APEC and the World Bank on 18 May 2011 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration on food safety in the Asia-Pacific region. Inger Andersen, World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development and the co-chairs of the APEC Food Safety Cooperation Forum, Steve McCutcheon from Australia and Lin Wei from China, signed the MoU in the margins of a series of APEC meetings in Montana, US.

With the signing of the MoU, both organisations will work together closely on training programs to improve food safety standards and practices in the region, as well as to facilitate trade. The programmes will enable more growers, producers and food safety officials to understand and utilise preventative controls – resulting in safer food for consumers and fewer safety incidents in food trade. This MoU will also strengthen the efforts to mobilise resources, promote and support capacity building to better ensure food safety concerns globally.

MITI Weekly Bulletin Vol.143, 24 May 2011