On October 12th the Italian Development Cooperation approved “The Mediterranean model for supporting food safety and security in the Myanmar fishery sector” initiative. The project is funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation-AICS and will be implemented by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari-CIHEAM. It is configured as the coherent evolution of a previous pilot project carried out by CIHEAM for the institutional support of the development of the artisanal fishing and aquaculture sector.
The new program aims to improve the quality of local production systems in the fisheries sector through the application of Mediterranean best practices in terms of food safety and health of fish products while simultaneously strengthening cooperation between Italy and Myanmar for the development of the sector in line with the 2030 Agenda and with the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan 3,26 million Euros will be granted over a three year period for this project.
The initiative is also aligned with the guidelines on COVID-19 defined in the Economic Relief Plan, published in April 2020 by the Government of Myanmar, contributing to mitigate the effects of the socio-economic crisis generated by the pandemic.
At the institutional level, the partners and first beneficiaries of the project are the Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture of Myanmar and the Yangon City Development Committee, the administration charged with the management of local fish markets. On a private level, the project will work in synergy with the associations of the Myanmar Fishery Federation and with the traders of the small and medium-sized fish enterprises, with particular involvement of female workers in the main fish markets of Yangon.
“Recent data confirms that about 70% of the population’s protein nutritional intake comes from the fish supply chain in Myanmar. Moreover, a significant number of the local small and medium enterprises, including export-oriented, work in this specific sector. It is therefore essential to improve and to consolidate production processes and quality by applying models that guarantee quality standards – such as the international Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) practices that guarantee the hygienic safety and edibility of food products -, and by supporting local small and medium-sized enterprises ”, explains Walter Zucconi, Head of Office of the AICS Yangon, after the approval.
The best practices of the Mediterranean model promoted and replicated in the country through the implementation of this initiative also aim to contribute to the implementation of the specific Millennium Development Goals n. 2, “Zero Hunger”, n. 5, “Gender Equality”, n. 8, “Decent work and economic growth” and n. 14, “Life underwater” of the Sustainable Agenda for Development 2030.