Nepal’s government is promoting the production and consumption of fresh produce to alleviate food and nutritional insecurity in the country. However, inadequate food safety practices can jeopardize the intended benefits of eating more nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables. To promote the adoption of food safety practices within Nepal’s fresh produce systems, a project funded by the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Safety (FSIL) recently trained more than 240 farmers and extension workers through five produce safety workshops held in produce hubs across the country.
“Food safety is an emerging issue in government policy, but stakeholders in fresh produce systems still have low awareness,” said Aditya Khanal, associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Business and Education in the College of Agriculture at Tennessee State University and leader of the project Market-led food safety in Nepal: Harnessing production incentives and consumer awareness. “Awareness among stakeholders involved in fresh produce systems – such as growing, handling, and consuming the fresh produce – is highly important.”