The Role of Business-Led Food Safety in Sustainable Food Systems

The Linkage Between Food Safety and Sustainability

Food loss and waste pose a major threat to both global food system security and sustainability. Postharvest loss is both nutrient and resource loss. When food is wasted, so are the resources required to produce it, namely land, water, and energy. In Africa, with the world’s highest rates of hunger and malnutrition, about a third of all food produced is lost before it ever reaches consumers. Food loss and food safety are intrinsically tied – contamination and spoilage are the results of inadequate hygiene, temperature control, and storage. By improving pre-consumer handling practices, supply chains in emerging economies can be better positioned to reduce food loss, face climate shocks, and grow diversified local economies.

How BD4FS is Addressing Food Loss

For growing food businesses (GFBs), adopting the appropriate set of food handling practices will improve food safety and contribute to a reduction in food loss. Feed the Future Business Drivers for Food Safety (BD4FS), funded by USAID and implemented by Food Enterprise Solutions, works with GFBs in Senegal, Nepal, and Ethiopia to adopt safe food handling practices and build a culture of food safety.