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More than eighty-five experts on food safety issues from seventeen countries in West Africa and the Sahel and their partners met in Accra from February 26 to 28, 2024 to take stock of the importance of food safety in the sub-region.

Formed into a regional network for food safety regulatory convergence in 2022 under the aegis of the ECOWAS Commission, the experts held their first meeting in Abidjan with a series of priorities relating to contaminants in food, pesticide and veterinary drug residues, microbiological criteria, food hygiene, and food additives.

Due to the cross-cutting nature of food safety issues, this regional food safety regulatory convergence was established to improve and strengthen regional coordination, information sharing, cooperation and collaboration, planning, and resource mobilization across sectors and projects.

In Accra, they reviewed the status of implementation of these priority actions in the rapidly changing West African sub-region. Through the presentations of countries and regional structures, the reasons for the obstacles to imports and exports of food products were noted and the measures taken to protect the health of consumers were shared at both the national and regional levels. It emerged from this meeting that convergence demonstrates everyone's commitment to preserving the health of populations and, therefore, guaranteeing a healthier and more productive society. An action plan for 2024-2027 was adopted with 21 actions.

The convergence of regulations helps facilitate trade flows by allowing West African companies to expand their markets and be more competitive on the global market. The benefits extend beyond the economic sphere, fostering stronger ties between nations, improving regional integration, and contributing to the stability and prosperity of West Africa and the Sahel.

The meeting was supported by USDA, USAID, and World Bank.