Banner image: AFRAF participants gather for a group photo. 

The inaugural African Food Regulatory Forum (AFRAF) was held this past October in Cairo, Egypt. The historic event united over 38 country delegations in a collaboration to address food safety challenges across Africa, marking new regional efforts to advance food security in the continent. 

A first-of-its-kind event to share food safety best practices

The diverse regulatory landscapes and varying institutional structures of African nations had previously hindered any such collaboration of this kind. Different countries had their food safety authorities with distinct mandates, making it difficult to identify critical points of contact and learn from each other.

Behind the scenes, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded program, Transforming the Assessment and Inspection of Food Businesses in Egypt (TAIB), laid the groundwork for this monumental event. It began by providing technical assistance to overcome food business assessment and inspection challenges in Egypt. In the process, TAIB recognized the absence of a consistent food safety database, so it created a comprehensive registry of food safety authorities across many countries of the continent. This brought together regulators and parties who had previously operated independently. TAIB bridged these gaps, allowing for a more unified and informed communication among participants during the conference and afterward.

At the forum, participants discussed the modernization and integration of food regulatory frameworks, among other topics. Delegates assessed the current state of food safety cooperation on a continental and regional scale, highlighting challenges and opportunities. The forum emphasized the importance of stronger legal frameworks and better coordination structures to promote practical implementation and improve food safety regulations. 


​Khaled Shedeed, TAIB Deputy Chief of Party, facilitates group discussion about the impact of food legislation on trade movement.

High attendance, high engagement

Participants discussed Africa's food safety policy, the role of the African Food Safety Agency (AFSA), regulatory framework harmonization across the continent, agri-food industry capacity building, and laboratory infrastructure development. These sessions investigated strategic partnerships to improve food safety and commerce, with a focus on collaboration between African food regulators and their international counterparts.

Participants also discussed obstacles to intra-regional trade and market access for agricultural commodities. The panel discussions of AFRAF resulted in concrete recommendations for enhancing food safety compliance and encouraging mutual recognition agreements. These strategies aim to enhance regional and worldwide trade, supporting stronger economic development and food security. 

The forum's sessions allowed participants to learn from successful national food control systems. The discussions resulted in proposals for how other organizations might better support national regulators in their food safety efforts. 

In closing, participating countries signed the Cairo Declaration, which established AFRAF as an official institution and marked African governments' commitment to a coordinated approach to food safety. The declaration marks a turning point in Africa's food safety history, creating the path for further collaboration and integration. 

Khaled Shedeed, TAIB Deputy Chief of Party, explained that at the heart of the forum, participants convened over a common desire to improve food systems : “Food is life; its pleasure lies in being a never-ending necessity. This forum has demonstrated that with teamwork, we can greatly improve food safety across Africa."

Charting a new direction: Assessment shows success of forum’s findings

After the inaugural forum, the TAIB project worked with Egypt’s National Food Safety Authority by undertaking a comprehensive assessment. This evaluation analyzed the impact of the forum's findings and recommendations to the Council of Ministers of the Arab Republic of Egypt. The study assessed the effectiveness of proposed strategies in boosting food safety, while fostering trust in African food products. TAIB worked closely with food safety authorities across the continent to collect data and insights into the forum's findings. 

The report emphasized the significance of ongoing sustained collaboration among African food regulators, as well as continuous support and investment in food safety efforts. The success of the inaugural AFRAF meeting not only established the possibility of meaningful collaboration, but also laid a solid platform for future endeavors. 

By resolving problems with historical issues and encouraging open cooperation, AFRAF has charted a new direction for African food safety regulation, promising a more integrated and effective approach to propelling the continent's food safety into the future. 


TAIB team with Dr. José Emilio Esteban, USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety