A Workshop on Improving Safety of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables in Southeast Asia was conducted recently at El Cielito Hotel, Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
DOST’s Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) organized and sponsored the event together with the Food and Fertilizer Technology Center (FFTC) for the Asian and Pacific Region.
FFTC is a long-standing partner of PCAARRD in proactive discussion and dissemination of new trends, technologies, and on other issues and challenges in the agricultural sector in the Asia and Pacific region.
The workshop aims to provide a venue for sharing experiences, including policies, regulatory frameworks, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) strategies on food safety and implementation of quality assurance mechanisms/systems in the fresh agri-product industry.
One of the workshop’s outputs was a policy and recommended regulatory framework, as well as the corresponding M&E strategies geared in improving safety of fresh fruits and vegetables for the Asian and Pacific Region.
The workshop convened experts from the Asian and Pacific Region who presented country reports and thematic papers.
Among the agencies represented during the event were the University of the Philippines Diliman; Bureau of Plant Industry, Department of Agriculture; Ministry of Agriculture of Indonesia; Malaysia Agriculture Research and Development Institute; Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Science; Agricultural and Food Marketing Association for Asia and the Pacific, Thailand; National Academy of Agricultural Science (NAAS); Rural Development Administration (RDA) of South Korea; District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, Taiwan; Agriculture and Food Agency, Council of Agriculture , Taiwan; Taiwan Agricultural Chemicals and Toxic Substances Research Institute, Taiwan; and Japan Organic Inspectors Association (JOIA).