Food safety policy issues for developing countries

Food safety has become increasingly important in determining both access to export markets and public health outcomes in developing countries. This paper examines the role of the public sector in improving food safety and evaluates the benefits and costs of public interventions aimed at protecting consumer health and supporting export market access. It discusses the public goods nature of food safety, the need for effective legal and regulatory frameworks, capacity building, information provision, certification systems, hazard control, and investments in infrastructure and research. The paper highlights that investments to meet export market standards can also generate benefits for domestic food safety when they improve production systems, infrastructure, and regulatory capacity. It also considers the challenges of balancing domestic and export food safety objectives and the potential role of single or dual food safety standards. The paper concludes that food safety is not only a public health issue but also a market development and trade issue, and that developing countries need inclusive, transparent, and well-informed food safety policymaking processes based on the best available evidence to improve both domestic food systems and export competitiveness.