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Pandemic deprives refugees in Greece, of vital link to food and locals

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Pandemic deprives refugees in Greece, of vital link to food and locals

by Magdalena Rojo at Religion News Service

MORIA REFUGEE CAMP, Lesbos, Greece (RNS) — Like many restaurants around the world, Nikos Katsouris has seen his 16-year-old eatery here close due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And while he, too, has adapted to the local lockdown by starting a vibrant delivery service, Katsouris and his partner, Katerina Koveou, have been providing their former customers not their accustomed fish platters but toothpaste, diapers and imperishable groceries. 

Since the migration crisis began in Europe in 2014, Katsouris and Koveou have been offering hospitality to the thousands of refugees and migrants marooned on this island in the eastern Aegean Sea, the majority of them after fleeing war in Afghanistan and Syria — mostly by feeding them. The couple’s restaurant, Home for All, just a few kilometers outside of the Moria camp, has been serving fresh fish — like nearly everyone on Lesbos, Katsouris is a fisherman — and other delicacies, not on the ground in a tent but with dignity, at the table.

Free meals are prepared for Moria Camp refugees at the Home for All restaurant in Lesbos, Greece. Photo courtesy of Home for All

With COVID-19 spreading in the camp, however, authorities ordered all restaurants to close in mid-March, abruptly ending Home for All’s daily production of up to 1,000 meals. Moria went into lockdown at about the same time. Most of the eight refugees who volunteered at Home for All had to be sent home.

“Only a few days ago, people were sharing food there,” said Katsouris in late March. “And all of a sudden, everybody was stuck in the camp, many of them hungry, in the need of help that I wanted to offer, but I could not, as I wanted to follow the rules.”

Since then, Greece has slowly started to reopen, and a few refugees have gone back to work in the olive groves the couple owns, processing and bottling olive oil.

The work, Katsouris said, is as much a lifeline as the food. “Many people have been in the camp for two, three years. Offering them clothes or food helps, but it’s not as important anymore,” Katsouris said. “We have a lot of olive trees, and if we provide employment for refugees and migrants, they can start a new life.” 

Volunteers have also continued delivering meals to families in the camp, a sort of pro-bono takeout while Home for All is closed. Safar Hakimi, a 21-year-old Afghani resident of Moria, said making deliveries fills a need but also relieves the boredom of the lockdown. “There is nothing to do, nothing to study,” Hakimi said.

The restaurant also gave the refugees more than just somewhere to be. “They were giving us exactly what we need. Freedom. When we were going to the restaurant, for a moment we felt like at home,” said Hakimi.

“People stay all day in the camp and they need to feel useful,” Katsouris explained. “It is simply human to have something to do,” ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== Pandemic deprives refugees in Greece, of vital link to food and locals

Nikos Katsouris, left, and Katerina Koveou in Lesbos, Greece. Video screengrab

Founded as a profit-making concern, Home for All began feeding refugees for free in 2014. Three years later, the Greek government ordered them to choose whether they were a charitable organization or a business. Katsouris and Koveou have always put everything they have into supporting refugees and migrants, and everything they do is funded from their own pockets or from individual donors. Rather than give up feeding the refugees, they filed to be formally recognized as a nonprofit.

“It is our passion, and a calling. Working with refugees brought us closer to God because we try to help as God says,” said Katsouris, who also delivers food to the local Greek Orthodox church, where, though he rarely attends worship, he still counts himself a member. 

Instead, he said, he gives his heart to the people and in exchange, they make him a better person. In his eyes, a relationship with God is about love.ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== Pandemic deprives refugees in Greece, of vital link to food and locals

Before the pandemic, males learn how to make pizza dough at the Home for All restaurant in Lesbos, Greece. Photo courtesy of Home for All

Besides feeding both refugees and locals, the restaurant served to bring together the camp’s largely Muslim population and Katsouris’ fellow Christians. Zakira Hakimi, a 24-year-old university graduate from Afghanistan (no relation to Safar), arrived in Lesbos nearly two years ago with her mother. Katsouris and Koveou invited the two women to eat at Home for All and later offered them free housing. Soon Hakimi was volunteering as a translator for people from the camp while helping in the kitchen and making deliveries to the church.

“When the Greek people meet refugees, it changes their mind (about the refugees), because they see that they just came to find a better future,” Katsouris said.

