Yangon, Myanmar, June 5, 2026 – The Mekong Institute (MI), in partnership with Myanmar Innovative Life Sciences (MILS), convened the Mekong CREATES Agrifood Systems Forum 2026 in Yangon under the theme “From Burden to Solutions: Advancing Safe Agrifood Systems in Myanmar.”
Held in observance of World Food Safety Day, the forum brought together representatives from the private sector, public health institutions, research and academia, development partners, consumer groups, and Mekong CREATES alumni. Participants examine emerging food safety risks in Myanmar and explored practical, scalable solutions to protect consumers, strengthen markets, and support more resilient agrifood systems.
In her welcome remarks, Orn-uma Polpanich, Director of the Green Transition and Nexus Solutions Department, MI, emphasized that food safety sits at the intersection of health, livelihoods, trade, and trust. She noted that food safety is not only a technical issue, but also a public health priority, a market access concern, and a foundation for stronger agrifood systems. As risks move across communities, value chains, and borders, she underscored that solutions must be shared, collaborative, and sustained.
“To build a safer food future, we must transform three critical areas—moving from what is, to what could be. First, we must shift from a culture of reaction to a culture of prevention. Second, we must bridge the gap between global standards and local realities. Third, we must recognize that food safety is a shared responsibility,” said Lila Bashyal, Country Programme Coordinator of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The forum also highlighted practical approaches that could be adapted, expanded and applied across Myanmar’s food systems. A session on Scalable Solutions for Safer Food featured digital and data-driven food safety tools, approaches for small and medium-sized enterprises to protect brand identity while improving food safety standards, food safety practices in fortified rice production, and measures to protect consumer protection from aflatoxins in chilies.
“Food safety is not solely a concern of agriculture or the food industry. It is fundamentally a public health issue. Every day, millions of people are exposed to unsafe food, resulting in a significant burden of disease worldwide. Foodborne diseases affect people of all ages, but children, older people, and vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected,” said Dr. Nilmini Hemachandra, World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative.
A multi-sector panel discussion on “How Evidence Can Reduce Food Safety Risks in Myanmar” brought together representatives from food production, retail, business networks, and the health sector. Panelists discussed how better evidence can inform decision-making, improve food safety practices, strengthen consumer trust, and encourage stronger collaboration between food systems and public health actors.
“I am very excited to offer the forum as a unique opportunity for cross-sectoral learnings and for strengthening the use of evidence in coordinating food safety priorities across the agri-food industry and public health sector,” said Kyaw Thu Htet of Myanmar Innovative Life Sciences.
The forum also reflected on key insights from the Food Systems Forum 2025 and introduced Myanmar Agri-food Week 2026 as an emerging platform for continued dialogue, partnership-building and practical action across Myanmar’s agrifood ecosystem.
By the close of the forum, participants had reaffirmed the need to move beyond identifying problems towards implementing, scaling, and sustaining solutions. Discussions highlighted the importance of stronger connections among producers, businesses, researchers, public health institutions, consumer groups, and development partners to build safer, more resilient, and more inclusive agrifood systems in Myanmar.
About Mekong CREATES
Mekong CREATES, or Mekong Capacity-Building for Resilient and Enhanced Agricultural Technologies and Food Systems, is implemented by Mekong Institute with support from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). The project works with partners in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam to strengthen capacity, collaboration, and practical action for safer, more resilient, and more sustainable agrifood systems.
