A Civil Society Organization:BSAFE Foundation
BSAFE Foundation has been established in 2009 as a not-for-profit civil society organization to address issues concerning access to safe and nutritious food to overcome barriers and challenges associate to food safety and nutrition and assist the government and policy makers in formulating appropriate policy environments. The Foundation is engaged in agriculture (Crops, Livestock and fisheries) and processed agro-based food sectors for improving the functioning of the value chain of safe and nutritious foods in Bangladesh. BSAFE Foundation terms the value chain as “Farm to Plate” which include farmers, entrepreneurs, agro-processors (for value addition in different forms), small traders, packaging, storage, transportation, wholesaling, retailing, hospitality industry (restaurants and street food vendors), and consumers.
There is no denying that many agro-based primary and processed food in Bangladesh are being heavily contaminated by harmful pesticides and other chemicals during production and/or post-harvest processing, storage and transportation phases. Produced food are also being adulterated by range of various harmful chemicals and offered to consumers in unhygienic conditions. There is growing concerns among both the government and citizens and become extremely sensitive to the issue. The Government has enacted laws and constituted regulatory body to regulate and monitor reduction of such practices. However, the adulteration and contamination are still remain across the value chain due to various factors. Likewise, indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizer and application of harmful pesticides are polluting the environment, damaging the soil bio-diversity, killing useful insects, polluting water resources and harming life bellow water, etc. Human health is being compromised and there are incidences of more diseases linked to harmful pesticides, other contaminants and adulterants. This has to stop immediately.
Vision
To be recognized as one of the champions in promoting safe and nutritious food locally and internationally.
Mission
Educate people to develop a safe food culture across the value chain “from Farm to Plate”.
Goals
Promote the availability of safe and nutritious agro-based foods for all.
Objectives and Strategies :
1. To identify constraints and potential solutions of ensuring safe and nutritious agro-based food sustainability across the value chain “from farm to plate”.
- To engage with policy makers so that favourable policy and implementation environments are created.
- To educate and create mass awareness on practices needed for safe and nutritious food from production to post-harvest processing, handling, packaging, storage, transportation, whole-sale, retailing, and cooking, handling of cooked food and preservation at restaurants, street side vendors and home.
- To promote research and development on technology innovation and adaptation, and transfer of knowledge and skills to both public and private sectors, to establish a sustained backward and forward linkages in agro-based food production, processing and hospitality.
- To establish a strong partnership among all stakeholders and processes supportive of food safety, nutrition and sustainable eco-friendly agricultural practice.
Strategies to achieve the objectives:
1. To identify constraints and potential solutions of ensuring safe and nutritious food sustainability across the value chain “from farm to plate”.
- Conduct/engage research to identify causes of harmful practices and find evidence based solutions.
- Conduct research/pilot/operational research to gather empirical evidences on strengths and weaknesses of the value chain and opportunities to strengthen it.
- Organize scientific discussions/seminars/workshops/conferences at national and international level.
2. To engage with policy makers so that favourable policy and implementation environments are created.
- Organize seminars and dialogues with concerned policy makers, particularly in the Ministries of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Food and Commerce, development partners, and international bodies to advocate for policy change at national and international levels.
- Work closely/in partnership with Government’s regulatory bodies like BFSA and related departments to bridge the gaps between policies and practices in the value-chain and create opportunities for safe and nutritious food production and consumption.
- Engage with Ministry of Education and other relevant organizations to bring changes in education system so that permanent changes developing positive attitude, roles and responsibilities towards necessities of safe and nutritious food are formed through our formal and informal education system.
3. To educate and create mass awareness on practices needed for safe and nutritious food from production to post-harvest processing, handling, packaging, storage, transportation, whole-sale, retailing, and cooking, handling of cooked food and preservation at restaurants, street side vendors and home.
- Organize and or facilitate collaborative actions among stakeholders on safe food system in Bangladesh and work for strengthening civil society platforms.
- Conduct, and/or participate in, mass awareness programmes through seminars, symposia, rally, day observance, exhibition (Mela) on topics like uses of safe pest control measures, reducing contaminations, etc.
- Organize training courses, as appropriate
- Document and Disseminate information through print and electronic media.
4. To promote research and development on technology innovation and adaptation, and transfer of knowledge and skills to both public and private sectors to establish a sustained backward and forward linkages in agro production and processing sector.
- Identify the needs for further research to develop appropriate technologies to replace the harmful pesticides and chemicals in agro-based food production and value addition.
- Engage with research and development organizations in public and private sectors to integrate the research and development needs in their research and development agenda.
