Webinar delves into food safety during natural disasters
Natural disasters are becoming more frequent and severe, with profound consequences for food systems and public health. Floods, earthquakes, droughts, wildfires and volcanic events can disrupt supply chains, damage infrastructure, contaminate water sources and compromise food storage. While restoring food supplies usually dominates the immediate response, food safety risks cannot be overlooked, as unsafe food and water in the aftermath of a disaster can prove as deadly as the disaster itself (i.e., cholera outbreaks).
FAO organized the webinar Food Safety During Natural Disasters: Learning from Country Experiences on 7 May, bringing together more than 200 participants from around the world in the lead-up to World Food Safety Day on 7 June 2026. Under this year’s theme, “From burden to solutions – safe food everywhere,” FAO emphasized the importance of advancing practical, science-based solutions to strengthen food safety preparedness and response during natural disasters. The webinar also marked the official launch of a new FAO web page and a set of infographic resources on food safety during natural disasters, developed through a structured scoping review and aligned with the Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene.
Opening the session, Catherine Bessy, FAO Senior Food Safety Officer, underlined the importance of integrated action especially in the context of natural disasters. "Food safety authorities have shown that with strong preparedness, coordination, and communication, it is indeed possible to protect public health even in times of crisis," she said.
Keynote speaker Dirk Schulz, former FAO Food Safety Officer, reminded participants that, while every natural disaster is unique, the core principles of food safety remain universal and that there can be no food security without food safety.
The webinar featured first-hand accounts from three countries that have faced devastating natural disasters. Asis Perez, Undersecretary at the Department of Agriculture of the Philippines, shared lessons from the 2013 Typhoon Haiyan, highlighting the value of advance food distribution and public–private–people partnerships in the recovery phase. Soner Turkmen of the Turkish General Directorate of Food and Control described the response to the 2023 earthquakes in his country, when inspection teams were rapidly mobilized under a risk-based approach to ensure safe food aid and mobile kitchens, with no major foodborne outbreak reported. Victor Rivera Díaz, of Chile's Food Safety and Quality Agency, recalled the 2015 floods in the Atacama region, stressing the need for pre-established protocols and coordination among water, sanitation and food safety authorities.
Moustapha Mohamed, FAO Food Safety and Quality Officer for the Near East and North Africa, addressed the food safety challenges posed by drought in the world's most water-scarce region, including mycotoxin risks and the growing reliance on non-conventional water resources. He outlined FAO's support through anticipatory action, integrated water governance and risk-based food control.
Overall, the webinar made one message clear: ensuring food safety in natural disasters depends on preparedness, coordination and risk-based action. Strengthening countries' capacity to protect food safety in such events is a priority FAO supports through evidence-based tools and shared learning.
For more information:
Webinar recording is available at FAO YouTube channel here.