‘Niche market of organic products needed for domestic market’
A niche market of organic products in Sri Lanka should be developed not only for export but also for the domestic market as well said Agriculture Ministry Director General Malathy Parasuraman.
“Organic farming is happening on a small scale and we encourage those who want to do it,” she said at an EU-funded online workshop series supporting the ‘Farm to Fork’ (F2F) Strategy put in place by the EU in the context of the wider ‘Green Deal’
“Promoting the shift towards healthy, sustainable diets has to be done through collaboration. The food system is everyone’s business” said Food Scientists and Technologists Association, Nepal President Atul Upadhyay.
The COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine crisis and ongoing extreme weather conditions caused by climate change have disrupted global food supply chains and communities around the world, causing a risk of food insecurity and food-related health threats such as hunger or obesity. In addition, current food production, transport and processing methods are one of the largest contributors to global warming with 21-37% of greenhouse gas emissions attributed to food chains.
EU Commission Deputy Director General for Food Sustainability Responsible for Directorates E, F and G, DG SANTE Claire Bury- stated, “In Europe, our citizens continue to express their concerns about the climate and biodiversity loss. Their recommendations support the sustainability policies we are developing, and the cooperative work we want to develop with the South Asian countries set out the way forward”.
This workshop allowed dialogues between the EU and four neighbouring countries of India (Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh) to exchange views regarding soil health and organic production; sustainable use of pesticides and antimicrobials; and food loss and waste.
Bearing in mind that as part of its Green Deal, the EU has proposed ambitious actions and commitments to transform its food systems (the Farm to Fork Strategy) into global standards for competitive sustainability, the protection of human and planetary health as well as the livelihoods of all actors in the food value chain.