Thomson Reuters Foundation: Acting together for food safety
Roberto Azevêdo, director general of the World Trade Organization, and José Graziano da Silva, director general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N.

“…[I]nternational food standards play a key role in protecting human health, the environment, consumers’ interests, and international trade. The joint activities of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have provided a stable, transparent, and predictable framework for international trade in food by providing internationally agreed rules and standards on food quality, safety, and nutritional value. … This framework’s success … depends on international food standards being defined in a transparent, inclusive, and science-based fashion. … International trade and food safety are complementary and contribute to achieving the U.N.’s broader Sustainable Development Goals, such as ending hunger and promoting economic growth, good health, and well-being. FAO and the WTO are more committed than ever to working together in this direction” (7/21).