IFC’s food safety forum sparks action on safer food, less waste, better nutrition
The forum made clear that advancing food safety in Africa requires integrating science, innovation, inclusive policies, and collaborative efforts.
KENYA – The International Finance Corporation (IFC) convened its 12th International Food Safety Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, on June 5, 2025, bringing together experts and stakeholders from Africa and beyond under the theme “Innovating for Safer Food, Less Waste, and Better Nutrition”.
The forum aimed to spotlight transformative solutions, collaborative efforts, and best practices that build a sustainable and resilient food system that benefits both businesses and consumers.
Throughout the day, three priority topics guided discussions: Food safety, food loss and waste, and nutrition through fortification.
Elevating food safety to protect health and build trust
Food safety was emphasised as a vital public health priority requiring collective responsibility throughout the supply chain.
The Managing Director of the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), Esther Ngari, identified the adoption of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as one of the transformative shifts towards protecting consumer health and boosting trust in local food systems.
In response to a follow-up on how KEBS would facilitate this goal, she highlighted the availability of free food safety trainings by KEBS for SMEs, while acknowledging the need for continued support to drive broader adoption.
Regional harmonization of standards was also flagged as key to accelerating progress.
From a business perspective, the often-overlooked long-term value of safety investments, as presented by Yuriy Zvazhenko, the IFC Food Safety and Food Loss Prevention Specialist, in the forum, reinforced that the return, though sometimes diffuse, is real.
Food loss and waste
On the food loss and waste front, speakers emphasized how intertwined safety, economics, and sustainability have become.
According to data shared by Dr. Robert Mbeche, the Food Program Director at World Resources Institute (WRI), Kenya’s fruit and vegetable value chains record the highest losses, often due to quality deterioration.
For products like fish, declining quality often results in rerouting to informal markets, thereby increasing safety risks.
While milk had the lowest losses, it was linked to the highest greenhouse gas emissions.
Linking food waste, food safety, and economic value, the CEO of Kuku Foods (a KFC franchise) shared that by implementing food safety standards and certifications, companies can significantly reduce product waste and losses.
This not only results in lower consumer prices, but also creates opportunities for business growth, underscoring the economic value of high safety standards.
To address food surplus and waste, innovative yet grounded solutions emerged as potential areas to explore, ranging from exploring traditional preservation methods to repurposing fresh produce and establishing food banks.
However, data gaps remain a key barrier, with participants agreeing that only what is measured gets managed.
Nutrition through food fortification
Nutrition, through food fortification was the third central theme.
A key challenge raised was around mandatory versus voluntary fortification, particularly in light of the majority of consumers, especially in Kenya, sourcing items like flour from informal markets, with price being a factor.
Central to justifying the need for fortification, Filippo Dibari, the Senior Nutrition Policy Officer for the World Food Programme pointed to the Copenhagen Consensus — a project that identifies the most cost-effective solutions to global challenges — which ranks food fortification among the most impactful public health interventions.
However, participants stressed that “formalizing the informal”, a concept raised by Mr. Moses Gichuru, a miller from Nakuru, will require context-sensitive policy design.
Food fortification and food safety serve different purposes but converge in the shared goal of delivering nutritious, safe, and trustworthy food. For fortification programs to succeed, consumers must trust that these products are not only nutritious but also safe.
Science and inclusivity
Technology and science were central to all discussions.
Initiatives like Vanguard Economics’ “AflaKiosk” provide decentralized food testing for farmers and vendors in Rwanda and Uganda, while innovations such as low-cost cold storage, promoted by the International Center for Evaluation and Development, help reduce postharvest losses and improve safety in horticulture.
Inclusivity also featured prominently, with a session on “Women at the Heart of Food Systems: Innovating Inclusive Value Chains for Sustainable Futures” highlighting the vital role women play in food production and nutrition.
Overall, the forum made clear that advancing food safety in Africa requires integrating science, innovation, inclusive policies, and collaborative efforts.
A call to action was made to not only pursue emerging issues and solutions but also to address persistent, existing challenges, especially in the informal food economy, alongside a push for more hands on deck to address data gaps.
As the world observes World Food Safety Day 2025, under the theme “Food Safety: Science in Action”, the event reaffirmed that leveraging scientific knowledge and inclusive design is essential to reducing illness, minimizing losses and nourishing populations sustainably.
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