BD4FS Partners with Disabled Food Entrepreneurs through Food Hygiene Training

For Food Enterprise Solutions (FES), every day is a day to support persons with disabilities. But on December 3rd, 2022, FES joined with the international community to celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities with the theme “Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world.” BD4FS and the Women’s Committee of the Senegalese Federation of Associations of Disabled Persons co-organized four training sessions for over 200 disabled women entrepreneurs in the Senegalese food sector. The training was based on prerequisite programs (PRPs), which are the safety control measures, actions, and procedures that must be performed to produce a product that meets consumer needs. BD4FS helped the women entrepreneurs better understand the concept of food safety, hygiene and product quality, microorganisms and how they proliferate, and how to add value to local foods through more appropriate processing and preservation.

Despite progressive Senegalese policies and laws to promote the rights of people with disabilities, this constituency remains underrepresented in the business community and decision-making bodies. BD4FS actively promotes inclusion in local food systems by partnering with disabled food entrepreneurs to participate in food safety trainings, receive technical assistance, and provide business advice. Training curricula are adapted to be accessible to all food entrepreneurs, including non-readers. Sign language is used by trainers where appropriate, and training venues are wheelchair accessible.