Hanoi, March 27, 2017 – A new report launched today, “Vietnam Food Safety Risks Management – Challenges and Opportunities,” recognizes the strengths of the current legal and institutional arrangements for food safety in Vietnam, especially the risk-based approach that is embraced under the Food Safety Law, while also identifying areas that require further improvement.
The report, officially launched in Hanoi and co-chaired by Mr. Vũ Đức Đam, Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, and Mr. Ousmane Dione, World Bank Country Director for Vietnam, underlines the Vietnamese government’s efforts to improve food safety. Several pilot initiatives and programs have been launched, including upgrading local wet markets and implementing good agricultural accreditation mechanisms such as VietGAP.
Food safety has been a source of major concern in Vietnam in recent years. Both the public and the government have been anxious about the integrity of the food supply chain and its ability to deliver safe food to people. In response to these concerns, the government has reviewed its food control system. It also asked the World Bank to help lead a coalition of partners to: (i) take stock of the food safety situation and food safety control systems in Vietnam, (ii) analyze the food safety risks for selected key food value chains based on international best practices in risk assessment methodologies and, based on these findings, (iii) provide recommendations to improve food safety. Most of the recommendations center on implementing and facilitating good practices in risk-based assessment, management and communications.
The report was coordinated by the World Bank, in partnership with research institutes (ILRI, CIRAD), the FAO, the embassies of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and France, and the Asian Development Bank.
