Over 200 agriculture and food industry leaders convened in Phnom Penh on August 21 to celebrate World Food Safety Day and revive discussions on how to mitigate foodborne risks in Cambodia.
Supported by a number of international organizations, including the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO), and USAID, the event was led by the Council for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) and centered on this year’s global theme: “Food Safety: Prepare for the Unexpected”.
While last Wednesday’s occasion offered time to celebrate incremental progress in safeguarding Cambodian food systems, many keynote speakers reiterated the need for collective action among policymakers and stakeholders to develop sustainable improvements throughout the country’s entire food value chain.
As many Cambodian children continue to be undernourished and most cannot afford a healthy diet, public health experts have strongly suggested strengthening the county’s food sovereignty and tightening control over imported food products, which may be unregulated.
Ouch Vuthy, president of the Virtuous Medical Association, an organization that provides health care to communities in rural and remote areas, told CamboJA News that Cambodia is limited in its ability to control the quality of food, such as vegetables and meat, imported from many neighboring countries and which may not meet Codex standards – a collection of international recognized guidelines developed by the FAO and WHO to ensure safety and quality in international food trade.
According to Vuthy, imports of unchecked products – such as contaminated fruits, vegetables and meat, or highly processed foods – may contain chemicals that cause diseases.
Particularly, the influx of cheap processed foods raises concerns for budget-conscious Cambodians. Although an economical food supply is necessary, it is crucial that it does not compromise nutrition quality and health.
According to Cambodia’s Roadmap for Food Systems for Sustainable Development, a strategic framework aimed at achieving food security for all citizens by 2030, 22 percent of Cambodians cannot afford a healthy diet.
Mech Sienghai, a factory worker in Phnom Penh, expressed her concerns about not being able to source affordable and fresh produce in the capital and instead having to rely on imported processed foods and meat for the bulk of her diet.
A couple provinces over, Ol Meta, a resident of Kampong Cham, also shared her concerns about not being able to safely source food from local farmers and vendors.
Meta told CamboJA News that the farmers in her community have increased their use of pesticides and their produce yield has decreased causing many villagers to source their vegetables and meat elsewhere.
The consequences of these dietary gaps is significant, as malnutrition rates remain high among children under five.
As of 2022, approximately 22 percent of Cambodian children are stunted, 16 percent are underweight, and 10 percent are severely malnourished, according to a demographic and health survey taken by the government.
While food safety and security is significant for Cambodia’s most vulnerable populations, concerns about the global food supply chain are ever-present.
Globally, 600 million people suffer from foodborne diseases every year, with around 420,000 deaths annually – 30% of whom are children under the age of five – according to WHO.
In low and middle-income countries, such as Cambodia, USD $110 billion is lost each year in productivity and medical expenses resulting from unsafe food.
During the celebratory conference, Ouk Rabun, Senior Minister and Chairman of CARD emphasized that food safety has become the responsibility of everyone, Cambodians and global citizens.
“Promoting food safety is the key factor for a sustainable food system, human capital development, and for achieving our 2030 sustainable development goals,” he said during World Food Safety Day, which was introduced by the UN General Assembly in 2018 and is usually celebrated on June 7.
The belated event also highlighted the crucial need for collaboration among the full gambit of policymakers, food producers, processors, distributors, retailers, and consumers, to ensure access to safe food, especially in unpredictable circumstances.
Rebekah Bell, FAO representative in Cambodia, urged stakeholders to be cautious about food safety crises, as they affect the circularity of the supply chain.
“In our interconnected global food supply chain, food safety hazards can rapidly escalate from local issues to international crises, making preparedness more vital than ever,” she said to the room full of policymakers and consultants.
“Food safety is everyone’s responsibility, spanning the entire food chain from producers to consumers, and regulatory bodies. We must all remain vigilant and prepared.” she added.
Shared responsibility for food safety in Cambodia increased after the passing of a long-awaited law on food safety in 2022, which expanded regulations for commercial food distributors to include the operations of street vendors.
Phan Oun, Director General of the Consumer Protection Competition and Fraud Repression (CCF), an agency of the Ministry of Commerce dedicated to ensuring the safety of consumers, told CamboJA News that the food safety law involves oversight from six ministries.
“The task of the CCF is to look after all kinds of goods circulating, such as vegetables, fruits, daily necessities, food items, and other goods that circulate in all markets, such as supermarkets,” Oun said.
“[We are tasked with] regulating goods that use banned chemicals or exceed legal limits of controlled chemicals.”
As the Cambodian government expands its regulatory forces, it is also implementing an outward-looking development plan for food systems with input from international organizations. Achieving the vision of fully nourishing all citizens by 2030 will require a range of development initiatives.
Policymakers and international consultants emphasized the need for expanding access to nutrition and social assistance services, as well as ensuring that food value chains are diverse, sustainable, and supportive of healthy diets.
