CHAMBER OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERS INDICATE THE IMPORTANCE OF FOOD INSPECTION...

Press release...

EASY ACCESSIBLE AND RELIABLE FOOD RIGHT…

July 12, 2019

Food is an essential element of human survival. In the 21st century, people have access to adequate, nutritious and secure food as a right.

In the Declaration of Human Rights, there are very clear expressions regarding this approach in the Constitution of our country. Responsibility in this regard is given to the public authority. The public authority, that is, states, is obliged to ensure that the people of the country have access to adequate food and to ensure that the food is reliable. When considered from the point of view of our country, it is seen that adequate and necessary steps cannot be taken in this regard.

In our country, which has a very important agricultural potential with its geographical location, soil structure suitable for agricultural production and climatic characteristics, these advantages are not evaluated and our country faces the problem of not being able to reach sufficient food.

With the economic crisis experienced in the last year, especially food inflation increased, foreign exchange prices increased, unemployment increased and the per capita income decreased below ten thousand dollars and weakened the purchasing power of our people. The arrangement of sales tents and foodstuffs to reduce food prices and to provide consumers with cheaper food could not solve any problems and could not provide our people with easy and reliable access to food.

Apart from the problem of easy access to food in our country, another important issue is the sad events in food safety. When we look at the news in the written and visual media on this subject recently, the first ones that stand out are; The loss of people's lives from illegal drink in Mersin, also sending back of some vegetables and fruits exported to abroad due to the detection of pesticide residue is not reliable in terms of human health.

All these problems indicate that there is no adequate and effective food control service in our country. Problems that can be solved with very easy measures such as providing adequate food inspection services and raising awareness of producers and consumers can lead to important health problems as these are not done or are under-performed. Increasing health expenditures each year unfortunately show that the solution of the problem is sought elsewhere.

As a result, the provision of easy, accessible and secure food is a fundamental human right and the most important and indispensable duty of the public administration. The fulfillment of this task is based on the establishment of a planned and independent agricultural and food policies in which science and technique are prioritized, transparent, objective and adequate and effective food inspection services are provided, which will enable each person to easily access food.

Respectfully announced to the public...

TMMOB Chamber of Agricultural Engineers