March 29, 2016
CropLife Asia promotes anti-counterfeit coordination with government
CropLife Asia took part in the third country training programme initiated by the US Commercial Law Development Program this month at Singapore''s IP Academy.
Supported by the US Department of State and Singapore''s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the five-day long workshop brings together experts from the US and the global private sector to talk and share on the trends and practices in intellectual property rights enforcement.
Dr. Siang Hee Tan, Executive Director of CropLifeAsia, participated in a programme panel where he addressed the need for greater coordination between the private sector and governments to combat counterfeit supply chains.
Key issues including trends, case studies and public-private partnerships in the region were raised during the panel discussion, which featured various key stakeholders in attendance.
"Counterfeiting is a huge threat, not only to businesses but to consumers and across the board," said Tan. "In the food industry, the voice of the farmers is too often not heard. With their vulnerability to counterfeit seeds and crop protection products that bring the potential for inferior crop yields, reoccurrence of infestations and disease, and harm to themselves and others, that''s simply not acceptable."
"The presence of counterfeits within the food supply chain is a key concern for the region''s agriculture industry and other stakeholders due to its impact on food security," Tan added. "With ASEAN''s reputation as the food basket of Asia as well as a major global food exporter, these counterfeits are more than a nuisance- they are a serious threat to our region."
The workshop is organised by the US Commercial Law Development Board, the US Customs and Border Protection, Singapore''s IP Academy, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore and is supported by the US Department of State and Singapore''s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.