ctanews

Newsletter SOS Faim – June 2013

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:05:47 +0000

SOS Faim’ June 2013 newsletter has been published. With a focus on the global fight against hunger and rural poverty, the newsletter includes articles covering current issues of interest, such as: the vote in the Belgian Parliament on the resolution on financial food speculation (read here); the role of the Belgian government in global land grabbing (here); and the FAIR (Support Fund for Rural Initiative), which facilitates access to credit for rice farmers in Mali (here).

EU-Mauritania agreement: unviable?

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:24:11 +0000

The new protocol to the fisheries partnership agreement (FPA) between the EU and Mauritania, signed at the end of 2012, is unviable both technically and economically, as well as unprofitable, a letter by the European fisheries industry, Europeche, to the President of the Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament points out.

Building coherence with development policy into the CAP

info@agritrade.cta.int (Smedley, Clare ) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:04:22 +0000

According to an article posted in March by news and policy website Euractiv.com, although the CAP reform process undertaken to date has greatly reduced the need for the use of policy tools such as export subsidies, intervention payments and coupled payments, which were traditionally seen as the most trade-distorting forms of support, development NGOs have nevertheless stressed the importance of the EU assessing the impact of CAP measures on developing countries. Calls have been made for monitoring of the export and import effects of the CAP on developing countries. Some MEPs have supported this call, suggesting a need for “regular assessments [of] the global impact of CAP policies”.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food has also argued that “in order for the CAP to work for farmers inside and outside the EU… detailed monitoring of the impacts of EU farm exports and imports on developing countries” must be undertaken.

However, this is not straightforward. As pointed out by the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM), developing countries are “a highly heterogeneous group”, making it “difficult to identify a common development interest”. ECDPM analysts have further noted that “the obvious negative effects of dumping through export subsidies [are] largely gone”, maintaining that there are now “bigger fish to fry when it comes to making sure EU policies do not undermine global food security”. This complexity, it is maintained, heightens the need for effective monitoring of the external effects of the CAP.

The Euractiv.com article notes that some development NGOs have gone further, linking calls for monitoring of the external effects of CAP measures to calls for the establishment of a formal complaints mechanism in relation to “dumping” of food and agricultural products by EU exporters on developing country markets. Particular concerns have been expressed over the impact of EU exports of poultry meat parts on the poultry sector in West Africa. The article also recalls an OECD report published in September 2012 suggesting that the EU “has ramped up [subsidies] for dairy and poultry exports in recent years”.

The current state of CAP reform negotiations

info@agritrade.cta.int (Smedley, Clare ) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:00:50 +0000

Following a number of reports from the European institutions, it is apparent that a lack of consensus on details between the EC, the European Parliament (EP) and the EU Council has stalled the CAP reform process. With the EP’s new co-decision-making powers under the Lisbon Treaty, this requires the launch of ‘trilogues’ – trilateral dialogues – between these EU institutions. Currently some 30 trilogue meetings are envisaged to try to resolve the impasse. These trilogue negotiations cover four main texts:

“the proposal for a regulation establishing rules for direct payments to farmers” (including ‘greening’ measures and the distribution of payments);
“the proposal for a regulation establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products” (dealing with crisis management and general safeguards as well as support to producer organisations);
“the proposal for a regulation on support for rural development” (including risk management schemes);
“the proposal for a regulation on the financing, management and monitoring of the CAP” (including efficient management of aid and transparency issues).

While there is broad agreement on many aspects of the reform package, important issues still need to be resolved, including:

“the level of the rebalancing of direct aid payments to farmers within member states” (internal convergence);
redressing the balance of CAP aid between member states;
capping payments and ensuring that CAP aid is targeted exclusively at active farmers;
how to ensure efficient greening of CAP instruments (including the extent and modalities for greening);
how to more effectively support young farmers, small farmers and less favoured regions
the mechanisms to use for stabilising farm incomes (including through strengthening producer organisations and shortening supply chains);
the mechanisms to be kept in place or established to deal with “difficult market situations” (the role of private storage aid, public intervention, the crisis reserve and scope for emergency measures);
the extent of coupled payments to be allowed.

