Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) calls for faster action on sustainable development goals
GFSI launches a campaign to collate the views of the food safety community on the action needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals linked to food safety.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are designed to be a ‘blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all’. The survey of the GFSI community aims to understand how the industry is addressing the SDGs and what role GFSI can play in supporting retailers, manufacturers and suppliers in tackling them. It was launched at the GFSI Conference, taking place in Barcelona, on 29th March 2022. The results will be shared on World Food Safety Day on 7th June, as part of GFSI’s ongoing commitment (and support of SDG 17 – power of partnerships) to collaboration with WHO, FAO and Codex to help inspire positive change around behaviours, policy and practice. This year’s theme is “Safer food, better health”.
A global structural shift in the food industry means that demand for the world’s food supply continues to grow. This is happening alongside the urgent need to preserve the planet, the requirement to shift to more sustainable production and consumption patterns, as well to make the food system less fragile and unequal; all while also combating food fraud and managing the impacts of climate change.
Due to their relation to food safety, the following SDGs are of particular interest:
- SDG 1 No poverty and SDG 2 Zero Hunger – food security and the end of poverty cannot be achieved without safer food. More is needed to strengthen capacities through the food system safety management of food business operators everywhere.
- SDG 12 Food waste and management of chemicals – there is at times a challenge to maintain food safety whilst reducing food waste. Food safety must also be maintained while keeping control of the contaminants that come from plastic recycling.
- SDG 6 Good water and sanitation – how can we maintain food safety while increasing water re-use.
GFSI is now urging increased collaboration between the public and private sectors to achieve the SDGs by 2030 while ensuring better food safety management systems. The GFSI Community can take part in the call to action via the GFSI Conference app as well as from April 1st to April 29th via an online survey on mygfsi.com.