Awareness Key to Ensuring ‘Farm to Fork’ Safety

Photo credit: Anowara Ferdousi Poly

Bangladesh’s journey in ensuring food safety dates to pre-independence times, starting with the Pure Food Ordinance of 1959. Since then, an increasingly complex web of regulations, standards, and practices has been introduced, involving multiple ministries and agencies within the government. This complexity is further compounded by the absence of a holistic national food safety policy and a general lack of awareness among the key system actors, from government service providers to civilian beneficiaries, about existing food safety laws and regulations. The Feed the Future Bangladesh Policy LINK Agricultural Policy Activity (Policy Activity) determined early on that this knowledge gap was a major cause of disconnect between government service providers and their beneficiaries.

One of the Policy Activity’s core practice areas is to support public and private partners with policy sensitization efforts, which involve raising awareness and understanding of policies among stakeholders, to not only improve awareness but also foster trust.

As a result, one of the Policy Activity’s core practice areas is to support public and private partners with policy sensitization efforts, which involve raising awareness and understanding of policies among stakeholders, to not only improve awareness but also foster trust. As Faheem Khan, Country Lead of the Policy Activity, explains, "from a system strengthening approach, sensitizations are crucial because they equip system actors with the knowledge and clarity needed to promote a more informed, compliant, and inclusive policy environment."

Sensitization workshops are taking place across Bangladesh for a total of eight agricultural policy pillars, including food safety. These efforts are driven mainly by government partners with support from the Policy Activity, as they find these workshops to be a valuable but previously missing component of their capacity building and policy implementation plans. In fact, government agencies are taking ownership of the sensitization process by developing content and appointing senior leaders to facilitate the workshops. Simultaneously, for the sensitization of non-public system actors, partners from civil society and the private sector, like the Bangladesh Safe Agro Food Efforts (BSAFE) Foundation, play an instrumental role. By involving influential coalition partners like BSAFE Foundation, the Policy Activity is helping ensure that today’s sensitization efforts will continue well beyond the USAID-supported activity while aligning with USAID's localization approach.

To delve deeper into understanding the usefulness of these sensitization workshops for the food safety system actors, the Policy Activity team asked three influencers from the northwest district of Rangpur to share their experience from a recent sensitization workshop. Here is what they had to say:

What excited you about attending the workshop?

Anowara Ferdousi Poly, President, Rangpur Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RWCCI): There is no end to one’s learning, and I always jump at the opportunity to gain new knowledge, especially if it helps me do my job better not just as the President of RWCCI but also as an entrepreneur. Apart from learning about the general rules and guidance regarding food safety practices, I wanted to seize the opportunity to interact with government officials to gain clarity around the process of securing trade licenses and registering with specific agencies.

Md. Abdur Rahman, President, Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), Rangpur: My first reaction upon receiving the invite was that of sheer excitement. Over my several years of attending and convening such gatherings, never have I been “sensitized” on food safety policies, much less by officials of three distinct government authorities.

What food safety challenges do you and your organization often grapple with?

"As the department tasked with supplementing the BFSA’s efforts to enforce food safety laws in the market, my colleagues and I looked forward to this joint initiative. In the past, we consistently struggled to align our activities and plans with BFSA, which hampered our effectiveness. As such, these sensitization workshops are a welcome first step toward strengthening interagency coordination," Md. Azharul Islam, Deputy Director (Senior Assistant Secretary), Directorate of National Consumers’ Right Protection (DNCRP), said.

"One of the foremost challenges that our members encounter is operating within government-advised safety and hygiene standards. From production to sales, maintaining stringent quality control measures is imperative to safeguard the reputation of our businesses as being trustworthy. Small-scale food entrepreneurs often lack access to adequate resources and knowledge to implement best practices in food safety," Anowara Ferdousi Poly, President, RWCCI, said.

"We constantly carry out campaigns against the threats adulterated foods pose to consumer safety. These malpractices not only deceive consumers but also endanger their health through the consumption of harmful substances. Consumers often struggle to make informed choices due to misleading or inaccurate labeling of food products," Md. Abdur Rahman, President, CAB, Rangpur, said.

What were some interesting things you learned and how will it help your work?

"A major learning for entrepreneurs and business owners like us was the importance of understanding the government registration process. It is not just about cooking or selling food; we need to know how to properly register our businesses, follow regulations, and get the necessary permits. So, moving forward, I'll be focusing more on helping our members navigate this registration maze, making sure they start on the right foot and avoid any unnecessary pitfalls down the road," Anowara Ferdousi Poly, President, RWCCI, said.

 "Learning about the Food Safety Act and its provisions has enriched my understanding and empowers us to support not only food traders to comply with legal requirements but also consumers to assert their right to safe food. Additionally, delving into the Bangladesh Pure Food Ordinance Act and its subsequent revisions highlighted the evolving regulatory landscape surrounding food safety in our country. Leveraging these policy guidelines to design our operations will certainly elevate the quality of service for the community," Md. Abdur Rahman, President, CAB, Rangpur, said.

If you hosted a food safety-themed program, how would you design it?

"I would prioritize simplicity and practicality, aiming to make the complex terms used in government documents easy to understand for everyone. Additionally, I would develop sessions that debunk common myths and encourage the sharing of real-life examples to facilitate discussions among participants from different fields," Anowara Ferdousi Poly, President, RWCCI, said.

If you could create a catchy slogan for a food safety initiative, what would it be?

"If I were to organize a grassroots awareness campaign for the members of RWCCI, a strong slogan for it would be “From Farm to Fork, Safety First!” This aptly captures the essence of ensuring food safety throughout the entire supply chain and emphasizes the importance of rigorous standards and practices in safeguarding the health and well-being of consumers," Anowara Ferdousi Poly, President, RWCCI, said.

These first-hand insights validate the tangible impact of policy sensitization workshops on the overall strengthening of food safety policies and systems. The experiences of these participants underscore the critical role these workshops play as a platform for direct interactions between policy implementers and beneficiaries, which is paramount in countering negative perceptions and distrust. Influencers like Islam, Poly, and Rahman have gained crucial knowledge about navigating government processes and the legal landscape, empowering them to better support their communities and businesses. These positive strides, reflected in the practical benefits reported by the participants, demonstrate that the GoB and Policy Activity’s efforts to bridge knowledge gaps and enhance clarity are successfully improving understanding and implementation.

This article was originally published on Agrilinks. View the original article here.