New World Bank report says food-borne illnesses cost US$ 110 billion per year in low- and middle-income countries

A new World Bank study, Safe food imperative: Accelerating progress in low- and middle-income countries, finds that the impact of unsafe food costs low- and middle-income economies about US$ 110 billion in lost productivity and medical expenses each year. Yet a large proportion of these costs could be avoided by adopting preventative measures that improve how food is handled from farm to fork. Better managing the safety of food would also significantly contribute to achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals, especially those relating to poverty, hunger and well-being.

The study was supported by the United States Food and Drug Administration. It is a collaborative effort involving multiple researchers and practitioners and draws on data and insights from the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Bank, the World Health Organization, the World Organisation for Animal Health and other partners.

Among the study’s co-authors is Delia Grace, joint leader of the Animal and Human Health program of the International Livestock Research Institute and leader of the food safety flagship of the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health.