New challenges relating to the sustainability of food systems

Food safety can conflict with other aspects of sustainable development. On the one hand, the extreme precautions taken by public authorities and economic operators to ensure maximum safety for the end consumer lead to losses and waste at every stage of the production and distribution chain, right through to the consumer. On the other hand, the health and safety requirements imposed by public authorities – and now also by economic operators – for the import of foodstuffs into the European Union create barriers to trade. These requirements may not only hinder the development of agriculture in the Global South but also alter the way it is organised.