Signing ceremony to support selected vegetable and pork value chains in Ha Noi
On 26/7/2023 in Hanoi, the project ‘Food Safety for Development’ (SAFEGRO) in collaboration with the Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development (MARD) held the Signing ceremony to support selected vegetable and pork value chains in Hanoi to upgrade the agri-food chain, towards the goal that consumers in Hanoi and Vietnam can have access to food verifiable with quality and safety following international best practices.
Opening speech during the signing ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Nhu Tiep, Director General of the Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development said: “The project’s difference is the participation of the entire community ecosystem. Implementation activities will be diversified and richly designed to suit each audience to raise awareness, change behavior about food safety, and promote food safety culture in production and food consumption”.
Within the framework of the signed cooperation, farmers in the agri-food chain will be supported through training courses and seminars on modern, sustainable, and innovative farming techniques, especially in the context of climate change.
Van Duc Cooperatives (Gia Lam district) and Hoang Long (Thanh Oai district) will be supported with some technology for food safety management and improvement. The project will also support cooperatives to digitize production planning and management systems, and traceability. Moreover, SAFEGRO also supports the cooperatives to develop regulations and establish community monitoring groups, composed of good farmers, to supervise, manage and guide farmers to produce, handle and process food safely, in accordance with the regulations of quality management systems such as VietGAP, HACCP and accepted international best practice.
Kindergartens, primary and secondary schools in Van Duc commune (Gia Lam district) will also participate in a Gender responsive food safety education program.
By integrating food safety content into extra-curricular programs of all levels, as well as consumer communication, engaging actors in all stages of the value chain, SAFEGRO aims to raise awareness about food safety, change food safety behavior, promote food safety culture in food production and processing, small food businesses and consumers, especially young people and women.
For Kim Quan and Thuong Thanh traditional markets (Long Bien district), meat and vegetable vendors will be supported with training and essential tools for ensuring food safety. The market management board will be introduced to internationally recognized food safety management best practice and exposed to innovations and technology to support social and behavioral change communication for vendors and consumers.
Through training courses, the market management board will also improve their capacity to supervise and manage the market to ensure food hygiene and safety and develop plans for revitalizing these informal markets.
The signing ceremony demonstrated the commitment of the parties to improvements in the agri-food chain, vegetables, and meat.
Mrs. Hong Xiem, Kim Quan Market Management Board said: “We are committed to actively participating in SAFEGRO’s activities. With the knowledge and skills acquired by the project, we will carefully monitor the implementation of food safety in our area”.
Ms. Phan Thi Phuong Thao, Project Manager of SAFEGRO said: “Beside the above supports, we also focus on digital transformation, supporting people to have more knowledge and tools to reach more customers, as well as building sustainable brand name. In addition, we will also integrate gender in all project activities. Women and girls are always at the heart of our project.
Through the SAFEGRO project, we aim to improve Vietnamese people’s access to safe, affordable, and competitive agricultural products, thereby helping to improve the well-being of Vietnamese consumers.”
SAFEGRO funded by the Canadian government of CAD 15.0 million is being implemented by Alinea International in collaboration with the University of Guelph in the two largest residential areas of Vietnam, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, in 5 years 2021-2025.
Pictures of the Signing ceremony