- Engage with policy makers to create favourable policy environment to encourage private sector organizations in research and development and to allocate more resources and incentives for such research.
5. To establish a strong partnership among all stakeholders and processes supportive of food safety, nutrition and sustainable eco-friendly agricultural practice.
BSAFE Foundation has been established in 2009 as a not-for-profit civil society organization to address issues concerning access to safe and nutritious food to overcome barriers and challenges associate to food safety and nutrition and assist the government and policy makers in formulating appropriate policy environments. The Foundation is engaged in agriculture (Crops, Livestock and fisheries) and processed agro-based food sectors for improving the functioning of the value chain of safe and nutritious foods in Bangladesh. BSAFE Foundation terms the value chain as “Farm to Plate” which include farmers, entrepreneurs, agro-processors (for value addition in different forms), small traders, packaging, storage, transportation, wholesaling, retailing, hospitality industry (restaurants and street food vendors), and consumers.
There is no denying that many agro-based primary and processed food in Bangladesh are being heavily contaminated by harmful pesticides and other chemicals during production and/or post-harvest processing, storage and transportation phases. Produced food are also being adulterated by range of various harmful chemicals and offered to consumers in unhygienic conditions. There is growing concerns among both the government and citizens and become extremely sensitive to the issue. The Government has enacted laws and constituted regulatory body to regulate and monitor reduction of such practices. However, the adulteration and contamination are still remain across the value chain due to various factors. Likewise, indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizer and application of harmful pesticides are polluting the environment, damaging the soil bio-diversity, killing useful insects, polluting water resources and harming life bellow water, etc. Human health is being compromised and there are incidences of more diseases linked to harmful pesticides, other contaminants and adulterants. This has to stop immediately.
Vision
Mission
Goals
Objectives and Strategies :
1. To identify constraints and potential solutions of ensuring safe and nutritious agro-based food sustainability across the value chain “from farm to plate”.
- To engage with policy makers so that favourable policy and implementation environments are created.
- To educate and create mass awareness on practices needed for safe and nutritious food from production to post-harvest processing, handling, packaging, storage, transportation, whole-sale, retailing, and cooking, handling of cooked food and preservation at restaurants, street side vendors and home.
- To promote research and development on technology innovation and adaptation, and transfer of knowledge and skills to both public and private sectors, to establish a sustained backward and forward linkages in agro-based food production, processing and hospitality.
- To establish a strong partnership among all stakeholders and processes supportive of food safety, nutrition and sustainable eco-friendly agricultural practice.
Strategies to achieve the objectives:
1. To identify constraints and potential solutions of ensuring safe and nutritious food sustainability across the value chain “from farm to plate”.
- Conduct/engage research to identify causes of harmful practices and find evidence based solutions.
- Conduct research/pilot/operational research to gather empirical evidences on strengths and weaknesses of the value chain and opportunities to strengthen it.
- Organize scientific discussions/seminars/workshops/conferences at national and international level.
2. To engage with policy makers so that favourable policy and implementation environments are created.
- Organize seminars and dialogues with concerned policy makers, particularly in the Ministries of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Food and Commerce, development partners, and international bodies to advocate for policy change at national and international levels.
- Work closely/in partnership with Government’s regulatory bodies like BFSA and related departments to bridge the gaps between policies and practices in the value-chain and create opportunities for safe and nutritious food production and consumption.
- Engage with Ministry of Education and other relevant organizations to bring changes in education system so that permanent changes developing positive attitude, roles and responsibilities towards necessities of safe and nutritious food are formed through our formal and informal education system.
3. To educate and create mass awareness on practices needed for safe and nutritious food from production to post-harvest processing, handling, packaging, storage, transportation, whole-sale, retailing, and cooking, handling of cooked food and preservation at restaurants, street side vendors and home.
- Organize and or facilitate collaborative actions among stakeholders on safe food system in Bangladesh and work for strengthening civil society platforms.
- Conduct, and/or participate in, mass awareness programmes through seminars, symposia, rally, day observance, exhibition (Mela) on topics like uses of safe pest control measures, reducing contaminations, etc.
- Organize training courses, as appropriate
- Document and Disseminate information through print and electronic media.
4. To promote research and development on technology innovation and adaptation, and transfer of knowledge and skills to both public and private sectors to establish a sustained backward and forward linkages in agro production and processing sector.
- Identify the needs for further research to develop appropriate technologies to replace the harmful pesticides and chemicals in agro-based food production and value addition.
- Engage with research and development organizations in public and private sectors to integrate the research and development needs in their research and development agenda.
- Engage with policy makers to create favourable policy environment to encourage private sector organizations in research and development and to allocate more resources and incentives for such research.