The UP-RISE EU-African Union (AU) project integrates food safety practices associated to mycotoxin contamination into all aspects of food production, distribution, marketing and consumption in the AU and provides tangible tools and strategies to enhance inclusive participation in the improved African Food Safety System (AFSS) at the local, national and regional level. UP-RISE activities are aligned with the current AU Food Safety Strategy for Africa, focusing on 3 regions of the AU with field work in 5 target member states (Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Kenya, and South-Africa). UP-RISE assembles 5 building blocks for knowledge generation and implementation: 1) Roadmaps for a shared quality culture and possible integration of the informal sector in the AFSS; 2) Strengthening the food safety regulatory framework with focus on mycotoxins in both formal and informal sectors; 3) Early warning to prevent mycotoxin contamination and adapt to climate change; 4) Prevention of food losses and improving food safety by providing innovative microbiome-based solutions for mycotoxin reduction and nutritious food and 5) Co-creation, training and mentoring. UP-RISEs co-created solutions will be demonstrated on 5 representative fermented food product value chains based on maize, millet, sorghum or milk and will be implemented in 10 business cases of SMEs in the target AU member states. UP-RISE builds on strong synergies between all excelling consortium members combining social sciences with technological approaches and an outstanding network, which has been complemented with the Accelerator Platform comprising a.o. competent food safety authorities, farmers, consumers and trade organizations. UP-RISE guarantees sustainability through the creation of Training Hubs in each target member state, an AU-EU Microbial Biobank Network, early warning systems, a risk assessment toolkit and a food safety regulatory model.

The EU-Africa PerMed project has the final objective of integrating African countries into ICPerMed activities as a means to contribute to the implementation of Personalised Medicine (PM) in the the global context, fostering joint PM projects and programmes between Europe and Africa, and strengthening bilateral EU-AU science, technology and innovation (STI) in health. On the long run, incorporating African countries in the global PM research agenda can contribute to shorten existing health disparities between developed and developing countries, as well as facilitating access of African countries to new tools and technologies that have the potential make health care more efficient and equitable. The specific objectives set for the project are 1)To identify, contact and engage with relevant health-related organizations in Africa to interact and work with throughout the project; 2)To explore and analyse with relevant stakeholder, the potential for and advantages of collaboration in PM between Africa and Europe, identifying areas of mutual interest; 3)To foster and facilitate the integration of health research funding and policy organisations from AU countries in the ICPerMed consortium and participate in the ERA PerMed funding scheme; 4) To seek synergies and align with activities of ongoing EU-Africa research programmes and other by-regional policy actions (such as EDCTP); 4)To carry out capacity building and training activities addressing relevant PM issues for Africa and 5)To contribute to raising awareness of PM and the benefits of a closer inter and intra-regional collaboration, in order to advance in the implementation of PM. As COVID19 is showing, addressing global health challenges is only possible by building and strengthening international scientific cooperation. EU-Africa PerMed will work towards fostering a stronger global collaboration in PM, and by this, better addressing global health challenges such as infectious diseases and future pandemics.

The Food Safety for Africa (FS4Africa) proposal is designed to address food safety challenges in Africa. Focus is given to addressing food safety issues associated with weak channels for value chain organisation, traceability & authentication of safe food. Food safety challenges addressed include mycotoxin contamination in multiple food crops including food and feed, pesticide residues in grains and vegetables, microbial contamination particularly Escherichia coli contamination, and food adulteration of foods. The aim of the proposed proposal is to improve African food safety systems with particular attention to the informal sector through local market transformation enhancing food security and regional trade while reducing negative impacts on the environment, biodiversity, health and society. to By utilizing expertise, skills, networks and tools available within the consortium comprising partners based in Africa and Europe, we aim to address food safety challenges through policy development & implementation of existing policies, implementation of strategies uplift the informal sector using a combination of tools, approaches to transform the informal sector to a mezzanine status utilizing digital tools, communication of strategies, utilization of sound scientific, social and technological approaches. Tools in physical sciences, social science and humanities including in behavioral science, One Health, preservation of biodiversity is given attention in the proposal through implementation of interdisciplinary approaches that given consideration to human, animal, environmental and plant health. By employing strategies that meet "the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." The proposed project will leverage on activities of other projects in previous and current EU projects and involve collaboration with the Joint Research Center especially as EC, Knowledge Center for Global Food and Nutrition Security.