Certified & Safe: Improving consumer awareness and access to certified safe tomato and mango products

The regional SWITCH-Asia programme, funded by the European Commission, promotes the adoption of Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) in Asia and Europe. It focuses on improving consumer awareness and access to certified safe tomato and mango products in Bangladesh.

Consumers have the right to expect the food they eat to be safe and suitable for consumption. Food safety in the Bangladesh fruit and vegetable sector, however, is an area of concern. For example, tomatoes and mangos were found to be contaminated with pesticides. In addition, practices of alteration and adding harmful colouring ingredients or preservatives in the processing sectors were found. As a result, many consumers think that locally produced fruit and vegetable products are not safe for consumption.

The EU SWITCH-Asia II programme is designed to work with the respective beneficiaries in different stages. It focuses on successful engagement with the respective supply chain actors (5,000 mango farmers/smallholding growers, 5,000 tomato farmers, and agro-food processing companies) to bring substantial change to tomato and mango processed food, i.e. juices, sauces, jams, jellies, pickles etc. The programme targets the over 12 million consumers in the Dhaka district, and other national associations and public agencies that are active in the horticulture sub-sector of the country.

SNV implements this programme between January 2016 and December 2019, under the common interest and mandate of SCP. It covers two districts and sixteen sub-districts in the Northern part of Bangladesh (Natore and Rajshahi). At the end of the four-year programme, at least 50% of the domestically processed tomato and mango products that are marketed and consumed in Bangladesh will be certified and safe for consumption.