Kyiv, Ukraine, March 24, 2010
—IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has launched a new training program in Ukraine to help leading food producers improve product safety and boost sales in the challenging post-crisis environment.
IFC’s Ukraine Food Safety Project hosted a one-day workshop in Kyiv for over 100 senior managers from the country’s central regions to raise awareness of HACCP, (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) an internationally recognized food safety program. The workshop, the first such event organized by IFC in the country, covered various topics, including how to manage risks, save costs, open up new markets, and attract investors.
“Having НАССР in place has helped our company reduce costs and boost sales, while mitigating production risks, stabilizing operations, and attracting new investors, partners, and suppliers,” said Oksana Panasiuk, Chief Technologist at OJSC Myronivski Hliboprodukt, Ukraine’s leading poultry producer.
HACCP implementation has been lagging in Ukraine due to limited information, unclear legislation, and poor access to financing. The country’s accession to the World Trade Organization two years ago has opened the domestic market up to food imports, increasing competition for local producers. To improve food safety and enhance the competitiveness of local producers, IFC is offering comprehensive assistance in upgrading food safety management systems. The Food Safety Project plans to hold seven seminars across Ukraine this year.
“For investors, HACCP is a good indicator that the company has taken measures to ensure a strong brand, proper risk mitigation, and sales growth in current markets, not to mention access to new markets like the European Union,” said Sarah Ockman, Project Manager for IFC Ukraine’s Food Safety Project.
IFC is the only international financial institution focused exclusively on the private sector, the engine of sustainable development in emerging markets. Along with IBRD
,
it is currently seeking a capital increase to strengthen its ability to create opportunity for the poor in developing countries—including by increasing the sustainability of food producers in developing markets.
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, creates opportunity for people to escape poverty and improve their lives. We foster sustainable economic growth in developing countries by supporting private sector development, mobilizing private capital, and providing advisory and risk mitigation services to businesses and governments. Our new investments totaled $14.5 billion in fiscal 2009, helping channel capital into developing countries during the financial crisis. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org
.