The Moria Camp — designed to accommodate 3,000 people, but now holding some 20,000 — is still closed until June 21, even as Greece begins to open up. Few refugees and migrants are allowed to leave, and no visitors or members of international agencies can enter.ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== Pandemic deprives refugees in Greece, of vital link to food and locals

Workers load food donations into a truck at the Home for All restaurant in Lesbos, Greece, to be distributed at the nearby Moria refugee camp. Photo courtesy of Home for All

“The hardest was that we did not have enough water to even wash our faces,” said Safar Hakimi. “There is never enough water, but during this time it is tougher because we cannot take care of ourselves, we cannot wash our hands,” 

According to Doctors Without Borders, there is one water station for 1,300 people in some parts of Moria. The idea of social distancing also sounds like one from a utopic movie, as people are sharing tents built one next to another. An outbreak of COVID-19 in such conditions would be a catastrophe that nobody wants to witness.

The camp is still a place of unprecedented risk. “The situation is very fragile,” Katsouris said, as is the country itself: Greece has just recently recovered from an extended economic crisis, and is almost sure to enter another one due to the pandemic.

The pandemic, Katsouris believes, should not divide Greeks and their refugee population but bring them together. “Coronavirus is a common problem,” he said. “It is not of refugees or of the locals only.”ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== Pandemic deprives refugees in Greece, of vital link to food and locals

Katerina Koveou prepares pasta at her Home for All restaurant in Lesbos, Greece. Photo courtesy of Home for All

(This was produced with the support of the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture, the John Templeton Foundation and Templeton Religion Trust. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations.)

Scientology ‘Stay Well’ Initiative Backs Up Denmark’s New Normal

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Newsdesk
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Denmark was the first country in Europe to ease coronavirus restrictions. But the pandemic left many concerned. Scientology Volunteer Ministers help their communities understand the basics of prevention and how they can keep themselves and others well.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, June 13, 2020 (Newswire.com) –

Denmark’s rapid response with prevention protocols to curb the COVID-19 pandemic is credited with quickly bringing the outbreak under control. To ensure the success of the country’s reopening, Scientology Volunteer Ministers launched an initiative to educate their communities on how to stay well.

Guided by the principle that an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure, Volunteer Ministers suited up in protective gear for the safety of all. They visited stores, restaurants and other businesses with sets of three booklets: How to Keep Yourself & Others Well, How to Protect Yourself & Others with a Mask & Gloves and How to Prevent the Spread of Illness with Isolation.

“People told us these booklets eased any fear or worries about what might happen, now that there are fewer restrictions,” said one volunteer. Store managers took boxes of the booklets and placed them on counters where customers could take them. “This is such a positive initiative, bringing help in these difficult times,” said the manager of one of the shops.

“As we walked down the street, we were surrounded by people asking for their own copies of the booklets,” said one of the Volunteer Ministers.

The How to Stay Well Prevention Center on the Scientology website makes these materials broadly available in Danish and 19 other languages. The booklets can be read on the website or downloaded. More than a dozen brief videos illustrate the key information, making it easy to understand what a virus is, how it spreads, and the actions anyone can take to protect themselves and their families.

Worldwide distribution of these booklets began in May and is ongoing in communities around every Scientology Church and Mission across the globe. The Church of Scientology International Dissemination and Distribution Center made this possible by printing 5 million copies of Stay Well booklets.

The Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers program is a religious social service created in the mid-1970s by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. It constitutes one of the largest and most visible international independent relief forces. The Volunteer Minister’s mandate is to be “a person who helps his fellow man on a volunteer basis by restoring purpose, truth and spiritual values to the lives of others.”

​The Scientology religion was founded by author and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in Los Angeles in 1954 and the religion has expanded to more than 11,000 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups, with millions of members in 167 countries.

State aid: EU Commission approves prolongation of Irish credit union resolution scheme

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The European Commission has found the prolongation of an Irish scheme for the orderly winding-up of credit unions to be in line with EU state aid rules, in particular with the 2013 Banking Communication. The objective of the scheme is to safeguard financial stability when a credit union becomes unable to meet regulatory requirements. It allows Ireland to provide aid for transferring the assets and liabilities of a failing credit union to an acquirer through a competitive process. This will help to achieve the maximum value for the assets and liabilities, ensuring that the aid is limited to the minimum necessary for an orderly winding-up, and that no buyer gains an undue economic advantage through the acquisition of under-priced assets and liabilities.

