This year marks the beginning of a yearly commemoration of the myriad benefits of safe food. As proclaimed during the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, June 7 is now the World Food Safety Day. This is a result of the initiative of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) in 2015, followed by intensive negotiations within the CAC, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the World Health Organization.

All stakeholders such as the government, agriculture and food producers, business operators, and consumers are all invited to raise awareness about food safety and to highlight that everyone involved in food systems has a significant role to play.

In this line, the Agricultural Training Institute joins the National Codex Organization—the sole body representing the Philippines to the CAC—in the celebration of the first World Food Safety Day. Through training activities on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), agricultural extension workers and farmers learn various practices in reducing the risk of contamination during on-farm production and post-production processes. Likewise, GAP addresses environmental protection and management, food safety, workers’ health, safety, and welfare, as well as product quality.

Learn more about this event and help promote awareness to inspire actions for safer food towards a healthier planet. Visit http://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/world-food-safety-day/2019-... and follow the hashtag #WORLDFOODSAFETYDAY.