Bangladesh, Denmark sign MoU for new collaboration on food safety

Denmark and Bangladesh further strengthen their partnership with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to create new collaboration for food safety and sustainable food production.

Denmark and Bangladesh have had a longstanding partnership and a mutual desire to continue cooperation in the food and agricultural sector for the benefit of both countries, as established in the "Sustainable and Green Framework Engagement" between the two nations, said a press release. 

The signing ceremony took place at the Ministry of Food, in the presence of Md Ismiel Hossain ndc, secretary, Ministry of Food; Md Abdul Kayowm Sarker, chairman, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority and Anders Karlsen, chargé d-affaires at the Embassy of Denmark in Dhaka, and Maria Knudsen, sector counsellor at the Embassy, solidifying the commitment of both countries to continue their close cooperation in the food and agricultural sector and collaborate on vital matters related to food safety management and sustainable food production.

The MoU aims to foster strategic sector cooperation and enhance scientific, technical, and regulatory collaboration within food safety and sustainable food production between two trusted and amicable nations. Through this partnership, both countries seek to collaborate on multiple initiatives that leverage their unique expertise, technologies, and resources to deliver innovative solutions for safe food and sustainable agriculture practices.

The Secretary of Ministry of Food Md Ismiel Hossain ndc stated, "The MoU signing is really a great milestone in the journey of ensuring food safety in Bangladesh.  This collaboration marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to enhance food safety standards and regulatory practices in Bangladesh."

"As we strive to safeguard the health and well-being of our citizens, this collaboration will enable us to adopt best practices, learn from international experiences, and implement evidence-based strategies to address the evolving challenges in the food safety landscape. Our joint efforts will undoubtedly result in safer food for our consumers and further bolster our reputation in the global food market," said Md Abdul Kayowm Sarker, the chairman of Bangladesh Food Safety Authority.

"Denmark and Bangladesh have had a close relationship throughout the last 50 years. We are happy to take this relationship an important step further with this MoU, with an in-depth collaboration to create a more sustainable and safe food production" said Anders Karlsen.

By creating collaboration between governments, international organisations, the private sector, and civil society organisations, the primary focus is to ensure food safety as a critical step to addressing the challenges of food loss and waste while implementing measures to enhance overall resource efficiency in agricultural, livestock, and fisheries production.

Maria Stein Knudsen, sector counselor for Food and Agriculture at the Danish Embassy, also present during the signing said "Bangladesh and Denmark are both two proud agriculture and food producing countries. We are facing a global challenge ensuring safe and nutritious food, while also creating a more sustainable production. Denmark and the DVFA look forward to working together with BFSA on reaching these goals for food safety and sustainability."