Consultancy Services for Development of a Food Safety Policy for Somalia

The primary aim of this assignment is to develop a crucial food safety policy for the Federal Republic of Somalia. This policy is not just a requirement, but a vital tool to safeguard public health and facilitate trade in safe food, aligning with WTO/SPS and other international standards. It will establish and maintain an integrated “farm to fork” food safety system, streamlining inter-agency efforts and eliminating duplication and overlaps.

The policy will be expected to address the food safety challenges in Somalia, covering the broad areas of legislation, institutional framework, monitoring and evaluation, resources, information, education and communication, traceability, infrastructure, training, and capacity; emerging and re-emerging food safety issues; validation, inspection, certification, and self-assessment; institutional framework and monitoring and evaluation.

The policy will be pivotal in helping the Federal Government of Somalia establish a coordination mechanism. This mechanism will harmonise operations and provide crucial oversight over all food safety lead agencies. It will be responsible for conducting food safety risk assessments independently, ensuring a transparent and effective risk management process

Through a participatory implementation plan for this policy, the Ministry of Livestock will be able to embrace performance measures for actions and initiatives outlined in the policy. These measures will be used to gauge the overall progress towards an effective and efficient food safety management system in Somalia.