Government and Industry Experts discuss PNG Food safety and Animal and Plant Health rules

Port Moresby, 28 July, 2015 : Representatives of government departments and bodies and the food industry attended a workshop organised by the Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL)at the Grand Papua Hotel to consider proposals for a framework of legislation to improve food safety and animal and plant health in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

The proposals are the outcome of work carried out by Dr Kenneth Clarke, a UK veterinarian and expert in food safety and international trade, at the request of DAL  as part of the [29.5 million Euro] European Union COLEACP(Europe-AfricaCaribbean-Pacific  Liaison Committee)EDES project which aims to assist African,  Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) counties to develop systems based on the World Trade Organization - Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures agreement (WTO-SPS) to

enable them to gain access to European Union (EU) and other international markets  for food and to improve domestic food safety standards. This intervention is being carried out in cooperation with the International Animal Health Organisation (OIE)

Dr Clarke stated that, although PNG has recognised the importance of food safety in  its policies and development plans, it is generally recognised that there is currently

no coherent national strategy or legal framework that protects food from hazards throughout the production, processing and distribution chain or controls the import of food.

Dr Clark observed that PNG has been very successful in implementing systems for the export of commodities such as canned tuna and tree crops, but legislation covering food consumed by PNG citizens is sadly lacking. This results not only in threats to the health of inhabitants but also has a potential impact on the export trade and restricts the ability of PNG to control imported food. As examples, Dr Clarke discussed the absence of controls over the labelling of food and the importation and use of chemicals such as pesticides and veterinary medicines.

Legislation and implementation of controls about animal and plant health should be considered in parallel with food safety, and all legislation should comply with international standards such as Codex Alimentarius and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

For her part, European Union Chargé d'affaires Ms. María Cristobal, stressed the importance of this workshop to contribute significantly to the improvement of food safety in Papua New Guinea. She said, "most of the food consumed in Papua New Guinea is imported, but also domestic food production has an important role especially in rural areas, therefore a solid and enforceable food safety framework legislation is paramount to ensure that Papua New Guineans and all the citizens who live in this country consume products that fully comply with legal food safety requirements at domestic and international level. This workshop provides an opportunity to address how coordination can be improved between government agencies and across a wide range spectrum of actors involved in food safety (Health-Agriculture-Trade-NAQIA-NFA-private sector-consumers) and to seek views

on how local production and domestic markets can be reinforced - and consequently decrease imports demand, to better satisfy consumers' needs in Papua New Guinea".

Participants at the workshop discussed proposals for changes to legislation and for an administrative structure that better focuses responsibility for food safety while making use of existing central and local government and commodity bodies.

Dr Clarke concluded by saying that, in common with most developing countries, consumers in PNG are not well organised to lobby for improved food safety, and he urged participants to use their education and knowledge to press government to turn food safety policies into effective legislation and to then ensure that it is robustly enforced. The views expressed by stakeholders at the workshop will be considered by Dr Clarke in the finalising of his proposals, which will then be presented in his final report on the project.

European Union Media Release : Photo credit: European Union