These measures form part of an integrated package. For example, speaking in the EP in March 2013, Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Cioloş set the proposed abolition of sugar production quotas in the context of the establishment of mechanisms for stabilising farm incomes and dealing with “difficult market situations”.

Academic analysis published on website Capreform.eu has suggested that increasingly “the central theme of the Cioloş CAP reform is… enhanced member state flexibility in policy design”, a so-called “pick and mix approach” to permitted policy measures. While such flexibility can be positive, allowing accommodation of local circumstances, it is noted that there is a danger that it can lead to “distortions of competition between farmers in different countries”. The analysis cites proposals to “[allow] member states to voluntarily recouple direct payments to production” (for example, in the cotton sector).

The core CAP reform trilogue negotiations are further complicated by financial considerations relating to the 2014–2020 multi-annual financial framework (MFF) and EC proposals published in April to reduce direct aid payments to EU farmers in 2014 by 4.98% below scheduled expenditures, following the heads of government agreement on the MFF.

EU taking first sanctions against third country “allowing unsustainable fishing”

info@agritrade.cta.int (Smedley, Clare ) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:44:34 +0000

In the conflict that opposes the EU to Iceland and Faroe Islands about the management of the North East Atlantic mackerel and herring resources – resources of “shared interest” – the European Commission is ready to initiate trade sanctions against the Faroe Islands. This is in light of its unilateral setting of fishing quotas, and refusal to implement previous sharing arrangements. The Commission will continue discussions with the newly elected Icelandic government before taking any similar sanctions against Iceland.

This will be the first implementation of the EU regulation adopted last September, taking measures against “third countries allowing unsustainable fishing”. At their May meeting, the Council of EU Fisheries ministers highlighted that sanctions will include preventing Faroese fish products to enter the EU; and Faroese vessels that fish for herring from landing in the EU. Moreover, EU vessels will not be permitted to fish for herring in Faroese waters.

Deadline for ending free EU market access for Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, and Namibia

info@agritrade.cta.int (Smedley, Clare ) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:41:06 +0000

The EU has given eight ACP countries – including fish exporting countries like Côte d’Ivoire, Fiji, Ghana, Kenya and Namibia – an “ultimatum” to sign their EPA by October 2014 or risk losing their preferences, as they are not classified as “less developed countries” and cannot therefore benefit from the ‘Everything but Arms’ (EBA) scheme for exporting fish products duty free, even in the absence of an EPA.

While Namibia and Kenya are mainly exporting white fish to the EU markets, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Fiji have an important tuna industry, with most of their exports going to the EU. Without the duty free access for canned tuna and pre-cooked loins, their industries will lose their competitiveness in the EU market.

Two years ago, the EU proposed to suspend tariff preferences if EPAs were not ratified by January 2014. The European Parliament recently voted to extend the deadline to October 2014.

In the case of Côte d’Ivoire, this comes at a time when the EU and Côte d’Ivoire have just agreed a new fisheries partnership agreement protocol, which facilitates the landing in Abidjan of important quantities of tuna caught by EU vessels, and their export to the EU. The withdrawal of Côte d’Ivoire tariffs preferences to access the EU market would affect the whole equilibrium of the EU–Côte d’Ivoire FPA.

FFA Trade News also reports that: “There is considerable anxiety among Fiji-based exporters of fish products to the EU.” Although Fiji agreed to an Interim EPA, it did not implement it. Even if Fiji could export under the EU Generalised Scheme of Preferences (EU GSP), it could then only use fish caught by EU or Fijian boats, as the EU GSP would not include a “global sourcing” derogation to the rules of origin, and does not currently allow for regional cumulation.

