Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai delivered his speech at the Vietnam Food Forum.(Source: VNA)HCM City (VNS/VNA) - The useof technology is considered one of the most important factors to improve theyields and quality of agricultural products and enable them to join the globalvalue chain, delegates heard at a forum in Ho Chi Minh City on November 14.
Speaking at the Vietnam Food Forum, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade DoThang Hai said: “This year, the forum aims to share the global developmenttrends with respect to agricultural products and foods in the technology eraand the experience of applying technology in agricultural production and foodprocessing.”
Gerald H, Smith, senior agricultural attché at the US Consulate in HCM City,spoke about the importance of international standards for trade in food andagricultural products.
“WTO members are obligated to base their measures on international standards ortheir own risk assessment; ensure necessary measures to achieve a level ofappropriate protection.
“Members should ensure there is no unjustifiable discrimination against foreignsources of supply, promote the development of international standards andparticipate in international standard-setting bodies.
“International standards facilitate trade, provide transparent andscience-based decisions and are useful in the development of nationalrequirements.
“International standards are supported by the WTO. They help reduce the cost ofbringing a national food safety system in compliance with WTO obligations, andthey are reference points for ensuring the health and safety of plants, animalsand processed foods.”
He mentioned three international standards-setting organisations, Joint FAO/WHOCodex Alimentarius Commission for food safety, World Organisation for AnimalHealth and the International Plant Protection Convention.
Dr Dao Ha Trung, president of the HCM City High Technology Association, spokeabout the application of traceability technologies for agricultural productsusing blockchain.
He said Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, had asked suppliers to usetraceability with blockchain technology to ensure food safety and security.
“A tracing system based on blockchain technology provides consumers withinformation from production to consumption, all of which is done in real time.”
The tracing system works this way: A farmer picks fruits and sells them to atrader, who logs into a platform and uploads information about the batch offruits. A transaction and a QR code are generated, which accompanies the batchof fruits until they are on supermarket shelves.
Other stakeholders who perform cleaning, packaging and exporting also log intothe platform and upload their information about the previous transaction.
“The system will serve the Vietnamese and global supply chain, consumers andVietnamese [authorities] and increase the value and quality of Vietnameseproducts.”
The forum included a business-matching event involving Vietnamese enterprisesand 30 importers, supermarkets, malls and retailers including M Mega Market,Vinmart, Saigon Co.op, HAPRO, SATRA, Walmart (the US), CJ and LOTTE (theRepublic of Korea), AEON (Japan) and Central Group (Thailand).
It was organised as part of the ongoing Vietnam International Food IndustryExhibition (Vietnam Foodexpo), an international trade show for the food and thefood industry, which runs until November 17. – VNS/VNA
VNA
