Suriname hosting regional conference on food production

Photo: Parmanand Sewdien (Photo courtesy CMC)

Suriname has said there is a need for constant training if the Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM)  country moves to take advantage of exporting agricultural and other products to the region.

“We have a lot of potential, but that also comes with responsibilities. Such workshops offer a range of ideas, because stakeholders sit at the table with experts,” Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (LVV) Minister, Parmanand Sewdien, told the opening ceremony of the three-day regional conference.

“We certainly need to invest in training for our people in food safety. Our laboratory on the LVV site will soon be completed, where our food will be tested for safety by experts,” he added.

More than 150 delegates from the region are attending the conference that is organised by the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA). It is being held in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) through the Suriname Agriculture and Market Access Project (SAMAP).

International policymakers, technical experts, Codex contacts, members of the Caribbean Food Safety Working Group, academia, regional stakeholders and representatives of the private food industry are attending the event.

The conference is the first of the Working Group since its establishment in 2019.  The conference is being held under the theme “Food Safety in a Changing Climate: Safe Food, Healthy People, Stronger Communities”.

Sewdien said there will need to be constant consultation, and knowledge needs to be expanded on how to further improve the standards of food safety in Suriname if the country wants to export to the region.

He said climate change poses a significant challenge to food production, but Suriname still has relatively favourable conditions for producing food.

“I look forward to the results of the workshop and wish you all the best with the outcome of this intensive workshop,” he added.

The conference is intended to provide new insights and strategies to improve food security in the region with one of the thematic areas focusing on increasing the involvement of Caribbean countries in Codex, the international body that sets standards for food safety.

The ‘Codex Engagement’ sessions underline the importance of Caribbean participation in Codex and provide practical guidelines for making an effective contribution during international meetings.

PARAMARIBO, Suriname, Sept 11, CMC –

CMC/af/ir/2024

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