The World Health Organization estimates that each year, at least 2 billion people worldwide become ill as a result of food poisoning and contamination of the food supply chain. Poorly handled food and unsafe practices can also cause millions of people to die, including many children. Food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances is responsible for more than 200 diseases, ranging from diarrhea to cancers. As the world population is projected to climb to over 9 billion by 2050, the demand for food will continue to rise.
Furthermore, higher incomes and increasing urbanization trends are likely to transform food consumption patterns, and increase demand for animal products and more readily accessible and processed food. However, food availability alone does not guarantee food safety.
This conversation seeks to catalyze thoughtful discussion about global food safety, highlight best practices in food safety capacity building across the world, and seek new ways of ensuring that people all over the world have access to a safe food supply and are in a better position to address challenges.
The World Health Organization estimates that each year at least 2 billion people worldwide become ill as a result of food poisoning and contamination of the food supply chain.
Food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances is responsible for more than 200 diseases, ranging from diarrhea to cancers. Food safety outbreaks have can significant public health impacts, as well as potentially devastating market consequences. When food products are recalled, millions of dollars are lost, reputations are at risk, and markets react negatively.
As the world population is projected to climb to over 9 billion by 2050, the demand for food will continue to rise. Furthermore, higher incomes and increasing urbanization trends are likely to transform food consumption patterns, and increase demand for animal products and more readily accessible and processed food.
However, food availability alone does not guarantee food safety. The consequence of having an increasingly global and interconnected food supply chain is that the likelihood of having food safety incidents is increased.
More frequently we are learning how food safety problems affect people, and disproportionately impact the lives and livelihoods of poor people.
This year, World Health Day will be celebrated on April 7, and it will serve as a reminder of the importance of food safety to human well-being and serve as a launch pad for a global public awareness campaign on this important topic.
The World Bank launched the Global Food Safety Partnership (GFSP) in 2012, a unique public-private initiative dedicated to improving food safety systems in middle-income and developing countries for the purpose of reducing risks to consumers, improving public health, promoting economic growth and ending poverty.
-WHO Story
Furthermore, higher incomes and increasing urbanization trends are likely to transform food consumption patterns, and increase demand for animal products and more readily accessible and processed food. However, food availability alone does not guarantee food safety.
This conversation seeks to catalyze thoughtful discussion about global food safety, highlight best practices in food safety capacity building across the world, and seek new ways of ensuring that people all over the world have access to a safe food supply and are in a better position to address challenges.
The World Health Organization estimates that each year at least 2 billion people worldwide become ill as a result of food poisoning and contamination of the food supply chain.
Food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances is responsible for more than 200 diseases, ranging from diarrhea to cancers. Food safety outbreaks have can significant public health impacts, as well as potentially devastating market consequences. When food products are recalled, millions of dollars are lost, reputations are at risk, and markets react negatively.
As the world population is projected to climb to over 9 billion by 2050, the demand for food will continue to rise. Furthermore, higher incomes and increasing urbanization trends are likely to transform food consumption patterns, and increase demand for animal products and more readily accessible and processed food.
However, food availability alone does not guarantee food safety. The consequence of having an increasingly global and interconnected food supply chain is that the likelihood of having food safety incidents is increased.
More frequently we are learning how food safety problems affect people, and disproportionately impact the lives and livelihoods of poor people.
This year, World Health Day will be celebrated on April 7, and it will serve as a reminder of the importance of food safety to human well-being and serve as a launch pad for a global public awareness campaign on this important topic.
The World Bank launched the Global Food Safety Partnership (GFSP) in 2012, a unique public-private initiative dedicated to improving food safety systems in middle-income and developing countries for the purpose of reducing risks to consumers, improving public health, promoting economic growth and ending poverty.
-WHO Story
