The Workshop on “Sustainable Food Value Chain Development through Agricultural Technologies: Government-Industry-University Partnership in ASEAN and Japan” under HRD Project Phase 3 extension was successfully held from 2 to 3 September 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand. The workshop was attended by a total 108 participants which consisted of 53 onsite participants and 55 online participants, which coming from public private and academia both from Japan and ASEAN. A total of 12 relevant experts from Japanese and Thailand Public-Private Companies and academia share their expertise based on their broad knowledge and experience on the topic of Sustainable Food Value Chain Development. A vision shared together in the workshop which aimed to promote environmental improvement in replacing Business as Usual in agricultural sector to proactively contribute to the nature restoration and sustainable development including net zero emissions. Not only the workshop but also a field visit to Suwan Farm as a National Corn and Sorghum Research Center managed by Kasetsart University and Organic Farm Outlet as the first and leading organic milk production center featured as part of the knowledge-sharing and exchange initiative between Japan and Thailand. Both activities aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the various actors, players, and stakeholders involved in the Sustainable Food Value Chain Development. The initiative also sought to further strengthen collaboration between Japan and ASEAN with a particular focus on Thailand.
The activity also have been published in Japanese Version in the Niigata Agro-Food Magazine through following link: https://nafu.ac.jp/magazine/research-introduction/entry-7278.html
The Food Safety Management Training Course in partnership with Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) under HRD Project Phase 4 was successfully conducted from 26 August to 2 September & 11 September 2024 in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The course was organized by the HRD Project team in collaboration with the Faculty of Food Science and Technology of UPM. The training course was attended by 30 participants, which consisted of 11 academicians, 4 Government Officials, 7 staff from the private sector, and 8 students from Universiti Putra Malaysia.
A total of 2 relevant experts Kagoshima University of Japan and Mae Fah Luang University of Thailand shared their expertise based on their broad knowledge and experience on the topic of Food Safety management. The relevant topic follows JFSM guidelines as the requirements to obtain certification as a JFS-A/B auditor. The topics include Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Japan Food Safety Standard (JFS), Food Safety Management (FSM) System, and auditing skills.
Not only lectures, the training also provided group work to enrich knowledge on food safety and build Japan Food Safety (JFS) standard auditing skills, as well as food-related regulations and standards. Moreover, examinations were conducted at the end of each training course to measure and evaluate their comprehension and understanding. Upon exam scoring, participants who demonstrate adequate knowledge with a score of 70% or above are eligible to receive certificates of JFS-A/B from Kagoshima University.
The Food Value Chain Training Course in Partnership with the Royal University of Agriculture under HRD Project Phase 4 was successfully conducted from 22nd to 26th July 2024 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The Food Value Chain Training Course was organised by HRD Project Phase 4 in collaboration with the Faculty of Agro-Industry of the Royal University of Agriculture and Japan Food Journal. The training course was attended by 112 participants, consisting of 99 students from the Faculty of Agro-Industry and 13 staff members from local agriculture and food industry entities in Cambodia. A total of 9 relevant experts from Japanese and Cambodian public-private companies shared their expertise based on their broad knowledge and experience on the topic of the Food Value Chain. The programme provided participants with a comprehensive understanding of the added value within the food supply chain. It encouraged them to expand their knowledge of food safety, quality management, and the importance of sustainable food production.
The Food Analysis Training Course in partnership with Kasetsart University under HRD Project Phase 4 was successfully conducted from 17 to 19 July 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand. The course was organized by the HRD Project team in collaboration with the Faculty of Agro-Industry of Kasetsart University. The course was attended by 42 participants, with 30 master’s and PhD students participating in the hands-on training.
Eight experts from from Japanese public and private sectors with noted expertise and experiences in food analysis and/or functional food. The curriculum was designed to cover relevant topics related to food analysis improvement and development, which consists of 1) The basic concept of the outline of Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS), 2) Development of functional food, 3) Labelling system, 4) JAS testing method, 5) ISO/IEC17025, and 6) Functional component analysis.
The course provided not only lectures, but also hands-on training on functional component analysis through detecting O-methylated Catechin in Benifuuki green tea by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) to further build a comprehensive understanding of participants on the given topic related to the Food Analysis.
The Food Value Chain Training Course, in partnership with Universiti Putra Malaysia under HRD Project Phase 4, was successfully conducted on 24th May and from 1st to 3rd July 2024 in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The course was organized by the HRD Project team in collaboration with the Department of Agribusiness and Bio-Resource at Universiti Putra Malaysia and the Japan Food Journal. It was attended by 35 participants, including one academician and 34 bachelor’s students from Universiti Putra Malaysia. Six experts from Japanese companies shared their extensive knowledge and experience on the Food Value Chain. The curriculum was designed to showcase Japan’s advanced agricultural technologies and included the following topics: (1) the Introduction of the Food Value Chain and methods for improving the added value of agricultural products and foods, (2) Japanese Food Standards and its Food Safety Management System, (3) Smart farming in past, present and future, (4) Lesson learned sustainable agricultural production and processing from Chitose and Yoshinoya, (5) Supply chain of food products including farm and fishery products. In addition to lectures, the training course included workshops and a field visit to the Agriculture Cooperative Farm in Putrajaya, operated under Lembaga Pertubuhan Peladang (LPP). These activities aimed to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of the Food Value Chain.
The Food Value Chain Training Course was organised by HRD Project Phase 4 in collaboration with the Department of Food Science and Technology of Yezin Agricultural University and Japan Food Journal from 22 to 29 June 2024. The training course was attended by 61 participants which consisted of 7 academicians, 5 Officials from the Department of Agriculture, and 49 students from Universities in Myanmar including Yezin Agricultural University, Sagaing Cooperative University, and Thanlyn Cooperative University. A total of 9 relevant experts from Japanese Companies and 2 experts from Myanmar shared their expertise based on their broad knowledge and experience on the topic of the Food Value Chain. The Program provided not only lectures but also workshops and a field visit to the Frozen Food Factory in Nay Pyi Taw to build a comprehensive understanding of participants on the given topic related to the Food Value Chain including; (1) the Supply Chain of Food Products including farm and fishery products, (2) Increase added value on the agri and food business, (3) Food freezing technology and equipment, (4) Yoshinoya meat processing, (5) Restaurant chain management, (6) Vegetable value chain, (7) Current status of food processing and food safety aspects in Myanmar, (8) Development of agriculture and agricultural cooperative in Japan, (9) Basic information about JA-Machida, and (10) Agriculture ICT solution to support the food and agriculture players.
