Even as the most pressing challenge that is faced with regard to food security remains assuring that people have access to enough food to lead healthy and productive lives, food safety is gaining prominence as a global issue.This prominence is particularly evident in the international trade arena and is spilling over into the domestic agricultural and health arenas.
It is seen to be time for IFPRI and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) to take up food safety as a major cross-cutting research issue linked to plant breeding, animal health, and irrigation practices, to name a few. It is imperative that this work focus on the food safety concerns of the poor.
IFPRI plans to make food and water safety an important theme in their policy research. By identifying key issues and perspectives on food safety in food security and food trade, this collection of policy briefs lays the foundation for this work.