Global sourcing derogation in EPA shouldn’t be linked to access to resources considerations, say Pacific ACP ministers

info@agritrade.cta.int (Smedley, Clare ) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:37:23 +0000

The Pacific ACP Trade Minister’s chair, Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum, called on the European Union “not to use global sourcing as a bargaining tool to access fisheries resources in the region”. The Pacific ACP ministers consider that, thanks to the global sourcing derogation to the rules of origin, the region will be able to attract on-shore investment, and develop their local fleets through fishing joint ventures.

In the negotiations of the comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), Pacific ACP members are lobbying the EU for the extension of the global sourcing derogation to the rules of origin, to cover fresh and chilled fish fillets. In their view, this is a key component of a development-friendly EPA: “The EU needs to recognize the fact that each Pacific country has sovereign rights over territorial and archipelagic waters and we will not allow the EPA to be used to undermine these rights in any way… Our national, sub-regional and regional conservation policies are good – or better – than international measures and should not be undermined in the EPA.”

In its latest comment on this issue, the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) Fisheries Trade News disclosed more information about this issue. At the Fisheries Technical Working Group Meeting held between EU and Pacific ACP delegates, “it appeared that the EU delegation’s principal interest was to raise concerns on the PNA [Parties to the Nauru Agreement] purse seine Vessel Day Scheme (VDS) and conservation and management issues. The EU delegation argued that they would like questions on the VDS and their concerns around sustainability to be answered thoroughly first and, following internal consultation, would provide their revised proposal on global sourcing.”

Meanwhile, the EC initialled an access agreement with Kiribati, which ignores the VDS – something the European Parliament Development Committee questioned, echoing concerns raised by Pacific ACP ministers. The Committee draft opinion underlines that: “The fact that the protocol agreed between the EU and Kiribati does not comply with the VDS is causing important tensions, both between the EU and some Pacific island countries and between Kiribati and the other Pacific island countries, with the latter voicing concerns about the EU acting in bad faith and breaking regional solidarity.” The Committee is proposing to reject the FPA [fisheries partnership agreement] proposed, and calls on the EC to re-negotiate the Protocol in order to incorporate “the provisions of any regional and sub-regional agreement or arrangement binding on Kiribati”, including the VDS scheme.

High production potential in East Africa and barriers to intra-regional trade

info@agritrade.cta.int (Smedley, Clare ) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:49:49 +0000

A new GRET study of agriculture in the East African Community (EAC) concludes that “the potential for developing regional production is high, especially through increased yields of animal and crop productions.” The study is based primarily on a literature review and supplemented by interviews with the main actors involved with two products that are given special attention: rice and milk.

By examining closely the supply chain for the two focus products, the study is able to identify (and broadly rank) the constraints to increased production and trade. At the top of the list are poor physical and institutional infrastructure that limit production. It is argued that “to a large extent, the low level of intra-regional trade is more due to the insufficient regional production than to constraints to trade.”

The study observes that storage infrastructure is poor and transport costs are high (as are those for energy and telecommunications); and poor institutional infrastructure means that the “lack of formal contracts and ability to enforce informal agreements means that most of the deals are done between relatives or close personal friends, which”, the report argues, “increases transaction costs.”

The study affirms that “the net effect is to tilt bargaining power away from farmers towards intermediaries, reducing the incentive of the former to increase production.” The many formal and informal non-tariff barriers to regional trade exacerbate these underlying difficulties. Because of poor infrastructure surplus, regions often find it physically easier to sell into contiguous areas of neighbours rather than elsewhere in their own country. Infrastructure constraints further undermine net returns to farmers.

The study considers the absence of incentives particularly severe for the two focus goods, since import prices are much lower than the current cost of domestic production. In the case of rice, for which EAC is in significant deficit, the report cites price differentials in Tanzania showing local rice two-thirds more expensive than imported rice of equivalent quality (see Agritrade article ‘ USDA review of policy constraints on competitive EAC rice production’, 9 July 2012). A 75% import tariff is used to bridge this price gap. Similarly, while the region has an overall deficit in milk production, high tariffs are charged on imports in view of the price differentials between local and imported milk products.

