International Forum on Food Safety and Trade

About the forum

The International Forum on Food Safety and Trade will be held at the World Trade Organization (WTO) with the participation of WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva. The Forum will explore the trade-related aspects of food safety with Agriculture, Health and Trade officials and experts examining the challenges and opportunities arising from rapid technological change and digitalization in food systems. New technologies offer tools that can assist in managing food safety risks and help trade flow more smoothly. Discussions will explore how to ensure low- and middle-income countries can use and benefit from these tools.

The event will highlight the implications of digital innovation for food safety and trade, the importance of the coordinated advancement of the ‘food safety’ and the ‘trade facilitation’ agendas, and the fundamental role of Codex food standards in facilitating the harmonization of food safety regulatory frameworks as food systems evolve. The Geneva Forum will include a focus on low-income countries’ future participation in the global trading system. Speakers will emphasize the value of partnerships both at national and international level.

The thematic sessions will cover:

• Digitalization and its impact on food safety and trade;
• Ensuring synergies between food safety and trade facilitation;
• Promoting harmonized food safety regulation in a period of change and innovation.

Each of the three themes will feature presentations by experts, allowing for broad audience engagement. A pre-event session will precede the official start of the Forum.