Reflections on the World Food Safety Day 2026: Why Food Safety Must Be at the Heart of Kenya’s Food System Transformation

Reflections on the World Food Safety Day 2026: Why Food Safety Must Be at the Heart of Kenya’s Food System Transformation

Eustace Kiarii
Every year on 7 June, the world marks World Food Safety Day to raise awareness and inspire actions on preventing, detecting, and managing foodborne risks. The 2026 theme, “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere,” emphasizes the need to embrace practical interventions that reduce foodborne diseases and strengthen food systems. As Kenya marks World Food Safety Day, the country stands at a critical policy moment. The development of the National Agrifood Systems Investment Plan (NASIP), 2026-2030; the implementation of the National Agroecology Strategy for Food System Transformation (NAS-FST) 2024–2033, and the review of the Pest Control Products Bill, 2025, – the three frameworks present a unique opportunity to place food safety at the heart of Kenya’s food systems transformation agenda. They are the most recent, highly relevant, and have been part of my engagement and contribution in ongoing policy discussions.

The Urgency of Food Safety in Kenya
Kenya’s food system is undergoing rapid transformation driven by urbanization, climate change, changing dietary patterns, and increasing commercialization of agriculture. While the country has made significant progress in agricultural production, concerns remain regarding pesticide residues, contamination of fresh produce, aflatoxins, unsafe use (and mis use) of agrochemicals, antimicrobial resistance, and inadequate food safety monitoring systems.

Food safety is often treated as a downstream issue to be addressed after food has been produced and marketed. Yet evidence from across the world shows that food safety must be built into food systems from the beginning; from soil and seed to production, storage, transport, processing, marketing, and consumption. Failure to do so carries significant costs for public health, agricultural productivity, trade, and environmental sustainability.

Foodborne diseases impose a significant but often invisible burden on health systems. Unsafe food undermines nutrition outcomes, reduces consumer confidence, and can jeopardize access to domestic and export markets. For smallholder farmers, food safety failures can result in rejected produce, lost income, and reduced market opportunities; as has been experienced in the recent years in the export business. Food safety is therefore not only a public health issue. It is an agricultural, economic, environmental, and social development issue.

A Critical Policy Moment
The NAS-FST promotes agroecological approaches that reduce dependence on harmful external inputs while improving soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem resilience. The NASIP, on the other hand, aims to mobilize investments to transform our food systems into productive, resilient, and inclusive drivers of economic growth. It is worthwhile noting that the envisaged transformation will only be sustainable if food safety is deliberately integrated into investment and policy decisions.

In the context of NASIP, key priorities should include:

• Supporting agroecological transition investments
• Strengthening food safety infrastructure such as laboratories and inspection systems
• Establishing pesticide residue monitoring systems for food, soil, and water
• Investing in soil health and contamination surveillance
• Expanding farmer training and extension services
• Developing traceability and digital food systems

Without these measures, increased production could unintentionally increase exposure to food safety risks.

Pesticide Regulations as a Public Health Issue
The Pest Control Products Bill, 2025 presents an important opportunity to modernize pesticide governance in Kenya. Beyond being an agricultural regulation, it should also be viewed/act as a public health and food safety law. Pesticides play an important role in agricultural production. However, concerns regarding misuse, abuse, overuse, counterfeit products, environmental contamination, and pesticide residues in food continue to attract public attention. Stakeholder discussions have increasingly highlighted the need for stronger monitoring, farmer education, and enforcement mechanisms to ensure safe use practices.

To strengthen food safety outcomes, the Bill should:

• Prioritize protection of human health and consumers
• Strengthen pesticide registration and review processes for bio pesticides
• Promote Integrated Pest Management and agroecological alternatives
• Establish national pesticide residue monitoring systems
• Improve transparency and public access to safety information
• Strengthen farmer training and protection measures
• Ensure manufacturers take responsibility beyond product sale, including contributing to systems that ensure safe disposal of empty pesticide containers, post-market monitoring, and training support.

A Strategic Opportunity for Policy Coherence
These three frameworks; NASIP, NAS-FST, and the Pest Control Products Bill should not operate in isolation. Together, they provide a foundation for a food system that is productive, resilient, environmentally sustainable, and safe. Food safety must be recognized as a core investment priority rather than a regulatory afterthought. It is thus timely that deliberate efforts are put in place to ensure that they speak/act/coordinate together in their implementation.

Let the World Food Safety Day 2026 serve as a reminder that safe food is not accidental. It is the outcome of deliberate policy choices, effective regulation, and sustained investments.

Happy Food Safety Day!