularity aims to do “more with less”, reducing waste by closing material and processing loops. However, the adoption of circular practices is rarely preceded by a full understanding of the food safety hazards that may arise from these processes.  

The review article, co-authored by Andrew Pearson, Keya Mukherjee, Vittorio Fattori and Markus Lipp of FAO’s Agrifood Systems and Food Safety Division, provides a synthesis of the current and emerging risks, data gaps, and opportunities for food safety in agrifood initiatives aiming to advance circular economy models. Examining three themes – water re-use, food loss and waste, and packaging waste – the article highlights the key food safety hazards associated with circular initiatives, such as the persistence of microbiological, chemical, and physical contaminants in waste streams and by-products.  

The authors highlight that while precaution should not hinder efforts to advance circularity in agrifood systems, “failure to address food safety in adopting circular systems may lead to an increased disease burden and set back these initiatives. Going forward innovation can be supported by focusing research efforts on developing and adopting circular policies and practices in agrifood systems, on the impacts to food safety, and on exploring opportunities for improving food safety outcomes.” 

Read more about FAO’s work on food safety foresight. 

References 

Pearson, A.J., Mukherjee, K., Fattori, V. & Lipp, M. 2024. Opportunities and challenges for global food safety in advancing circular policies and practices in agrifood systems. npj Sci Food, 8(60). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-024-00286-7

photo: © FAO/Nozim Kalandarov