The report concludes that barriers to intra-regional trade should be removed, but that protection from extra-regional imports should be maintained.

Constraints on product differentiation in the Pacific

info@agritrade.cta.int (Smedley, Clare ) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:37:32 +0000

A paper presented on third-party certification (TPC) of coffee producers in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has highlighted the opportunities and constraints in using TPC to differentiate products in a way that secures price premiums, which can range between 2 and 10%. While third-party-certified coffee currently represents only 8% of the global market, it is growing at around 25% per annum, compared to overall growth in coffee consumption of 2% per annum. Supply is not at present keeping up with demand for certified coffee. This creates market opportunities.

However, most third-party-certified coffee comes from Latin America, “where there are well-established cooperatives and rural institutions, as well as public subsidies, to assist smallholders [to] gain access to TPC”. This is significant, as “costs of compliance often lead to the exclusion of smallholders.” This is seen as posing particular problems in the Pacific, where the volumes of production are relatively small, which can make private-sector-based TPC economically unsustainable.

In PNG this problem is compounded by the fact that 92% of the country’s 600,000 tonnes of coffee is produced in three highland provinces, where poor roads mean that an estimated 40% of production fails to reach the market. In addition, smallholder producer yields are low as a result of “poor crop and pest management”.

In 2009, some 5% of PNG’s coffee production was third-party certified, but the government aims to raise this to 25% as part of its coffee strategy. An investigation of costs and benefits of private-sector TPC in 2012 found that:

TPC “is beneficial for smallholder coffee producers in PNG for UTZ and FLO” schemes;
“UTZ provides farmers with by far the most benefits”, since “the standard places relatively fewer demands on smallholder time, despite offering a lower rate of premium”;
“The quantity of coffee supplied by a farmer is the most important factor in determining whether a farmer benefits from certification.”

Significantly, it was found that the failure of companies that supported farmers with certification to make a sufficient number of buying trips meant that 50 to 85% of potentially certified coffee is “sold to alternate ‘predatory’ buyers at a much lower rate”.

Overall, it was concluded that while “in most cases the benefits of TPC for farmers outweigh the costs…, only a few thousand farmers supply this market”. Government interventions to improve infrastructure and strengthen producer organisations could reduce the costs and increase the attractiveness of TPC.

Elsewhere, organic, fair-trade and region of origin certification are all being explored as vehicles for maximising revenues in the face of the small scale of production and remoteness from markets (e.g. in the Vanuatu cocoa sector and more generally in organic production of coffee and coconuts – see Agritrade article ‘ Going organic seen as way forward in Vanuatu’, 18 May 2013).

Report highlights expansion of organic production for local markets in the EAC

info@agritrade.cta.int (Smedley, Clare ) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:24:46 +0000

The International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM) has posted a review of a series of short case studies on the impact of the adoption of organic agricultural production in East Africa.

The review cites examples including:

the large-scale conversion by smallholder producers to organic coffee production in some regions of Rwanda;
an expansion of organic farming of bananas and pineapples in eastern and southern provinces of Rwanda;
organic horticultural production in Burundi and Tanzania for local markets;
the development of organic farming in peri-urban areas of Kenya for own consumption, local markets and direct sale to organic restaurants;
the development of organic horticultural production in Uganda for sale through supermarkets, specialist organic shops and direct to restaurants, using a farmer-owned single marketing service.

The case studies highlight expanding local demand for organic products and the benefits gained from lower inputs costs.

In countries such as Kenya, “awareness of lifestyle diseases has increased tremendously in the last 10 years” and is boosting local demand for organic products. This is leading to the establishment of direct sales, with shorter supply chains boosting farmers’ incomes.

Some organic farmers in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania operate under participatory guarantee systems based on East African Organic Products Standard requirements and using an internal peer group review process to ensure compliance. IFOAM defines participatory guarantee systems as “locally focused quality assurance systems that certify producers based on active participation of stakeholders”, with the system being “built on a foundation of trust, social networks and knowledge exchange”. In the Kenyan case, key customers are involved through inspection of the farming processes practised by supplier farmers. This reduces certification and verification costs.