Credit Unions are small financial institutions that are not covered by the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive (BRRD). Ireland has chosen to make a special sector-funded resolution scheme available to those credit unions, which has been used only three times since its set-up. The scheme is prolonged until 31 May 2021. The Commission initially approved the scheme in December 2011. It has been prolonged fifteen times since then, the last time in June 2019. More information will be available on the Commission’s competition website, in the public case register under the reference SA.57378.

Poetry almanac ‘Voices of Friends’ looks for support

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by ECG

The Eurasian Creative Guild together with the Hertfordshire Press is happy to present its new project -the poetry almanac ‘Voices of Friends’! The project is aimed at supporting the poetry of classics and spreading the poetic heritage of the Eurasian peoples.

We all have been experiencing difficult times over at least the past few months. But no matter what humanity went through, there was always something that supported people in difficult times and helped them not to give up. This ray of light was and remains poetry.

The almanac ‘Voices of Friends’ is a special project that will allow you not only to present your work to the world in English, but also to preserve memories of people close to you, significant historical dates or your homeland as a part of world history and literature. The idea for this kind of collection appeared in 1960, when Soviet writer Konstantin Simonov published a collection of translations of the Voices of Friends, which included poems from poets of Uzbekistan. 60 years on, we decided to revive this wonderful idea and to give it a new sound.

The uniqueness of the almanac (diary – calendar) arises from the fact that it will be divided into 365 calendar days, where 1 page is allocated to each day. For example, you have the opportunity to put your work on Independence Day, or the anniversary of Abay Kunanbayev, etc. The collection will be a great gift for an unforgettable celebration, anniversary, birthday and perfectly fits personal social circles as well as events at the public and state level.

Each author can choose up to 6 calendar days (6 pages). The almanac will be published in the UK by Hertfordshire Press as part of the ECG book series. Mandatory copies will be sent to both the British Library and the world’s largest repository of copyrighted copies – Legal Deposit.

If you would like to participate in this project and to place your poetry in the almanac, you have to be an active member of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and to fill this form. The deadline is August 1st!

If you just want to support this project – you are more than welcome to do so! How to support this creative project? Here is a step-by-step instruction:

  1. Follow this link;
  2. Read about the project;
  3. Be interested;
  4. Click on the “Back it” button;
  5. Enter the amount of money or choose one of the benefits (Perk);
  6. Go to the payment page;
  7. Enter your card number;
  8. Transfer the amount;
  9. Be proud of yourself!

You have provided help and support to the Great Poets!

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/poetry-almanac-voices-of-friends–3/x/7707228#/

We express our incredible gratitude in advance for your support!

If you become a sponsor of one of the poems of the eminent classic (exclusively of your choice), your name will be mentioned next to the great poet in history! We also highly encourage you to share it with your friends and relatives. Let’s support the poetry classics together!

Less cash for footballers, empty stadiums and piped-in cheering: La Liga returns

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EURONEWS – In times of crisis, some communities resort to barter. Now Spanish football teams might too – La Liga.

La Liga President Javier Tebas says he expects the country’s clubs to consider more direct swaps of players instead of big transfer payments, as they try to cope with the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis.

“The transfer market will be subdued. It is clear that there will be fewer direct cash transactions. There will be more player swaps,” Tebas told reporters in a videoconference on Thursday.

He said he did not expect the Spanish league’s transfer market to move more than €800 million, compared to €3 billion last summer.

And he ruled out blockbuster moves such as the world record €222 million Paris Saint-Germain spent to pry Neymar from Barcelona in 2017.

La Liga resumes on Thursday – Sevilla meet Real Betis in a much anticipated local derby – after it was suspended for three months due to the coronavirus pandemic. But things will be looking very different on the pitch.

So what is it going to be like for fans?

All football games in Spain will be played without fans, and authorities will try to stop supporters from gathering outside stadiums. Only a few journalists will be allowed inside to cover the matches.

Joris Evers, Chief Communications Officer at La Liga, explained to Euronews how canned cheering will be used to give the games more oomph.

“On the international broadcast, anybody who’s watching La Liga outside of Spain, you will have a virtual stand. (…) There’ll be an audio a soundtrack that is actually based on the EA Sports FIFA product, which uses real sound from real fans from real matches,” he said in a TV interview.

In Spain, viewers will be able to choose whether they prefer to listen to the original sound from the empty stadium, or watch the virtual experience with virtual supporters.

What about for players?

Players will continue to undergo regular tests and maintain strict safety and hygiene measures.

La Liga has been taking care of all of the travel arrangements for the different clubs, to try to limit the risk of infection.

