Strategic Plan

The Codex Alimentarius Commission Strategic Plan

Every six years, the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) adopts a new Strategic Plan to ensure its work is being steered in the right direction to achieve the vision of Codex as a forum “where the world comes together to create food safety and quality standards to protect everyone everywhere,” working to the statutory purpose of protecting consumer health and facilitating fair practices in the food trade.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission Strategic Plan 2026-2031 is the result of a thorough consultation process with Members and Observers, steered by the Executive Committee. It was discussed at the regional level through meetings of the FAO/WHO coordinating committees, through outreach by coordinators to Member Countries, and at the international level at CAC meetings. A monitoring and evaluation framework has been developed to track the progress of the Strategic Plan.

The Strategic Plan ensures that CAC has the agility to respond, “in a timely manner to emerging trends and challenges on consumer health protection or fair practices in food trade, and to the extent that steps to address those impacts are amenable to standardization.”

The Codex strategic goals and outcomes for 2026-2031 are:

Strategic Goal 1: Respond to Members’ needs for protecting the health of consumers and ensuring fair practices in the food trade in an evolving global landscape by developing science-based standards and related texts

1.1 Foresight and horizon-scanning activities are used to support the identification of issues likely to impact food safety, quality and trade.

1.2 Scientific advice that addresses the needs identified by CAC and subsidiary bodies is primarily provided by FAO and WHO and their joint scientific advisory bodies, informed by globally representative data and appropriate international expertise and methodology.

1.3 Scientific advice is used by CAC and subsidiary bodies in line with Codex risk analysis principles.

1.4 Codex standards and related texts are developed, reviewed and adopted in a timely, transparent and inclusive manner.

Strategic Goal 2: Enhance Codex work management systems and practices that support the effective and efficient development of standards and related texts

2.1 Work management systems and practices are refined and enhanced, leveraging digital and other new technologies.

2.2 Mechanisms to prioritize proposals to develop new or revise existing standards and related texts are in place.

2.3 Chairpersons, coordinators, host secretariats, Codex Contact Points and delegates are supported in their respective roles and their capabilities are developed and enhanced.

2.4 Codex Members are enabled to participate actively and sustainably throughout the standards-setting process.

Strategic Goal 3: Strengthen relationships with relevant international organizations, promoting acoordinated approach to address global challenges

3.1 The mutual understanding of the roles of CAC and relevant international organizations in relation to global challenges is improved and is supported by ongoing consultation between the parties.

3.2 Gaps in approaches to addressing global challenges that Codex could contribute to are identified through targeted engagement with relevant international organizations.

3.3 The contribution of CAC to the transition towards sustainable and resilient food systems, is identified and considered.

3.4 Contributions from relevant international organizations throughout the development of Codex texts are encouraged.

Strategic Goal 4: Maximize the impact of Codex by increasing the visibility and use of standards

4.1 The profile and recognition of Codex as the international food standards-setting body for protecting consumer health and ensuring fair practices in food trade is enhanced.

4.2 The use of Codex texts in the context of integrative approaches such as One Health is promoted.

4.3 Harmonization through the increased use of Codex texts in establishing national food control systems and regulations is advocated for.