However, “when a farmer has a particular market that specifically demands third party certification, they apply for certification from authorised certifying companies.”

In the case study from Burundi, it was noted that even where organic certification is not in place, organic production methods have increased yields and allowed producers to secure better prices on local markets, while at the same time reducing input costs.

Overall, the review maintains that the adoption of organic production techniques has resulted in:

increased yields through the use of more affordable inputs;
improved livelihoods, food security and health;
a reduced need for credit through the use of locally available renewable resources;
increased market opportunities both domestically and internationally;
increased resilience to climate change and environmental benefits.

It is argued that “government policies could significantly benefit from the integration of organic practices into their agriculture, climate change, food security and rural development policies and action plans.” This is increasingly being recognised within African governments, according to the case studies cited.

Government initiatives are considered necessary to facilitate access to organic seeds and pesticides, improve rural transport systems and improve cold store facilities. It is also thought that for organic production to develop further in the EAC, “focus and commitment from leaders and policy makers” are required “to develop and implement policies that support sustainable food production”.

Reconciling agricultural aspirations with trade policy commitments in West Africa

info@agritrade.cta.int (Smedley, Clare ) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:17:17 +0000

In its blog Talking Points in March, ECDPM highlighted the challenges faced in reconciling ECOWAS trade policy commitments (e.g. the recently agreed common external tariff/CET) with the aspirations of ECOWAS’ regional agricultural policy (ECOWAP). The blog noted that recent discussions in West Africa are gravitating towards a consensus that “protecting a bigger, more competitive market (given that internal barriers to regional trade are removed), coordinated with supply side efforts, could overcome the failures of past attempts at self-sufficiency.”

The blog gives the example of rice, where ECOWAP “plans to build its productive capacities and develop a comparative advantage in rice production”. Currently, however, diverse tariff rates are in place across ECOWAS and WAEMU, ranging from 10 to 110%. The blog poses the question: what should the regional common rice tariff be?

The ECDPM analysis notes that some in the region are arguing for tariff rates closer to Nigeria’s 110%. However, under the March 2013 joint ECOWAS/WAEMU Ministerial agreement on the CET, rice is placed in the 10% tariff band. This has led to complaints from producer organisations over the inadequacy of tariff protection.

Other challenging issues raised by ECDPM in relation to the development of ECOWAP include:

the scope for new ECOWAS CET rates to exceed national bound rates at the WTO;
possible WTO limitations on preferential procurement arrangements for cereals produced by smallholder farmers;
the design of regional trade defence mechanisms;
the final market access offer to be made on food and agricultural products to the EU under the proposed West Africa–EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

Meanwhile, analysis posted on the website of the USAID-funded West African Trade Hub project highlights accelerating urbanisation in sub-Saharan Africa, noting World Bank projections that urban food demand will “quadruple in 20 years”. This is seen as presenting both challenges and opportunities for African agricultural producers. Currently, rising demand is outstripping production growth, suggesting that “Africa’s dream of food sovereignty will have to wait for a couple of decades” to be realised. In the interim, food imports are likely to increase significantly, wheat and rice, but also sugar, dairy and vegetable oils.

The structure of the ECOWAS /WAEMU agreed common external tariff
Press reports indicate that agreement has been reached on the treatment of 5,899 tariff lines:
0% duty	85 tariff lines
5% duty	2,146 (raw materials and capital goods)
10% duty	1,373 tariff lines (intermediate products)
20% duty	2,165 tariff lines ( final consumer products)
35% duty	130 tariff lines (specific goods promoting to economic development)
The treatment of raw sugar is still under discussion, as are special geographical exemptions for Cape Verde. Discussions are still ongoing on trade defence instruments, finalisation of which is to be expedited. The EC is committed to supporting the ECOWAS Commission and member states in the implementation of the CET commitments. Seven ECOWAS countries now need to migrate to the 5-band system already applicable in the WAEMU region.

