| Sumario: | In sub Saharan Africa (SSA), 85 to 90% of livestock products are distributed through informal marketing
systems which are not always effectively regulated by state services. Food borne diseases (FBD) are
potentially serious public health problems but rigorous implementation of food safety measures is difficult
due to the limited resources and adverse effects on the livelihoods of actors along value chains. The Safe
Food Fair Food project funded by Germany was conducted in 8 SSA countries between 2008 and 2011 to
develop capacity in participatory risk assessment to improve food safety while enhancing market access
by smallholder farmers. The main activities were food safety country situation analyses, participatory risk
assessments and national stakeholder workshops. In total, 21 risk assessment studies were conducted for a
variety of livestock products and hazards. Key messages from the project included (1) the realized importance
of informal food chains in African economy; (2) risks were less serious than previously perceived; (3)
participatory methods were found useful in risk assessment in resource poor SSA countries; and (4) necessity
for trans-disciplinary research and action along value chain. In the next phase starting shortly, Safe food Fair
food II, involvement of decision makers, integration of multiple-pathogens and socio-economics into risk
assessment are hoped to make important changes in addressing food safety issues in sub Saharan Africa.
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