“During normal circumstances, all the clubs arrange their own travel when they go from one city to another to play another team,” Evers explained.

“Now we’re really trying to get them into kind of a safety bubble, and La Liga is taking care of all of the travel for all the clubs – chartering planes, booking trains, buses, and also housing them in hotels, which is difficult because in many places in Spain, hotels aren’t yet open.”

With so many things up in the air – how will players perform after months without playing? How will they react to having no fans in the stadium? – he argues these unprecedented times are actually making it a “really exciting season.”

Watch highlights of the interview with Joris Evers in the video player above.

Schengen key to recovery: interview with civil liberties committee chair

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“EU Borders should reopen as soon as possible,” according to Juan Fernando López Aguilar, chair of Parliament’s civil liberties committee . Learn more in our interview.

After months of free movement in the Schengen area being suspended, Parliament is calling for a swift and coordinated return to normal. Ahead of a vote on the Schengen area situation in the June plenary, Spanish S&D member Juan Fernando López Aguilar , chair of Parliament’s civil liberties committee, discussed how to restore the borderless zone and the lessons learned from the Covid-19 crisis.

When will the internal borders in the Schengen zone reopen?

They should reopen as soon as possible, that’s my message. But apparently it’s not going to happen in full before early July. Our committee has been reminding member states that they are bound by European law, the Schengen borders code. The law says that all restrictions should be time-framed and that the grounds for suspension should be reasonable and proportional.

Now the important thing is that the [European] Commission oversee the restoration of free movement in a phased timeframe. Interior ministers need to coordinate all extensions of restrictions with the Commission. It is obvious that without Schengen there will be no recovery [from the pandemic]. In my view, without Schengen, there would be no European Union.

Read more on what the EU can do about the reopening of Schengen borders

Does the Schengen zone need better coordination and governance?

There has been a deplorable lack of coordination. Member state governments have not lived up to their obligations, which are binding. They should have communicated before [suspending Schengen] with each other and the Commission so that the latter could ensure the suspensions are time-limited and not discriminatory to some citizens. In the process of restoring the normal functioning of Schegen, we will ensure that these mistakes become lessons learned.

If there is a second wave of infections, what should we do differently in Europe? Is closing borders the best way of preventing the spread of the virus?

Let’s face it, the pandemic took us by surprise. Unprecedented measures were taken. It challenged the liberties that we took for granted for many years. Free movement has been suspended and that’s damaging. But, precisely because the situation was unprecedented, we have to show some understanding with the errors of governments in their efforts to secure public health, which is their number one priority.

Watch the full interview, which also delved into Schengen enlargement, migration, asylum and the use of personal data in the fight against Covid-19, on our Facebook page.

Hotel Botánico & The Oriental Spa Garden recognized as Best Destination Spa in Europe 2020

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The Hotel has received the recognition of the publication ‘Condé Nast Johansens’ at the World Travel Market for Europe and the Mediterranean

Hotel Botánico & The Oriental Spa Garden, located in Puerto de la Cruz on the island of Tenerife, has become the Best Destination Spa in Europe and the Mediterranean 2020, after receiving the Condé Nast Johansens award. This award, of great international prestige, recognizes, thanks to the votes of customers, the excellence of its facilities.

This award has been handed out at the World Travel Market fair and joins the other certifications with which Hotel Botánico and its complex The Oriental Spa Garden have been recognized. It values its effort to optimize its services. Among its recent accreditations are, for example, the recognition of Condé Nast Johansens as the best hotel with Spa in Europe and the Mediterranean or the prestigious TUI Holly 2019, with which it has been ranked as one of the 100 best hotels in the world.

Hotel Botánico, a commitment to excellence

The Hotel Botánico*****GL is a prestigious five-star spa hotel located in the beautiful and peaceful north of Tenerife, with privileged views of the Orotava Valley. The Hotel offers unique suites and first-class facilities that blend magically with its paradisiacal surroundings. The rooms are fully equipped with all kinds of state-of-the-art services and amenities, including a modern noise-control system that ensures a peaceful and pleasant atmosphere.

Botánico Slim & Wellness, a unique concept of dietary haute cuisine in Tenerife

Under the direction of Patrick Jarno, who has made a name for himself in Brittany with his food concept, the Hotel Botánico has launched this year its Botánico Slim & Wellness concept, a holiday that can only be possible in Puerto de la Cruz, in Tenerife, a place known for having the best climate in the world, 365 days a year.

