The IFIF FAO collaboration has become a prominent example of how the public and private sector can work together in a number of key areas, which positively impact the feed and food chain.
The IFIF FAO collaboration has become a prominent example of how the public and private sector can work together in a number of key areas, which positively impact the feed and food chain.
IFIF has a strong collaborative relationship with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) dating back many years, and in April 2005 the FAO and IFIF, recognising their common interest in promoting the safe supply of animal feed throughout the world, signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which continues to be the basis of collaboration between the two organisations.
The IFIF FAO collaboration has become a prominent example of how the public and private sector can work together in a number of key areas, which positively impact the feed and food chain. IFIF’s relationship with the FAO continues to strengthen with IFIF’s participation in the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock, as an official stakeholder in the Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance (LEAP) Partnership and the FAO’s Private Sector Initiative. IFIF will continue to be strongly engaged in these efforts.
One highlight of the IFIF and the FAO Animal Production and Health Division, are efforts to facilitate dialogue between the private and public sector on key issues affecting the feed and food chain. This includes the annual International Feed Regulators Meeting (IFRM), which brings together feed regulators and industry from around the world, as well as the tri-annual Global Feed and Food Congress series, which includes representatives from the whole feed and food chain, as well as government, academia, other intergovernmental organizations and NGOs.
The 6th Global Feed & Food Congress (GFFC) was successfully held in Bangkok, Thailand on 10-13 March 2019, and was organized with technical support provided by the FAO. The 6th GFFC brought together food and feed experts from around the world, representing public sector, civil society, industry and academia.
The 5th Global Feed & Food Congress (GFFC) was successfully held in Antalya, Turkey, on 18-20 April 2016 and was organized with technical support provided by the FAO.
A second key area of collaboration is capacity development in feed safety and spreading of good feed manufacturing practices. IFIF is a founding partner of the FAO-led Feed Safety Multi-Stakeholder Partnership, which was formally launched in April 2016 and aims at improving the safety of feed, and thus enhancing food safety, animal health and welfare and food security.
The Feed Safety Multi-Stakeholder Partnership is undertaking a number of initiatives to support feed safety:
As global compound feed production continues to expand, especially in the developing world, IFIF continues to work with the FAO on Capacity Development for Feed Safety, an important effort that will continue on in the next years.
Since its launch in 2010 the FAO/IFIF “Manual of Good Practices for the Feed Industry” has been published in English, Chinese, Arabic, French and Spanish and distributed widely to regulators and industry. IFIF is also engaged in the recent efforts by the FAO to develop the capacities of relevant stakeholders globally to ensure the production and supply of safe feed based on latest Codex standards and good practices.