The European Union (EU) will provide 2 million euros (approx K3 billion) to clean up food and beverage production in Myanmar.

The initiative, titled Tha Bar Wa, was launched on Tuesday and will take place over four years, organised by the EU under the SWITCH-Asia Program, which supports sustainable consumption and production across Asia-Pacific.

The World Wide Fund (WWF) will lead the project in partnership with the Myanmar Food Processors and Exporters Association and the Saving Banks Founding for International Cooperation.

Kristian Schmidt, ambassador of the European Union to Myanmar, said, “I am afraid to say that most of the factories don’t have a waste treatment system in Myanmar. Tha Bar Wa will help local businesses and consumers switch to greener and more sustainable methods.”

 “In fact, as Myanmar’s economy grows, I am convinced this programme can show that development and progress do not have to be at the expense of the environment or Myanmar’s unique natural heritage,” he added.

Food and beverages is the largest industry in Myanmar, accounting for almost 60 per cent of all companies. There are 27,113 food and beverage companies in the country, but only 24,000 are registered. 

Less than five percent of these businesses have wastewater treatment plants, even though industrial wastewater pollution is considered the biggest risk to the freshwater ecosystem. Energy efficiency could also be significantly improved, even with the limited financial resources available, according to Nicholas J. Cox, conservation programme director for WWF-Myanmar.

“This project will focus on the industry zone in Yangon and Mandalay initially and we will assist with the technology,” he said.

Tha Bar Wa will raise efficiency of wastewater management and reduce the risks for people and the environment toward achieving a sustainable future for the Myanmar industry.

“It is difficult to build the treatment plants because factories have been built for a long time without treatment plants. So, they need money and space to build them. We will choose industrial models at first for this project,” said U Zaw Min Win, president of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Tha Bar Wa will also support and work closely with the ministries of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Industry, and Education, as well as the Yangon City Development Committee, to strengthen public-private sector cooperation for cleaner production.

Read more at: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/eu-supports-effort-clean-food-and-beverage-industry.html