GOVERNMENT agencies and institutions, producers, buyers and sellers banded together to promote food safety from farm to fork in the ceremonial opening of the first OURFood exhibit.
The second leg of the first OurFood Conference, a joint project by the German AFOS Foundation for Entrepreneurial Development Cooperation, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, The Department of Science and Technology 7 (DOST 7) and the Association of Negros Producers gathered around 30 exhibitors, including farmer associations from Dalaguete, Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental.
“We are really overwhelmed by the success (of the conference and the exhibit). We had more than 400 participants. Before we were planning it, we were thinking there was a need to talk about food safety certifications and now we are really overwhelmed with the response,” Dietmar Speikmaier, AFOS Foundation program manager for OURFood told Sun. Star Cebu.
Melanie Ng, president of the Cebu City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, officially opened the exhibit by highlighting the importance of food safety at the farm level through the promotion of GAP-certified produce of OURFood-assisted farmers.
“It is primarily a venue to showcase good and effective, healthy and safe food technologies, which is a springboard for business matching with potential market and suppliers and an access to opportunities. This is an initiative that will bring not only the food industry but businesses here in Cebu to the next level,” Ng said during her welcome remarks.
Meanwhile, Teresa Pono, resident representative of AFOS Foundation, shared how the OURFood project has helped farmer associations gain Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certifications.
“Our Negros Occidental farmers were the first small farmer groups certified under PHILGAP for high-valued crops. The Dalaguete Vegetable Growers Association closely followed soon after passing the PHILGAP certification just recently. And soon, our Negros Oriental farmer groups will likewise be certified,” said Pono.
Engr. Edilberto Paradela, DOST 7 Director, emphasized the importance of World Health Organization’s (WHO) 10 facts on food safety.
“This exhibit showcased the whole concept of the food safety supply and body’s health in consonant to the conference team promoting food safety from farm to fork. This is the venue of understanding of food safety,” said Paradela.
The exhibit, which ran until June 18, showcased GAP-certified produce, other food safety products and services, and cooking demonstrations.
The OURFood Project
Founded in 2012, OURFood or Optimizing and Upscaling Roles in the Food Supply Chain is a project that falls under the German Development Aid Services. It is fully funded by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation Development, and its current project areas are Cebu City, Cebu Province, and Negros Island.
It targets micro to medium-scale enterprises and its overall objective is to increase the income situation of farmers and food processors in the Philippines and to make them more competitive in the global market.
Speikmaier told Sun.Star Cebu that the project has established services for food processors and farmers.
On the farm level, Speikmaier said their team is promoting GAP, organic alignment and entrepreneurial skills by providing training skills and coaching for farmers.
Project success
Twelve out of 100 farmer associations all over the Philippines have received GAP certifications through the assistance of OURFood.
Based on the Food Safety Act of 2013 or Republic Act 10611, GAP refers to the practices that address environmental, economic and social sustainability for on-farm processes, and which result in “safe and quality food and nonfood agricultural products.
As program manager, Speikmaier thinks that obtaining the certification is important, not just to ensure food safety measures, but also to help entrepreneurs in the food supply chain gain wider market access.
OURFood offers services to food processors through its Cebu Food Consultancy Group, which provides training in Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and GAP. The group also provides trainings regarding food safety management systems, plant layout, GMP assessments and GMP manualization.
Members of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry can also get these services for free.
The exhibitors
Reynaldo Lee, president of the Dalaguete Vegetable Growers Association (DAVEGA) told Sun. Star Cebu that their participation in the project helps increase their competitiveness by gaining awareness regarding food safety.
“The benefit that we get is on the safety side of the vegetables. GAP standards have four elements--food safety, product quality, environmental management and conservation, and last is the worker’s health and welfare, “said Lee.
He added that through the OURFood program, harmonization among high-valued crops began since the last quarter of 2012 in Cebu. Euchrissa Theresa Ladrera, UP Mass Comm Intern