The food industry has faced enormous challenges over the past two years, with the pandemic changing the landscape of food safety dramatically. The world was already grappling with the challenge of feeding a growing global population of almost eight billion people safely and sustainably. We must shift to more sustainable production and consumption patterns, as well as make food systems less fragile and unequal; all while combatting food fraud and managing the impacts of climate change.
Now, the war in Ukraine has added even more pressure to food systems and resources. Global food prices are set to soar, and the supply of staples such as wheat from Russia and Ukraine are under significant pressure, given that the countries collectively account for one-third of the world's wheat exports, one-fifth of its corn trade, and almost 80 percent of its sunflower oil production.1 Disruption in supply inevitably leads to pressure on food security and safety—so, working across boundaries to ensure safe food everywhere has never been more critical.