A meticulous programme, developed together with renowned chefs from Brittany, eliminates fat, favours the conscious consumption of proteins and carbohydrates and enhances the original flavours of the ingredients and the freshness of the products. These, cooked in the right proportion, provide a feeling of satiety without compromising on the joy of eating.

Europe manufactures an Anti-Coronavirus iron, B&B Trends informs

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Tested by external studies sustained at the Technological Center of Catalonia (EURECAT) and the University of Navarra // It is endorsed by two patents that allow the eradication of COVID-19, as well as other viruses and bacteria, from any type of tissue // It has an efficiency of more than 99.999999%. This technology is the response to the present pandemic and future threats

Europe manufactures the iron that can be used on any type of tissue, deactivating the virus. The B&B Trends Group (Barcelona, ​​Spain), manufacturer of the UFESA and Di4 brands, has managed to reconcile the recommendations of the health authorities regarding clothing hygiene with care so these would be free of COVID-19 or coronavirus. “With this ironing solution it is not necessary to expose the clothes when laundering at 60º, which in most cases it gravely damage the fabric. This innovation allows to iron, either vertically or horizontally, any kind of fabric at a higher temperature range and, in addition, the exclusive pulse steam ejection technology provides a higher speed when transferring this temperature to clothing without damaging it, reaching all points of the garment and ending with the COVID-19”, they assure from the company.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends washing and disinfecting tissues at 60-90º. However, the labels in the clothes do not suggest washing them above 30-40º, because according to recommendations of textile fabricants the piece of clothing reduces its size; the colors fade; wrinkles get fixed; and, if it contains any elastics, they become loose.

Healthy Program. EURECAT and the University of Navarra

B&B Trends has carried out in the laboratories of the prestigious University of Navarra a study of the Healthy Program, a technology designed in the R&D department of the company itself.

The analysis has focused on testing four types of microbes (C. Albicans; S. Aureus; E-coli; and B. Sutilis), resulting in the fact that this technology completely eliminates these bacteria.

The study in question validates that viruses with lipid envelopes, such as Sars-CoV-2, have lower resistance at certain temperatures than the E-coli type bacteria and much lower than bacteria with spores such as the B subtilis, both observed and tested in the study. Hence this, the same laboratory corroborates that its effective results can be extrapolated against COVID-19.

It is an accessible and available technology for professionals, such as dry cleaners and the textile commerce, for example, and for individuals. Two Di4 signature models equip the Healthy Program.

The Business Group

B&B Trends has extensive experience in manufacturing and developing small household appliances. It manufactures and markets brands such as UFESA, DAGA, Zelmer and Di4, as well as for other manufacturers.

Frankfurt Updates Exhibitors on Changes

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Juan Sanchez Gil
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Frankfurt Updates Exhibitors on Changes

As promised last month, the Frankfurt Book Fair is offering regular updates for exhibitors and hosted two online video sessions Tuesday, one with publishers in Europe, Asia and Africa, and a second with publishers in North America. The slide deck from the presentations is available for all to see.

Juergen Boos, director of the Frankfurt Book Fair, confirmed much of what he has said before: that the fair would be limited to 20,000 people at any one time; that booths would, by necessity, be larger and that upgrades would be made for free.

He said the fair was continuing to revise health and safety protocols based on guidance from the German government. Boos said that it remains to be determined if the fair will require the installation of plexiglass where there will be face to face interactions and does not yet know whether or not attendees will be required to wear face masks or face shields. “Right now, you can assume that you can do anything at the fair that you could do at a bookstore in Germany right now, which includes the ability to touch, browse and buy books,” said Boos.

There will be few if any on-site events, most of which will be moved online. On the fairgrounds, the focus will remain on trade booths, both for the German publishing trade and international guests. Several times during the update for North Americans, Boos emphasized that the fair would still be “a very international fair,” but admitted that travel restrictions likely meant that this would mean far fewer visitor from North America.

In addition to areas for collective stands and trade booths, there will be dedicated areas for exhibitors focused on audiobooks, education, and academic publishing, as well as for libraries and librarians.

Asked how Frankfurt will handle the program for Canada, the 2020 Guest of Honor, Boos said the fair will not host the traditional Guest of Honor pavilion and “their program will be mostly be virtual.”

A few more details were given as well. The Festhalle will be turned into a broadcasting center and will serve as the digital heart of the fair, a place to “connect the physical fair with digital opportunities,” said Boos. He said that the fair was in discussions with several German television stations to partner on event production.

