PRODUCERS of food and other goods are stepping up efforts to improve good agricultural practices (GAP), mainly on food safety standards, in Negros Occidental.
The Afos Foundation, a German non-government organization advocating safe and sustainable food, along with its partner organization Association of Negros Producers (ANP), and the Department of Science and Technology, is hosting the 2nd National Conference on Food Safety at the SMX Convention Center in Bacolod City on July 17 to 18.
Themed “Food Safety: A Shared Responsibility,” the two-day event aims to gather at least 300 participants from the government, agriculture, and food service sectors nationwide.
Doreen Alicia Gamboa-Peña, president of ANP-Foundation for Enterprise Development Inc., said that the event seeks to promote and advocate food safety and standard compliance in agriculture and food processing.
Gamboa-Peña said that aside from raising awareness among consumers and providing technical updates to practitioners, the national conference is also seen as a venue to propose concrete actions responding to the challenges and opportunities related to food safety in the value chain.
“There is a pressing need to further promote food safety awareness especially in Negros Occidental,” Gamboa-Peña pointed out, adding that more private-public efforts are needed to equip local enterprises with the right approach and tools to become more competitive and sustainable.
The upcoming event will include sessions on various food safety-related topics to be spearheaded by experts from both government and private sectors.
Among the speakers is a senior scientist from the Department of Agriculture of Thailand, who will talk on “The Role of Thai Government Research in Implementing GAP.”
Meanwhile, the ANP will also host a conference component for the 1st National Trade Fair on Food Safety, which will run until July 23 in time for this year’s Bulawan Awards.
Christina Gaston, president of ANP, said the trade fair will showcase GAP model farm and convergence of local manufacturers of food and other products to be displayed in 37 booths.
“Food safety as a shared responsibility is not just having clean food on the table, it should involve the whole supply chain, from farmers to consumers,” Gaston said.