Food Safety For All, Focus on Eco-Agriculture and Food Safety

Speech by Mr. Guilherme Da Costa, Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, for the video message to be delivered at the 13^th Belt & Road Eco-Agriculture and Food Safety Forum

Co-hosted by the State Administration for Market Regulation of P.R.China, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Silk-road Planning and Research Center, and the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the Belt and Road Eco-agriculture and Food Safety Forum was successfully held on November 6, 2020 at the Shanghai National Convention and Exhibition Center.

Mr. Guilherme Da Costa, Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, delivered a video message at the 13^th Belt & Road Eco-Agriculture and Food Safety Forum



Excellencies, Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
I am honored and very delighted to deliver my perspectives as the representative of Codex Alimentarius Commission, one of the hosts of the Belt & Road Eco-Agriculture and Food Safety Forum. Although I have been very looking forward to participating in the Forum, unfortunately I am not able to be there physically due to administrative conditions. So I am here to bring my blessings in the form of a video. I know that there is a Chinese saying that “Min Yi Shi Wei Tian”, which means food is the paramount necessity of people. It is the same philosophy in Europe. Although there are dazzling array of grains and dairy products all over the market, what consumers really need are green, pollution-free, organic agricultural products without any potential threat to our health. Promoting the further development of ecological agriculture is an important condition to fully meet consumers' needs on food safety.
 
 
Food safety is so important that it is a prerequisite for the healthy development of the country and its people, and is also the basis for people’s healthy life. The Codex Alimentarius Commission is committed to safeguarding the health of consumers, ensuring the fairness of international food trade, and promotes the legislating and developing of food safety standards and guidelines. 
 
The establishment of internationally adopted food standards needs widely collaboration among the various departments of the countries along the Belt and Road, and the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Our organization, as one of the hosts of the Forum, has witnessed the development of the Forum, and achievement made of the cooperation and information exchange about eco-agriculture and food safety among countries along the Belt and Road in the past twelve Forums. Besides, I am also cheerful that the "Belt and Road" Agriculture and Food Trade Information Platform, as one of the important achievements of the Forum, has provided an excellent opportunity for more and more agricultural enterprises to showcase and trade their product. It is very honored to see that the Forum, along with more and more professionals and relevant organizations from the Belt and Road countries are involved in this cause and cooperate together, for a more comprehensive, systematized and modernized international food safety management system.
 
I believe there is no doubt that the 13^th Eco-Agriculture and Food Safety Forum will continue to play an active role in the international cooperation on ecological agriculture and food safety. My best wishes for the 13^th Belt and Road Eco-Agriculture and Food Safety Forum a great success!
 
Thank you!