Biosecurity preparedness is integral to sustainable food security in Africa

Growth in international trade, tourism and increasing international movements of people will increasingly expose countries in Africa to biosecurity threats, which will significantly impact on economies, community health and native biodiversity. Countries in Africa generally lack effective biosecurity systems to safeguard their plant and animal sectors, natural biodiversity, both terrestrial and aquatic, from biosecurity threats. The food and feed production systems are facing increasing risks of pest and disease outbreaks that will significantly affect food production and availability. Past incidents in Africa such as the inadvertent introduction of Larger Grain Borer in Tanzania with maize imports in the 1970s remind us that food distribution, without an underpinning biosecurity risk management plan, can be extremely detrimental to food security. Countries in Africa vary in their capability and capacity in respect to biosecurity risk management. There are significant gaps in the capability (knowledge base and system) and capacity (infrastructure and facility) of the biosecurity risk prevention (pre-border and border biosecurity) and biosecurity risk preparedness (postborder biosecurity) systems. Countries that have contiguous borders are endangered by the biosecurity status of the neighbouring countries because of existence of natural and humanassisted pathways for pest and disease dispersal. Quarantine and stringent regulatory measures play a key role in preventing, containing and slowing the spread of biosecurity threats but a one dimensional border based approach is inadequate to safeguard many essential food value chains. Countries in Africa need biosecurity risk management plans that not only contain strategies to prevent pests entering their borders but plans to eradicate pests that do make it through. An overarching continent-wide approach to biosecurity risk management is proposed to minimise introduction of biosecurity threats. Policy development and implementation of effective pre-border, border and post border measures are needed for pathways that can introduce potentially harmful organisms. The development of this overarching biosecurity strategy necessitates a scoping study and assessment of present biosecurity status, that is, its present capacity and capability to safeguard its resources from biological threats. Implicit in the study would be the requirements to identify gaps and determine areas requiring development. Development and implementation of a continent-wide biosecurity strategy has become a necessity to minimise the exposure of any food security system, natural biodiversity, lifestyle and human health and wellbeing to biosecurity threats. In this context consideration of the following 10-points is recommended for development of a biosecurity strategy and system for the continent of Africa: (i) development of an overarching biosecurity strategy with a single business plan assigning responsibilities and accountabilities, (ii) a single biosecurity Act which clearly assigns powers and responsibilities to respond to biosecurity risks, (iii) implementation of a system for regulated movement, storage and monitoring of microbial agents, (iv) establishment of operational science group to develop quarantine inspection protocols and training manuals, (v) quarantine surveillance at all entry points including random checks, (vi) a well-maintained electronic pest and disease interception database, (vii) trained personnel in communicable disease control, food and agriculture, and environmental health in emergency response areas, (viii) establishment of specific bioterrorism response plan across all sectors, (ix) establishment of internal audit system to ensure biosecurity procedures and processes are appropriately carried out in the field, and (xi) implementation of national pest and disease surveillance strategy.