HINTERLAND communities such as Annai are the most recent to benefit from the Guyana Food Safety Authority’s (GFSA) newest training programmes. This new initiative is part of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Hinterland Environmentally Sustainable Agricultural Development (HESAD) project.

This innovative programme aims to enhance food-safety practices and boost tourism in the region, while addressing the broader goals of improving food security and economic development in Guyana’s rural areas.

Talking to the Sunday Chronicle while at Bina Hill, Annai, this week, Andre Surendre, an analytical officer with the GFSA, explained the initiative, “We’re newly established under the Ministry of Agriculture and we’re responsible for training different stakeholders, particularly food handlers, in practices that help prevent food contamination and food-borne diseases. Our goal is to ensure that the food we consume meets safe standards.”

The programme specifically targets agro-processors in various sub-districts of Region Nine, including Aishalton and neighbouring communities. “We’re here, in Bina Hill today to train agro-processors within the village and other communities on these best practices,” Surendre added, highlighting the focused approach of the initiative.

This training programme is a crucial component of the larger HESAD project, which aims to benefit 6,000 families from 80 communities in Regions One and Nine of Guyana. The project pays special attention to populations most affected by poverty, with 15% of beneficiary households headed by women and at least 75% of beneficiaries being indigenous.

Key aspects of the HESAD project include promoting resilience through economic diversification and environmental protection, improving small-scale farmers’ access to public services, knowledge, and technologies, supporting local and regional councils in planning and prioritising investments, and enhancing food security and nutrition through sustainable practices. By focusing on food-safety training, the GFSA’s initiative addresses two critical points, those are tourism enhancement and regional food safety. Improved food-handling practices will boost confidence in local cuisine, potentially attracting more tourists to the region and supporting economic growth.

Additionally, the programme will significantly improve food-safety standards in Region Nine, reducing the risk of food-borne illnesses and enhancing overall public health.
As this initiative unfolds, it promises to play a vital role in transforming Region Nine’s agricultural sector, improving livelihoods and reaching new heights for food safety across Guyana.