Food Industry Asia (FIA) has signed an agreement to ramp up food safety capacity building in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China. The arrangement is in partnership with the World Bank for the Global Food Safety Partnership (GFSP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA).

The initial contribution of $150,000 will be made by Bev Postma, FIA’s executive director.

According to FIA president Amit Banati, the landmark agreement between the World Bank and Asia’s leading food industry association signals an important milestone in the private sector’s commitment to invest in a strong food safety culture in Asia.

“By signing this agreement in the presence of leaders from the World Bank, UNIDO, the China Food & Drug Administration and global industry partners, we are reaffirming FIA’s role as a valuable partner to businesses and governments in Asia as we seek to scale up our collaborative efforts to strengthen food safety systems. We are delighted to be part of this unique global partnership that aims to drive a joined-up food safety agenda especially in China, where there is a real opportunity to build a strong food safety culture between the government and the food industry,” says Banati.

“Over the last five years, FIA has worked with other industry partners to provide significant input into shaping the future of investments in food safety competency development across the entire food supply chain in Asia, including upgrading food safety regulatory systems to meet internationally recognised benchmarks.”

Representatives from FIA, World Bank, UNIDO and CFDA were present at the announcement on September 11th during a high-level meeting at the Vienna Food Safety Forum, where the agreement was signed.