Regional Initiative to Enhance Food Safety in Latin America

A collaborative initiative spearheaded by FAO, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the University of Minnesota, and the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) has been launched to bolster food safety risk analysis in Latin America.

The project, Improving Risk Analysis Capacity for Food Safety in Latin America through a South-South Cooperation Approach to Facilitate Regional Trade, which will run for three years, seeks to enhance science-based decision-making capabilities, build expertise in food safety risk analysis, and strengthen public-private partnerships under the guidance of peer mentors from Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay.

At its core, the initiative aims to safeguard consumer health and promote regional food trade by strengthening the implementation of the Codex Alimentarius framework for risk analysis. This comprehensive approach encompasses risk assessment, management, and communication to ensure the safety of food products.

The program officially commenced with an inaugural workshop held Dec. 3–5 in Santiago, Chile. Representatives from all participating countries convened to review project objectives, exchange insights, and identify priority areas and potential case studies. Discussions also focused on strategies to sustain the project’s outcomes and reinforce the FS-Risk network, which supports collaborative efforts in the region.

The South-South cooperation approach underpins the initiative, promoting knowledge-sharing among nations with varying levels of expertise. By aligning regional practices with the Codex Alimentarius framework, the project seeks to level the playing field in food safety, improving compliance with international standards and facilitating smoother trade across borders.

As the project unfolds, it is expected to contribute significantly to consumer protection and economic growth in the region by advancing food safety practices and enabling more robust regional trade in agricultural products.