The World Bank analysis further notes that only 4% of sub-Saharan African food imports are sourced from within Africa (US$1 billion out of US$25 billion). However, it is maintained that as new policies take effect, private investment is mobilised and access to inputs improves, sub-Saharan Africa should increasingly be able to feed itself. This assumes that infrastructural and logistical constraints on moving foodstuffs from production areas to urban areas can be overcome and efficient commercial supply networks can be built up. The analysis highlights the ground-breaking work of the Borderless Alliance in West Africa in relation to this.

However, a cautionary note is sounded in term of investment needs. In the rice sector it is estimated that investment of US$300 million is needed for every extra 100,000 tonnes of rice to be produced. In this context, replacing Ghana’s 350,000 tonnes of rice imports would require US$1 billion of investment.

Charges of unfair export practices raise policy issue of balance between agricultural production and value-added processing

info@agritrade.cta.int (Smedley, Clare ) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:07:52 +0000

In April 2013, according to regional press sources, Jamaican manufacturers accused Trinidadian exporters “of violating trade rules by misrepresenting products as being of CARICOM origin, allowing them to benefit from lower customs duties and price advantages in the local market”. The accusations raised in the Jamaican parliament focused on the simple repackaging of imported raw materials and their relabelling as Trinidadian.

Food processing industry representatives in Trinidad and Tobago rejected these allegations, arguing that for products such as packaged peanuts, sufficient processing of imported nuts takes place to shift the product from one tariff heading to another and hence comply with the rules of origin applied under the CARICOM agreement.

The allegations and refutations come against the background of Jamaica’s widening trade deficit with the region, and Trinidad and Tobago in particular. Jamaican complaints over imports of packaged peanuts are just the latest in a series of disputes that have reportedly “strained commercial relations between the two countries in recent years”.

Significantly, oil- and gas-rich Trinidad and Tobago has significantly lower energy costs than Jamaica, with manufacturers reportedly paying 3 cents per kilowatt hour compared to 30 cents per kilowatt hour in Jamaica. This is seen as giving food manufacturers in Trinidad and Tobago “a huge competitive advantage”, particularly when processing imported raw materials.

Also in April, Jamaican Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke reiterated the government’s commitment to reducing food imports through the promotion of ‘agro parks’, where “basic infrastructure, such as irrigation, drainage, storage and packing house facilities” will be provided, alongside enhanced extension service. This is to be further supported by the development of “a proper marketing strategy for the agricultural sector”.

Main Events for the Week 10/06/2013 –16/06/2013

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 09:48:49 +0000

European Parliament:

June 10- 13: European Parliament Plenary: Strasbourg

Council of the EU:
June 14: Meeting of Foreign Affairs Council (FAC)(Trade)

ACP:

June 10-11: ACP: PAHD Department

June 10: ACP SEDT Department
June 11: ACP: Partners meeting and Project Steering Committee (PSC)
ACP: AFHR Department
ACP: Eastern Africa Region

June 12: ACP Members of the Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade
ACP Members of the Committee on Political Affairs

June 13: ACP Members of the Committee on Social Affairs and the Environment
Seminar: Economic Partnership Agreement and the Future of the ACP Group
June 14: SADC EPA Senior Officials
32nd Session of the ACP Parliamentary

June 15: Women’s Forum
Committee on Political Affairs
ACP: Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade
ACP: Committee on Social Affairs and the Environment
June 16: Possibly, meetings of an EP Political Group with its ACP counterparts

Others:

June 13: AGIR Roundtable on sustainable agriculture as a means of increasing resilience: the vision of West-African farmers
(Organisers: SOS Faim/CTA Brussels/European Commission)

You can also follow our new Facebook group CTABrussels and our Twitter account CTABrussels to receive up-to-date information on EU-ACP events.

