PARAMARIBO, Suriname, CMC—Suriname has said constant training is needed if the Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country wants 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 organized 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, Caribbean Food Safety Working Group members, academia, regional stakeholders, and representatives of the private food industry will attend the event.
The conference is the first of the Working Group’s since its establishment in 2019. It will be held under the theme “Food Safety in a Changing Climate: Safe Food, Healthy People, Stronger Communities.”
Sewdien says there will need to be constant consultation and that 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 favorable conditions for producing food.
“I look forward to the workshop results 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. One of the thematic areas focuses 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.
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