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The provincial Women’s Union held a “Women and food safety” contest

The leadership of the provincial Women’s Union said, since early 2018 to  implement the coordination program 526/CTPH-CP-HNDVN-HLHPNVN dated November 3, 2017 among the government, Vietnam Farmer’s Association, and Vietnam Women’s Union concerning the dissemination of propaganda activities, and trading and production of safe agricultural products for the community’s health, response to the Food Safety Action Month with the theme of “Promoting the responsibility of food producers and traders” in the campaign “Building a 5-no and 3-clean family” in which “3 clean”(clean house, clean kitchen, clean alley) are carried out associated with the protection of the environment and the community’s health. The provincial Women’s Union Standing Committee has developed a plan to guide and direct the district’s grassroots units disseminate contents to communes, wards and townships. At the same time, it is necessary to direct and promote the coordination with other committees and sectors at the same level to carry out communications activities well, send their members to join the inspection and supervision team of real production and business facilities in response to the activities to ensure food safety and hygiene in food production, processing and trading according to the Law on Food Safety; increase the supervision role of women’s union officials and members in producing, processing, and trading food products; select the Women’s Union of Thong Nhat district as a focal point for the implementation of the model of a small business women’s groups signing a commitment to food safety and hygiene; have 1,734 small business members at the markets of Gia Tan 1, Gia Tan communes 3, Gia Kiem, Bau Ham 2, Lo 25, and Hung Loc sign a commitment to food safety and hygiene.

The launching ceremony of a women’s group of food safety

In addition, levels of Women’s Union have actively participated in the supervision of the results of the State management of food safety in the province for the period of 2016-2018 organized by the provincial People’s Council. The delegation surveyed 9 facilities producing, processing and trading food and traditional markets in Trang Bom district, Bien Hoa city; and supervised the above contents with the People’s Committees of Trang Bom district, Bien Hoa city, Cam My district, Nhon Trach district, Department of Health, Department of Industry and Trade, and Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The Women’s Union at all levels has disseminated many propaganda activities to 100% of its members such as deploying the campaign of “Women in the country carry out food safety and hygiene for their family and community’s health” associated with the campaign of “Building 5-no and 3-clean family” including calling for families’ participation with the “clean kitchen” criteria with the specific contents on food safety and hygiene. In addition, levels of women’s union have jointly held the cooking contests with the themes of “Family meal”, “Family of 10 points”, “Cool kitchen meeting”, and so on to disseminate the knowledge of choosing clean food with clear origins to make delicious foods that ensure nutritional balance and food safety and hygiene; called for women’s union members and women not to use and process the food that has unknown origins and fails to ensure quality and food safety and hygiene; organized training courses to provide women’s union officials and members the methods of using fertilizers and plant protection products strictly according to a scientific process; disseminate the State’s guidelines and policies on food safety and hygiene; held a launching ceremony in response to the Action Month for Food Safety and Hygiene; coordinated with functional agencies to give training and guidance on “Wash your hands before meals” to women’s officials and members; and so on.

Exchanging and sharing the knowledge of disseminating propaganda information on food safety among women’s unions

In addition, to make the preservation of food safety and hygiene increasingly effective levels of Women’s Union has established 21 new models of women implementing food safety with 597 members and maintained many models such as 20 Women’s Union groups planting clean vegetables and sprouts with 299 members; 1 group of women with hygienic food places with 23 members; and 8 clubs and 1 women’s group carrying out food safety and hygiene with 270 members.

Also, Long Thanh district Women’s Union has maintained such models as Suoi Trau commune’s Women’s Union growing mushrooms from corn stalks and leaves; the groups of women growing clean vegetables and sprouts of the Women’s Unions of Long Phuoc, Long An and Phuoc Thai communes, which has attracted hundreds of participant; and so on.

The models of food safety and hygiene are being carried out effectively in the province and this is thanks to a change from women’s awareness to their action in the province together with the promotion of propaganda and education information to implement the program at all levels of women’s unions; the assistance of the construction and models of food safety and hygiene that are highly valued by all levels of the Association.

Communication activities and construction of models have helped women, especially those in far-flung areas to get information on food safety and hygiene, environmental sanitation, and the implementation of 3-clean criteria, thereby improving the awareness of selecting and processing safe food, building hygienic eating habits, and protecting the living environment.

Duy Minh (Phuong Vy)