Cairo – Egypt’s National Food Safety Authority (NFSA) announced that Cairo will host the largest food safety regulatory authorities conference on the African continent, the African Food Regulatory Authorities Forum (AFRAF). The meeting, to have its first edition from October 11 to 13, is a partnership between the NFSA and the African Union Commission (AUC).
The chairman of NFSA, Tarik Al-Houbi (pictured above), said the forum aims to be a platform where Africa’s food regulatory authorities can discuss opportunities for cooperation. The event seeks to improve the safety of African citizens and create an environment that enables trade and circulation of food and agricultural commodities across the continent.
The initiative is part of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). It aspires to contribute to the creation of the African Food Safety Authority and support the development of a governance structure in the sector.
Al-Houbi said that holding the forum in Egypt and contributing to defining the future of food safety governance in Africa reassures the country’s interest in food quality control and food safety. Egypt is committed to increasing the flexibility of the agricultural sector and the entire food sector production chain, increasing the competitiveness of its products to reach new markets, with a particular focus on the African continent.
Al-Houbi stated hosting this event is part of the NFSA’s mission to play a leading role in developing cooperation and partnership frameworks at the regional level, with a strong focus on Africa, as outlined in the entity’s 2023-2026 strategy.
He added the forum will have the participation of around 38 African countries, in addition to the majority of United Nations organizations in the field of food safety and representatives of international food safety regulatory bodies from North America and Europe.
Translation by Elúsio Brasileiro
