Thailand Food & Nutrition Security

Background

Nutrition is a function of food intakes and health status. Food intake however is influenced by food availability that is affected by food production. As being defined by experts, food security means access to adequate amounts of nutritious food for all people at all times. This definition explicates that food security cannot be separated from nutrition security.   

Poverty is one of the key underlying causes of malnutrition, morbidity and mortality of vulnerable people. To promote healthy nutrition, it is essential for health-focused development. This concerns with securing people’s access to and proper utilization of food and nutrients at all stages of life and within a social and physical environment where people, throughout their lives, have the opportunity to reach the highest attainable level of health.

Poverty alleviation requires improvement of household food security. Basically, food security has been emphasized economic approach in which food as a commodity is a central focus. However, most developing countries are food producing countries. Therefore proper handling of food produced at the household level will reinforce household food security of the poor. In urban context, lifestyle encourages people rely on processed foods as major food supply.  

Thailand has experienced in the reductions of poverty and malnutrition in the past decades. Lessons learnt are conductive to initiate the deliberation of food and nutrition policy. The country is now targeting not only to be a world food supplier but also reforming the poor to be self sufficiency economy. In relation to this, community-based programs of food and nutrition are implemented nationwide.  In particular food supply, the principle of Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) is promoted. Food quality control system has been set up for SME scales of food processing based on the principles of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Good Hygiene Practice (GHP). In addition, food industrial scale has followed an international standard of HACCP. Therefore Thai food produces distributed in both domestic and international market are reliable for consumers.       

The Institute of Nutrition at Mahidol University (INMU) has contributed technical advices to food producers and processors in various contexts. It is realized that their success story is invaluable to be shared with their counterparts in developing countries in order to achieve the goal of consumer protection, and food and nutrition security.  

Objectives and Learning Process

This 2-week training course will instill in trainees a more holistic view of the issues of food securityand food  safety through greater understanding of the ecology of food and nutrition; the linkages between food quality control system, health, food and nutrition security; and the role of biological and socio-cultural forces in affecting people’s access to the necessary foods and nutrients. A crucial part of this process will be broadening the trainees’ awareness of the many community-based approaches for sustainable food and nutrition security.

Course Structure

Part 1: Lectures: 21 hours
Part 2: Field visit/Study tours: 6 trips (36 hours)
Part 3: Practices of laboratory tests : 6 hours
Part 4: Discussion of lessons learned from field study & evaluation – 3 hours

Duration:                                  13 - 24 May 2013

Closing Date for Application:  January 31, 2013

Number of Participants            17 persons

Invited Countries: Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burundi, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, Lao PDR, Lesotho, Libya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, PIF Member Countries (Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Cook Island, Solomon Island, Marshall Island, Niue, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu), Republic of Seychelles, Senegal, Sri Lanka, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Vietnam, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Zambia and Thailand

Participants Qualifications and Certification

This program is targeted at trainees from government, non-government or other agencies who are actively involved in policy and designing food and nutrition intervention programs. Since the course will be conducted in English, participants must have an adequate command of the English language to follow lectures and field trips.   

Upon successful completion of the program, each trainee will be awarded a Certificate of the International Training on Thailand Food and Nutrition Security from the Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University (INMU) and Thailand International Development Cooperation Agency (TICA).

Preparation of nominated participants:

A participant who is officially nominated to attend this training program must prepare approximately 10-page paper on data about food quality control system, and  food and nutrition security of their country. This is considered as part of input of learning process.    

Institution:

Executing/Implementing Agency

   Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University
    Salaya, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand

    Contact Person:
    Asst Prof Jintana Yhoung-aree, Ph.D.
    Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University
    Salaya, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand
    E-mail : [email protected]
    Tel : 02 800 2380 ext 321
    Fax : 02 441 9344

    Director of Institute of Nutrition,  Mahidol University
    Salaya, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand
    E-mail : [email protected] 
    Tel : 02 800 2380 ext 208
    Fax : 02 441 9344