Organizers will now be giving visitors the option of signing up for “workspaces,” which will offer a fairgoer a space at one of several long tables that will serve as quasi-co-working spaces for attendees who want a dedicated place to take meetings but do not want a booth. The price will be 495 euros per day for individuals.

For business-to-business attendees, Frankfurt is looking at implementing a digital rights platform, most likely powered by IPR License, as well as facilitating matchmaking, something which has been available in a limited fashion through the fair’s mobile phone app for several years, as well as virtual meetings.

At present, anyone who is signed up for this year as an exhibitor has until August 15 to cancel and ask for a full refund. After that, the normal penalties will be applied.

While Boos admitted that he “can’t predict the future,” he said that should the situation in Europe change and the German government demand that the fair not proceed due to a second wave of Covid-19 infections, they have a plan. “We’ll move entirely to a virtual fair and refund everybody,” he said.

World Food Safety Day: From planting to your plate, everyone has a role to play

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United Nations News
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World Food Safety Day: From planting to your plate, everyone has a role to play

Eating contaminated food has caused an estimated 600 million people in the world, or almost one-in-ten individuals, to fall ill – 420,000 of whom die every year, two UN specialized agencies highlighted on Sunday, World Food Safety Day.

Joining forces, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) flagged that “food safety is a shared responsibility” with a role for everyone to play, from governments, industry and producers to business operators and consumers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also shined a spotlight on the importance of monitoring and addressing food safety; adapting food safety systems to respond to supply chain disruptions; and ensuring the continued access to safe food.

The Head of FAO’s Food Safety and Quality Unit attested that in these challenging times, this year’s motto – food safety is everybody’s business – is “more pertinent than ever”.

“No matter what else is going on, every single person still needs safe food every day”, said Markus Lipp. “We cannot let up in our vigilance to ensure that our food is safe”.

An investment in health

Safe food is not only critical to better health and food security, but also for livelihoods, economic development, trade and the international reputation of every country.

“Millions of people around the world depend on international trade for their food security and livelihoods”, the heads of FAO, QU Dongyu, WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Roberto Azevedo, the World Trade Organization (WTO) said in a joint statement. 

“As countries move to enact measures aiming to halt the accelerating COVID-19 pandemic, care must be taken to minimize potential impacts on the food supply or unintended consequences on global trade and food security.”

The agencies maintained that each year, an estimated 700,000 people die around the globe because of antimicrobial-resistant infections.

“Improving hygiene practices in the food and agricultural sectors helps to reduce the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance along the food chain and in the environment”, they explained. 

Emphasizing the need for better data to understand the far-reaching impacts of unsafe food, WHO and FAO upheld that an investment in consumer food safety education  has the potential to reduce foodborne disease and return savings of up to ten-fold for each dollar provided.

“We must ensure that our response to COVID-19 does not unintentionally create unwarranted shortages of essential items and exacerbate hunger and malnutrition”, the FAO, WHO, WTO chiefs stated. “Now is the time to show solidarity, act responsibly and adhere to our common goal of enhancing food security, food safety and nutrition and improving the general welfare of people around the world”.

Food production

Infections caused by contaminated food have a much higher impact on populations with poor or fragile health, impacting infants, pregnant women and elderly and sick people more severely, and sometimes even leading to death, according to WHO.

Meanwhile, throughout the various stages of today’s complex supply chains, opportunities for food contamination prevail, from on-farm production to slaughtering or harvesting and during the course of processing, storage, transport and distribution.

Moreover, the globalization of food production and trade is making the food chain even longer, complicating foodborne disease outbreak investigations and emergency product recalls.

And the effects of food contamination reach far beyond direct public health consequences. It undermines food exports, tourism, food handler livelihoods and economic development, in both developed and developing countries.

To improve food safety, WHO advocates for different governmental departments and agencies – encompassing public health, agriculture, education and trade – to collaborate with each other as well as to engage civil society, including consumer groups.

Addressing the issue

To help ensure food safety and quality control, systems must be strengthened at national, regional and international levels, says FAO.

Among other things, this requires: 

  • Leadership in assessing and developing food control systems, including policy and regulatory frameworks.
  • Institutional and individual management, including the management of food safety emergencies.
  • Sound scientific advice to underpin standards at national, regional and international levels. 
  • Platforms, databases and mechanisms that support dialogue and global access to information.
  • Collection, analysis and communication of food chain intelligence.
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