JABAR EKSPRES – Chairman of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Arsjad Rasjid expressed support for improving food safety standards to enhance food security, both in Indonesia and the Southeast Asian or ASEAN region.
According to him, the World Food Organization (FAO) shows that about one-third of food production is wasted, while on the other hand there are food shortages due to climate change.
The Climate Risk Index in 2019 identified three ASEAN countries that are highly vulnerable to climate change, namely Myanmar, the Philippines, and Thailand, even ASEAN contributes 8 percent to total global emissions, Arsjad Rasjid said through a statement here on Thursday.
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“ASEAN needs to make concerted efforts to improve food safety standards, promote sustainable food systems, and avoid the threat of climate change that threatens our food security,” he said.
World Food Safety Day, commemorated every June 7 and established by the UN in 2018, he added, serves as a crucial platform to raise awareness and support the importance of food safety around the world.
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For this reason, according to him, efforts are needed to advance measures that prevent, detect, manage foodborne risks to safeguard public health, and promote sustainable development.
In this regard, Arsjad stated that ASEAN-BAC actively promotes initiatives that strengthen food security and safety, such as encouraging investment in agriculture, advancing technology adoption in the food industry, and encouraging innovation across the value chain.
In accordance with the theme of World Food Safety Day 2023, namely “Food Standards, Save Lives”, he added, it is very important to fulfill food standards to maintain prosperity.
“Strong food standards can guarantee quality food that supports quality of life,” he said.
For this reason, he said, commitment and shared responsibility from the government, businesses, producers, and consumers are key in ensuring compliance with quality food standards.