SOURCE: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News
Taiwan’s pineapples, along with mangoes, dragon fruit, and bananas, have met the requirements to be served at the Tokyo Olympics.
On Thursday (March 11), Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲), head of the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture (COA) announced on Facebook, “Hey! TGAP PLUS pineapple, mango, and dragon fruit can enter the Tokyo Olympics!” TGAP 2020 PLUS refers to an upgraded version of the Taiwan Good Agricultural Practice (TGAP), designed for pineapples, mangoes, and dragon fruit.
According to Chen, the COA received notice from the Sustainability Department under the Administration Bureau of the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games that Taiwan’s TGAP for the fruits has met its benchmark for sustainable agricultural products. This means they can be consumed at this summer’s games.
Chen pointed out the organizing committee stipulates that all foods provided through catering must comply with the Global Good Agricultural Practices (GGAP) or Japan Good Agricultural Practices (JGAP) and other verification schemes, in this case, TGAP, and be approved by the committee. Chen said that as long as approval for TGAP 2020 Plus is obtained, approved foods are considered to have the same standard as foods certified by GGAP and JGAP.
He noted that the three newly approved fruits join Taiwanese bananas, which were approved for the games on March 9 last year. Chen said thus far, eight agricultural businesses have been included in the TGAP, covering a total growing area of 67.6 hectares.
The COA head pledged to assist Taiwan’s growers in organizing marketing activities and setting up sales channels at the various Olympic venues.