As I write this, I am once again surrounded by the unique sights, smells and sounds of Bangkok, Thailand. I love visiting this great city, and not just for its rich cultural heritage. Bangkok is also the epicenter of Southeast Asia, a region that has made substantial strides in feed safety in the last few years. I’m here to learn how GMP+ International can facilitate these promising developments.
Johan den Hartog
Managing Director, GMP+ International
As the second largest economy in Southeast Asia, paradigm shifts in Thailand will soon reverberate throughout the region. A couple of years ago, a market leader in the feed producing business, located in Bangkok, started asking its suppliers to become GMP+ FSA (Feed Safety Assurance) certified. Suddenly applications from all over Southeast Asia starting pouring in at GMP+ International.
This of course did not take place in a vacuum. Although business decisions like these give feed safety awareness (and our scheme) a great boost, awareness in the region had been on the rise for quite a while. This has several reasons. Among them are growing purchasing power of consumers, legislative efforts by the Asian Food and Feed Insect Association (AFFIA), and increased export of animal feed to regions with strict safety standards, like Japan, the U.S., and Europe.
These are promising developments to be sure. But in the end, more is needed than efforts, awareness and understanding. Even as countries in Southeast Asia are adopting feed safety legislation stimulated by ASEAN, two things are still generally lacking: enforcement and knowledge. While enforcement is a governmental issue, we at GMP+ International are in the business of sharing knowledge. We’re determined to do our part.
The goal of our trip to Bangkok is to set the stage for a four-week training course in Thailand this upcoming Spring. We already have a similar course planned for the Philippines, from February till July. These courses are meant for businesses, entrepreneurs, quality managers, trainers and other interested parties that want to learn, in an accessible manner, about feed safety management and the GMP+ FSA scheme. We hope to increase knowledge and understanding, but also the dissemination capacity.
In addition, GMP+ International will also be present at VIV Asia 2019 this coming March. We will organize a substantive seminar with speakers from all over Southeast Asia. By raising awareness and sharing knowledge, we are doing everything we can to help your company reach the next level in the understanding and application of feed safety control. Keep an eye on our website and newsletters for upcoming events near you!
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