As the Vice President put it, “the food we eat is not merely a matter of personal choice; it is a matter of public health, economic security, and national dignity.”
He is right. Unsafe food kills. Globally, it causes 600 million illnesses and 420,000 deaths every year. Africa carries a disproportionate share: 137,000 deaths annually and over $20 billion in lost productivity. The Gambia cannot afford indifference.
That is why the Food Safety and Quality Act of 2011 created FSQA in 2013. In the decade since, the Authority has built foundations: national regulations, trained inspectors, regional offices, and even regional leadership as Codex Africa Coordinator for 2025–2027.
But foundations are not enough. The new Strategic Plan 2026–2030 must be the bridge from regulation to results. It claims to be the product of “rigorous analysis, wide consultation, and honest self-reflection.” It aligns with the National Development Plan, Codex Alimentarius, the WTO SPS Agreement, and the AU Food Safety Strategy 2022–2036. That is the right architecture.
Now comes the hard part: implementation.
First, make safety visible. Consumers in Serrekunda Market and Basse Lumo cannot eat a strategic plan. They need to see FSQA stickers, lab results, and inspectors who are present, trained, and trusted. Public Service Minister Baboucarr Buoy said the plan comes at the right time to ensure safe, quality food. Timing only matters if enforcement follows.
Back science with money
EU Ambassador Immaculada Roca I Cortes was blunt: food safety is about trust in markets, institutions, and systems. Without strong systems, The Gambia’s horticulture, fisheries, and agri-processing cannot reach export markets. Potential is not profit. Labs, cold chains, and traceability cost money. Budget for them.
Measure what kills us
Director General Dr. Momodou Bah recalled turbulent early years. He wants FSQA to become one of the country’s most important institutions. That will happen when hospital admissions for foodborne illness drop, when rejected consignments at the port fall, and when a mother in Brikama trusts the label on her child’s milk.
Board Chairman Dr. Amadou Sowe called this launch “a decisive shift in The Gambia’s approach to food safety governance.” Shifts are not speeches. They are seen in unannounced shop inspections, in revoked licenses, in fish exporters meeting EU standards without middlemen, and in street vendors trained, not harassed.
The plan is sound. The partners are on board. The law is clear. What remains is the daily, unglamorous work of sampling, testing, recalling, and prosecuting.
Because as the Vice President said, unsafe food “claims lives, burdens our health system, diminishes productivity, and undermines confidence.”
Food safety is national security. The Strategic Plan tells us what to do. Now do it.