Interoperable Traceability and Quality Assurance Standards in the Greater Mekong Subregion: A Value Chain Approach
Event
3-5 April 2023 | Bangkok and Chanthaburi province, Thailand | Hybrid event
Food safety has a significant negative impact on economic growth and human health. As a result, more mandatory legal requirements for food safety risk management techniques and various risk management mechanisms are being adopted. Public and private, food quality assurance schemes (both mandatory and voluntary) are regarded as useful and widely accepted solutions for protecting customers from untrustworthy and unsafe food sources. Digital traceability systems and platforms also enable quick and targeted product recalls within agriculture value chains and distribution networks.
There is growing recognition that gaps in local enforcement of quality assurance certification and disjointed and non-interoperable traceability measures in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) not only endanger human health but also severely limit agri-food goods' access to global markets. As such, important steps are being taken under the Asian Development Bank Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security Program (TA 9916-SAFSP), in collaboration with partners to facilitate agriculture trade and broaden links with regional and global value chains, to ensure that GMS countries are better prepared and integrated into regional and global economies.
On 3-5 April 2023, TA 9916-SAFSP will organize a capacity-building and knowledge exchange event on Interoperable Traceability and Quality Assurance Standards in the GMS: A Value Chain Approach in collaboration with the Thailand National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) and the Thailand Working Group in Agriculture (WGA) national focal point, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC). More details about the event are provided in the draft agenda.
You are invited to register for online participation at the link provided below. The availability of a remote connection for the afternoon session on April 4th and April 5th will be confirmed closer to the date.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the event, participants are expected to:
- Have a better understanding of the practical application of international quality and safety standards system and globally recognized international traceability methodologies to GMS fruit value chains.
- Identify the trickle-down benefits of improved international quality and safety standards system and globally recognized international traceability along the value chain and for different groups of actors.
- Be able to recognize and understand regulations on data standards and the integration of traceability systems in the supply chain to ensure efficient, transparent, and safe supply chains.
- Understand the current national quality assurance practices in selected GMS countries (Thailand, Viet Nam and PRC) and regulations for ensuring food safety quality standards.
- Learn risk communication and information dissemination strategies for food safety to protect consumer health and well-being.
Target participants
The event primarily targets government representatives from agriculture and related departments, agribusinesses, testing agencies and exporters.
Related links
Last Updated: 14 March 2023
