Policy Forum on (GMS) as One: Unified Regional Approaches to Food Safety and Market Access
Objective: To agree on unified regional approaches and measures that promote harmonized food safety standards and greater market access for safe, environment-friendly, high quality GMS agro-food products.
Rationale : Food security and market access. Food safety is a core component of food security and a major barrier to market access for many GMS agricultural products. The economic costs of illnesses caused by foodborne diseases in the subregion are considerable. The risk of outbreak of foodborne diseases also hampers market access of food products. In turn, this perceived health risk results in costly rejections of GMS agricultural produce in international markets. To address this problem, there is a need to ensure the quality of GMS produce. Establishing unified food safety policies that ensure consumers and producers are appropriately protected in an inclusive and sustainable manner is a key challenge facing the global food sector and is a key priority concern for the GMS.
Regional approach to address gaps. As market integration proceeds and cross-border value chains develop, it is imperative that GMS food suppliers meet domestic, regional and global export market standards starting from farm to the consumer table. The GMS has unique and often unharnessed comparative advantages in specific food supply, built upon its abundant natural resources, climate, low costs of production, proximity to large markets, and the unique food items produced in the region. However, the subregion’s current pest, disease and residue issues hamper production and food safety. In addition, many of its small and medium agro-enterprises and smallholder producer groups are limited by scale, reducing their competitiveness and ability to demonstrate food quality and safety. Although the GMS countries have made great progress in reforming national policies, gaps remain at the GMS level and strategic investments are needed. A regional approach to food policy driven by business and public interests, will enhance protection of domestic consumers and suppliers, will support scaling up of production, and will facilitate product marketing.
Multi-sectoral cooperation. It is essential that producers and the wider business community work closely with policymakers to develop unified regional approaches to food safety. A candid assessment of current policy gaps and priorities for investment is needed to achieve the goal of establishing the subregion as a leading regional and global supplier of safe and environment-friendly agricultural food products.
Issues Paper: An issue paper on “Harmonizing Food Safety Policies and Expanding Global Markets” is the expected output of the policy forum. The paper will address where we were, where we are now and where we need to be in relation to food safety in national markets within the GMS and current and potential export markets for GMS products. The paper will serve as an input to the upcoming 2nd GMS Agriculture Ministers’ meeting in October 2017 in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) as One:
Regional Approaches to Food Safety and Market Access A Policy Forum
31 May 2017
Amber Room 1, IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center, Bangkok, Thailand
Provisional Agenda
12:30 – 13.30 Registration
13.30 – 13.40 Welcome Remarks
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Thailand Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives
Opening Remarks Mr. Jiangfeng Zhang, Director
Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Division, Southeast Asia Department, Asian Development Bank
13.40 – 14.00 Key Note Address
H.E. Dr. Phouang Parisak Pravongviengkham
Vice Minister
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Government of Lao PDR
Food Safety and Market Access for GMS Agri-Food Products – Insights from the Experiences of Lao PDR
Session 1
Setting the Scene: Harmonizing Food Safety and Food Quality in the GMS for Enhanced Market Access
Moderator for Session 1:
Mr. Chris May, Managing Director, Bioglobal Consultancy Ltd
14.00 – 14.15
Toward Harmonizing Food Safety Management Systems in the GMS: Policy and Investment Gaps for Going Global
Speaker: Mr. Pavit Ramachandran, Senior Environment Specialist, ADB
14.20 – 14.40
Quality Assurance, a Balancing Act – Key Lessons from the European Experience and Discovering Untapped Market Potential in Asia and the EU
Speaker: Mrs. Liliana Annovazzi-Jakab, Head of the Agricultural Quality Standards Unit
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
14.40 – 15.00
Conversations
• H.E. San Vanty, Undersecretary of State, Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (tbc)
• Mr. Li Hongtao, DDG of FECC, PRC
• Mr. Peerachote Charanwong, General Manager, Merit Food Products Co., Ltd. | President, Thailand Organic Trade Association
• Mr. Vo Minh Khai, General Director, Vien Phu Organic & Health Foods JSC
15.00 – 15.20 Open Forum
15:20 – 15:40 Networking Coffee Break
Session 2
Small and Medium Agro-Enterprises (SMAEs) in the GMS: Linking Recognition and Market Access
Moderator for Session 2: Mr. Chris May, Managing Director, Bioglobal Consultancy Ltd
15.40 – 15.55
The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Market Program: Pathways for SMAEs to Achieve Recognized Certification and Market Access
Speaker: Mr. Kishi Katsuki, Vice President, Food Safety AEON (Japan)
Member of GFSI Market Programme
15.55 – 16.30 Conversations
• Mr. Tin Htut, Permanent Secretary, Myanmar Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Irrigation (tbc)
• Dr. Sochivi Kao, PhD, Deputy Director General, Cambodia Department of Fisheries Affairs
• Mr. Sisouphonh Sihalath, Dao-Heuang Coffee
• Dr. Than Than Sein, Vice Chairman, Myanmar Organic Producers Association
• Mr. Arrut Navaraj, Executive Director, Sampran Riverside Hotel, Thailand
• Mr. Serge Selbe, Managing Director, Lao Fresh Meat
16:30 – 16:50 Open Forum
16:50 – 17:00 Summing Up and Closing Remarks
Mr. Chris May, Managing Director, Bioglobal Consultancy Ltd