A step in the right direction: Uganda, FAO’s evaluation of the national food control system set to improve food standards

Some members of the 35 Focal points who were trained pause for a photo during a recent workshop

09/02/2024

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the government of Uganda concluded an eight-month assessment of Uganda’s food control system with a final workshop in Kampala where high level policy makers endorsed the recommendations of the final assessment report and committed to implementing its strategic plan.

The assessment is part of "Strengthening of Capacities and Governance in Food and Phytosanitary Control,” a 5-million-euro project funded by the European Union (EU), which began in November 2022. The project entails technical support and working with Competent Authorities and other leading institutions in 12 African Union Member Countries. It is designed to build up capabilities, strengthen governance and improve strategic planning around two main components: food safety and plant health.

The EU recently granted the project an extension, allowing four additional assessments to be carried out in the region. Uganda is one of the countries benefiting from the extension. In the coming weeks, its government will conduct a phytosanitary capacity evaluation with the support of the International Plant Protection Commission Secretariat.

The initiative aligns with the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Policy Framework for Africa, a framework developed by the African Union (AU) laying the foundations for trade opportunities among AU Member States. This project is implemented closely with the African Commission Division for Rural Economy and Agriculture (AUC DARBE).

Uganda is among six countries in the region to have concluded the food control safety assessment. Next week, Zimbabwe will conduct a strategic workshop to conclude its assessment.

Assessment of the National Food Control System in Uganda

Project activities in Uganda began with an inception and training workshop in May 2023. A team of FAO food safety experts worked closely with 35 focal points from local Competent Authorities for food safety and relevant stakeholders to gather data and information across several system dimensions. Once the data was collected and analysed, the FAO team conducted field visits and interviews. It produced a draft report on the status of the country’s food control system with recommendations to improve it.

Pivotal to the project was the introduction of the FAO/WHO Food Control System Assessment Tool, a unique instrument developed by both United Nations agencies to assess the national food control system comprehensively by examining the entire food chain, including production, distribution, retail market, and consumers.

Ultimately, the assessment aims to assist Uganda in adhering to international standards that will allow greater regional harmonisation and trade.

Conclusion of the project and the final workshop

The final workshop culminated the assessment, with stakeholders, experts, and officials from ministries involved in Uganda’s food control system convening to review and endorse the findings and recommendations of the assessment, agree on priorities, and develop a strategic action plan to facilitate their implementation.

The key moment of the workshop was on February 2, when high-level officials from Ministries across the country’s food control system approved and endorsed the recommendations and a shared vision, committing to implement the strategic action plan stemming from the assessment, promote synergies and engage donors.

“This assessment is critical, as it helps Uganda assess its capacity and readiness to cater for food hygiene and address contaminants in agrifood sector, allowing to address public health concerns about food borne diseases and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs),” said Dr Antonio Querido, the FAO Representative in Uganda.

Querido noted underscored the importance of the assessment saying that it allows the country to identify gaps and weaknesses in its food control systems, paving the way for upgrading its institutional and infrastructure capacity for food control trough targeted investments and capacity building initiatives.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), Commissioner for Crop Inspection and Certification Mr. Paul Mwambu, expressed gratitude to FAO and the EU for providing technical expertise and funding for the survey, whose results will serve as the foundation for strategic interventions.

“In the past few months, we have seen significant advancements in improving food control in Uganda. We identified and trained 35 committed Focal Points, providing them with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively carry out their responsibilities and enhancing their capacity to conduct future assessments,” he said.