ABU DHABI: The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), has achieved a global milestone by launching the Integrated Biosecurity Index (IBI), which measures biosecurity level in plant and animal health, food safety and the environment in an integrated manner.
The IBI is a ground-breaking instrument that encompasses all facets of biosecurity. It features a hierarchical structure with six principles, 25 criteria, and a staggering 128 sub-indicators, providing a holistic and in-depth assessment.
ADAFSA and FAO collaborated closely to develop the Index. A three-day joint workshop brought together specialists from various biosecurity, animal health, plant health, and food safety entities. The workshop focused on risk assessment and building effective management plans.
This initiative aims to facilitate knowledge and experience sharing in biosecurity. It paves the way for broader adoption of the IBI by the FA
O and its global implementation. The IBI is expected to revolutionise biosecurity assessment worldwide, contributing to enhanced food security, environmental protection, and human and animal health.
Mouza Suhail Al Muhairi, Deputy Director-General for Regulatory and Administrative Affairs at ADAFSA, stated that the development of the IBI is a significant global achievement that adds to the UAE’s accomplishments under the UAE’s leadership.
She emphasised the country’s commitment to improving food security nationally and globally, and expressed pride in ADAFSA’s success in developing a global IBI with the unwavering support of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Presidential Court and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the ADAFSA.
Opening the joint workshop with FAO, Al Muhairi said that the IBI is a strategic tool to address the growing challenges to global food security. She noted that the development of the Index responds to an urgent
national and global need in the face of increasing risks to food value chains, globalisation and climate change.
She highlighted the workshop as an ideal opportunity to review the draft indicator, train specialists on the assessment process and the use of reliable tools, analyse the results and develop and improve the registration criteria.
She also hailed the fruitful collaboration with FAO in finalising this Index and underlined ADAFSA’s commitment to strengthening international cooperation on biosecurity, ensuring food safety and protecting human, animal and plant health. The IBI is expected to have many benefits, including helping decision-makers to better assess biosecurity risks, improving countries’ ability to respond to threats to food security, and strengthening international cooperation on biosecurity.
For his part, Dr. Markos Tibbo, Senior Livestock Development Officer at the FAO Subregional Office, hailed the collaboration as a model for international cooperation to enhance biosecurity and prai
sed ADAFSA’s efforts, describing the IBI as a “landmark achievement” with significant global implications for improving biosecurity.
Dr. Tibbo stressed the IBI’s importance as a valuable tool for the effective assessment and management of biosecurity risks. He highlighted that the Index, as the first of its kind in the world, represents a remarkable advance in biosecurity assessment.
He concluded by expressing confidence in the IBI’s contribution to achieving sustainable development goals and ensuring sustainable production and consumption patterns.
The workshop was attended by experts and specialists from government agencies at the state level.
Source: Emirates News Agency