AKIPRESS.COM - Agribusiness is a vital contributor to Central Asian economies and, particularly in rural areas, a primary employer. To help these communities prosper, it is vital to help producers access broader markets. A key hindrance to increasing the competitiveness of food producers is substandard food safety practices, IFC said in its op-ed “How to Boost Sales and Cut Costs”.

IFC said it is working with producers, industry experts, and government officials to address food safety in a systemic and sustainable way. This will help firms in Central Asia improve risk management, increase sales, and reduce costs, spurring greater investment and helping the agribusiness industry realize its full potential.

Metro Cash & Carry, international retailer with shops across 29 markets in Europe, Asia, and Africa, has partnered with experts from IFC to launch a new program to help Kazakh food producers learn about international best practices in food safety. IFC and the retailer are reaching out to producers across the country, offering assessments, workshops, and advice.

“As a large wholesaler, we are responsible for delivering high quality food to our customers,” said Lyazzat Sarbassova, Deputy General Director of the Quality Assurance Department at Metro Cash & Carry Kazakhstan. “This project will help us work with our suppliers to ensure we deliver the safest food possible.”

IFC’s work is helping retailers like Metro and other big international brands, as well as smaller players, for which the enhanced standards are presenting new opportunities and increased sales. IFC’s food safety support helped Celinnaya Fabrika Delikatessov, a small, Astana-based meat producer, become a supplier to KFC, one of the world’s leading fast food chains. The company also reported improved operational efficiency – thanks to the food safety program.

This work with retailers and more in-depth support to food producers are both part of IFC’s Agribusiness Standards Advisory program in Europe and Central Asia, which helps local companies apply food safety, environmental, and social standards throughout the agribusiness value chain.

Supported by the Austrian Finance Ministry, IFC’s advisory work on food safety has helped attract more than $156 million of investment in over 80 IFC clients in Europe and Central Asia, generating $323 million in increased sales, in addition to greater efficiency and cost savings and improved waste and risk management and brand value.