Feeding the world

Sub-theme 6

Session 15

From farm to fork: a profession at the center of the food chain

Coretti Cosimo Damiano, CONAF

(Coordinator of the Department of Food Safety)

What is Food Safety?Food safety is the positive result that flows from

the activities of all the actors involved in the complex chain of agricultural production,

processing, transportation, preparation, storage and consumption.

Food Safety = healthy food

“White Paper” on food safety

(EU, 2000)

European Policy on Food Safety

What is the “White Paper”?

It is a policy document that aims to ensure, as a key strategic priority, a high level of

food safety.

In chap. 2, Section 8 reads: "the principle of the White Paper is that food safety policy must be based on a comprehensive and integrated approach", such that it should cover the entire food chain in its different phases, the participants and all sectors concerned.

Fundamental principles :

• The creation of a European Food Authority, autonomous;

• An improved legal framework covering all aspects related to food products from "farm to table";

Reg.CE 178/2002, Reg.CE 852/2004, Reg.CE 853/2004, Reg. CE 854/2004,

Reg. CE 396/2005 e altri……)

• Control systems harmonized at national level

Reg. CE 882/2004

• A dialogue with consumers and other stakeholders, including farmers

“Green Paper” on agricultural product quality: product standards, farming requirements and quality systems (EU, 2008)

This new approach / logic has also put farmers in a position of direct responsibility towards the consumer

Hence the slogan "from farm to fork", in which food safety becomes a shared responsibility in the entire production chain

Consumers today, in addition to food safety, pay increasing attention to agriculture’s contribution to:

QUALITY

QUALITY = satisfy consumers’ expectations

This innovative climate, which has affected the agricultural sector and that has been consolidated over the past decade, has put farms in a state of extreme uncertainty for several reasons:

absence of parallel support policies in order to facilitate the reorganization of a company in line with the new demands of the market;

the development of a ‘voluntary’ standard production in response to the increased requirements of retail (supermarket chains)

major consumer awareness to seek and obtain safety and food quality;

To give concrete answers to this new innovative system, the agricultural sector requires:

HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL TECHNICAL

CONSULTANCY

with

SPECIFIC COMPETENCE

LOVE OF

THE LAND

MORAL INTEGRITY

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

The Agronomy and Forestry Doctors for their interdisciplinary training in line with the demands emerging, can play an important role in:

qualification / modernization of rural areas;

improving the quality of life, ensuring a higher production of healthy food and of good quality;

choice / use of modern, rational and "clean“ means and technologies, in line with sustainable development

Therefore putting our profession in the center of this new agricultural system, means:

GUARANTEEING BOTH FARMS AND THE CONSUMER

FINALLY ENDING A PROFESSIONAL, GENERALIZED AND ERRATIC BEHAVIOR

JOIN A SPECIFIC AND RATIONAL INTERVENTION IN LINE WITH MARKET DEMANDS

So, to the question “Could we satisfy the increased nutritional requirements while maintaining food quality and

safety”?