Africa-Press – Mauritius. A workshop, aimed to help agripreneurs to innovate, reduce food waste, and contribute to building better agri-food systems, was held, this morning, in the context of World Food Day 2021 activities, at the University of Mauritius, Réduit. The workshop is organised by SME Mauritius in collaboration with the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Mauritius.
The Senior Chief Executive of the Ministry of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives, Mr Virendra Kumarsing Daby; the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Mauritius, Professor Daneswar Puchooa, and the CEO of SME Mauritius Ltd, Mr Ravin Rampersad, were present.
The workshop is focused on the theme ‘Reduction of food wastage and e-commerce for a better tomorrow’. It aims to set a base for the development of a resilient agricultural sector which adopts new technologies so as to be more efficient.
In his address, Mr Daby recalled that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on key sectors of the economy, namely tourism, trade, manufacturing, and construction adding that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) had to face major challenges in terms of supply chain disruptions, decrease in sales, increasing freight and raw materials cost, and depleting cash flows.
He underlined that it is imperative to move ahead and to bounce back better in a more sustainable manner and stated that MSMEs, which are crucial in the economic landscape, will be called upon to play an important role in the recovery process.
According to him, food waste reduction and e-commerce are two such avenues for a better tomorrow. Mr Daby indicated that some 147,000 tonnes of food waste are thrown every year in Mauritius, representing 27% of total waste that goes to the landfill.
He therefore urged MSMEs to be more efficient in managing their orders, to adopt food waste business models and packaging modifications that extend food life, and to embrace new technologies and international best practices and methods.
One such example, he said, is the ‘Too Good To Go’ food waste app which is an innovative platform that partners with restaurants, bakeries, and other food service outlets, connecting them with consumers for end-of-day sales at great discounts. The Senior Chief Executive also dwelt on the advantages of e-commerce which is emerging as an alternative way of doing business.
Recalling that the SME Division of the Ministry is exploring all possibilities to allow SMEs to engage in e-commerce with secured online payment facilities for SMEs to market their products locally, regionally, and internationally, Mr Daby highlighted that a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Mauritius Post Ltd in August 2021 to provide an e-commerce and on-line trading payment platform for SMEs and cooperatives.
He further enumerated the various support schemes provided by SME Mauritius Ltd to support and improve the sustained development of SMEs in Mauritius.
They include: the Technology and Innovation Scheme which encourages the creation of websites and access to e-commerce solutions, and the SME Marketing Support Scheme whereby SMEs are supported in improving their market accessibility and competitiveness in both local and export markets.
Mr Daby concluded by appealing to businesses to engage in food waste reduction at enterprise level and to adopt online business solutions such as e-commerce to build their resilience, increase efficiency and increase their sales turnover.
World Food Day
World Food Day is an international day celebrated every year worldwide on 16 October to commemorate the date of the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in 1945.
The day is celebrated widely by many other organisations concerned with hunger and food security, including the World Food Programme, the World Health Organisation, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. The theme this year is “Our actions are our future. Better production, better nutrition, better environment and a better life”.
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