News

Afaq Association (Development Center for Rashayya and West Beqaa) in collaboration with Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Lebanon organized yesterday in Rashayya a workshop on food safety in the presence of MP Atef Majdalini, head of the Parliamentary Health Commission. Dr. Khaled Smayli who chaired the first session hailed the “remarkable change brought about by the recent inter-regional food safety campaign, stressing the importance of enacting the relevant food safety laws. Majdalini, for his part, said the campaign has identified the seriousness of the problem and stimulated awareness that extended to the legislative and executive levels. Likewise, Atef Moussa pointed out that “food safety starts from the farms with soil and water sources, passes through irrigation, storage, transport and treatment methods until it reaches the stage of cooking and eating”. Towards the end of the workshop, Moussa and vice president of the Lebanese Development Forum, Wehbeh Abu Faoor read out the recommendations which principally call for the endorsement of the food safety law at the first parliamentary session in order to start a transparent and responsible implementation. Other recommendations also included: uplift the work of concerned ministries, the Lebanese Standards Institution LIBNOR, Consumer Protection Agency, municipalities and the Health Ministry’s Inspection Department; conduct public awareness campaigns; motivate the media to this end; cooperate with civil society organizations; participate in formulating food safety policies; support the national campaign of the Ministry of Health for food and drugs safety ; fight environmental pollution and finally incorporate the subject of food safety in national curriculum. (Al Mustaqbal, September 10, 2015)

 

نظمت جمعية "آفاق" (مركز انماء راشيا والبقاع الغربي)، بالتعاون مع مؤسسة "فريدريتش ايبرت"، يوم امس، ورشة عمل تحت عنوان "سلامة الغذاء" في راشيا، شارك فيها رئيس لجنة الصحة النيابية، النائب عاطف مجدلاني. ترأس الجلسة الاولى الدكتور خالد الصميلي الذي نوه «بالتحول الكبير الذي حققته حملة سلامة الغذاء الرسمية على مستوى المناطق واهمية إقرار قانون سلامة الغذاء، فيما اشار عضو كتلة «المستقبل»، النائب عاطف مجدلاني، الى ان الحملة سلطت الضوء بوضوح على خطورة المشكلة وخلقت مناخا من الضغط والوعي وصلت مفاعيله الى المجلس النيابي والى السلطة التنفيذية. كما اعتبر عاطف موسى ان «سلامة الغذاء تبدأ من المزرعة والتربة والماء حتى المائدة مرورا بالري والتخزين والحفظ والنقل والمعالجة وصولا الى الطبخ وتناول الطعام». وفي الختام، عرض كل من نائب رئيس منتدى التنمية اللبناني، وهبي أبو فاعور، وموسى توصيات الورشة، التي دعت إلى الامور التالية: ضرورة إقرار قانون سلامة الغذاء في أول جلسة تشريعية والبدء بتطبيقه بشفافية ومسؤولية، تفعيل عمل الوزارات المختصة، ودور المؤسسة العامة للمواصفات والمقاييس، حماية المستهلك، البلديات والتفتيش الصحي والمراقبة من قبلها، القيام بندوات لتوعية المواطنين/ات وتشجيع وسائل الإعلام على الإضاءة على سلامة الغذاء، التعاون مع الجمعيات والمشاركة في وضع السياسات الخاصة بسلامة الغذاء، دعم الحملة الوطنية لسلامة الغذاء والدواء التي تقوم بها وزارة الصحة ومكافحة التلوث البيئي، إدخال موضوع سلامة الغذاء في المناهج التربوية". (المستقبل 10 ايلول 2015)

 

The Minister of Industry Dr. Hussein Haj Hassan reiterated that the problem of the Lebanese industry resides in high cost not quality. A vivid proof, he added, was the recent increase in relatively highly priced industrial exports which however are unable to forge new foreign markets or compete domestically. Haj Hassan called for increasing government protection and support to back-up this vital sector. The Minister was speaking during the inauguration of ‘Made in Beqaa’ expo which was organized by the Chamber of Commerce, Agriculture and Industry in Zahleh, with the participation of some 45 food manufacturing and medium scale industrial enterprises. Similarly, the Chamber’s Vice President, Munir Teenee said that the event will hopefully constitute a bridge between local products, Arab and domestic markets, will aim to build on the purchasing power of Lebanese immigrant visitors. (Al Diyar, As Safir, September 6 & 7, 2015)

 

World Bank figures on Lebanon’s environment indicated that the urban population in the country constitutes about 87.5% of the total population compared to 60.1% in the Middle East and North Africa and 53% globally. WB figures also showed that arable land constitute 72% of the country’s total area, compare to 38% globally. The report noted that agricultural productivity for the year 2000 was estimated at USD 39,595 per worker which is remarkably higher than global levels, which are estimated at USD 1,193 only. Published in ‘Lebanon This Week’s’ edition of Byblos Bank Group, the World Bank data also indicated that natural land reserves in the country make up only 0.6% of the total land area against a global 14.3% rate. In parallel, the World Bank pointed out that the per capita energy consumption posted 1.449 kilograms of oil equivalent and a 3.499 kilowatt / hour of electricity per capita, outweighing the consumption rate in the MENA region, (1.696) and the global figure of 3.045 kilowatt/hour per capita. (An Nahar, September3, 2015)