A “food protocol” for strengthening regional and international marketing efforts || Newspapers (Arabic)

The Minister of Agriculture, Hussein Hajj Hassan opened yesterday a national workshop entitled: “supporting the national food protocol commission and focal point”.  The workshop was attended by the General Director of the Ministry of Agriculture, Louis Lahhoud, the General Director of the Ministry of Industry, Dany Gedeon in addition to the general director of Libnor Lina Dergham, FAO representative Ali Mo'men, and Dr. Asaad Khouri, president of health engineering at the ministry of Health.

The workshop included a session during which a summary of the project was presented by the representative of the FAO regional bureau.  This was followed by two sessions on the status and role of the food protocol focal points presented by Lina Dergham and the role of mandate of the protocol presented by Mariam Eid.

The Minister noted during the opening that as the president of CODEX for the next two year period, Lebanon can score a marked improvement in scientific research, policy making, marketing and upgrading coordination within Lebanon as well as in increasing the level of its participation and contribution to external policies.  The Minister put forward a series of recommendations notably strengthening communication with Arab and Near East countries, consolidating scientific research and information exchange, and developing an electronic library for all stakeholders.

To be noted that CODEX is an international organization set up as a result of the collaboration between FAO and WHO in order to monitor and ensure food safety as per international standards, hence the importance of the initiative given the role that CODEX plays in international and regional trade and particularly in marketing of food products especially given that Lebanon is located in a region of the world facing challenges in positioning itself at the international trade level.

 

Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Safir, Al-Mustaqbal 12 February 2013