Video Guest: Dominique Burgeon (FAO)

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 08:56:13 +0000

On the occasion of the Brussels Briefing on “Agricultural resilience”, CTA Brussels disused Dominique Burgeon, Director of Emergency Operations and Rehabilitation Division at the Food and Agriculture Organization of UN (FAO) on the organization's approach on building resilience in developing countries.

Roundtable on sustainable agriculture

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 08:44:15 +0000

A Roundtable discussion on Sustainable Agriculture as a means of increasing resilience emanating the vision of West-African farmers will be held on 13th of June in Brussels.

ACP-EU Council: Issues for further discussion

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 08:30:34 +0000

EU will continue dialogue with ACP partners for developing a common EU approach to the new global development framework which will replace the Millennium Development Goals after 2015 and commented, the Irish Minister of State for Trade and Development, and co-chair of the joint Council, Mr. Joe Costello (representing the European Union) said during the joint ACP- EU Council of Ministers held in Brussels on 6-7 June.

Somalia, now part of the Cotonou Agreement

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 05:44:47 +0000

The Federal Republic of Somalia officially entered the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement ("Cotonou Agreement"), was announced at the joint ACP- EU Council of Ministers held in Brussels on 6-7 June.

EPA: 2014 deadline concerns interim agreement

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 05:26:38 +0000

The 1 October 2014 deadline concerns only the signature of interim Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and not of full (comprehensive) EPAs, Andris Pielbags, European Commissioner for Development said at the Joint ACP- EU Council of Ministers held in Brussels on 6-7 June.
This has been received as a sign of appeasement by the ACP group.

ACP, EU agree on development fund

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 05:10:59 +0000

The Joint ACP-EU Council of Ministers held in Brussels on 6-7 June compromised on a total financial allocation of 31.589 billion Euro for the next (11th) European Development Fund (EDF), covering the 2014-2020 period.

ACP-EU trade talks to get fresh political edge

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 04:17:20 +0000

Trade negotiations between the European bloc and the ACP Group may soon move closer to a resolution, with plans for a political high panel to tackle the longstanding deadlock in talks over the ACP-EU Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) negotiations, as confirmed at the last ACP-EU Joint Council of Ministers meeting held in Brussels between 6-7 June.
The move follows proposals made by the ACP Heads of State and Government Summit in December 2012.

ACP calling for measures to soften EPA blow

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 04:07:32 +0000

The ACP Council of Ministers , held in Brussels between 4-5 June, passed a hard hitting resolution on the ACP-EU Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), calling for measures to soften the blow of opening free trade to the much more dominant EU. These include mitigation provisions, additional resources for EPA-related costs, maximum flexibility on all outstanding contentious issues, and safeguarding the benefits of EPAs when negotiating with other third parties.

UK, amongst top donors for reducing undernutrition

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 03:21:36 +0000

UK is performing better than most other developed nations over the past decade at meeting its overseas aid spending commitments on ending undernutrition, new research by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) shows.

Promoting People-Centered Businesses

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 10:29:10 +0000

An enterprise model which puts people and not profit at the heart of business should be enhanced, the conference ‘People-centred businesses: making supply chains work for small producers’ heard.

Delayed EU trade accord hurts SA fishing

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 09:42:14 +0000

With a trade agreement between South Africa and the European Union (EU) still being negotiated, the country could miss the boat on taking advantage of the EU’s move to reduce fishing in its waters to save dwindling fish stocks.

EPA: Key to The Bahamas' Value Added Trade Strategy

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 08:19:57 +0000

The Bahamas authorities want to more intensively position the country as a hub in global value chains, and the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the EU figures prominently in this regard, Minister of Financial Services of The Bahamas, Ryan Pinder, said during the opening on May 29 of a Validation Meeting in Nassau, at which the non-state stakeholders met with national authorities to discuss the last details for national implementation plan for the Agreement.

Trends in the global citrus trade

info@agritrade.cta.int (Smedley, Clare ) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 08:11:40 +0000

Data compiled by Freshfel and Shappe reported on the website Fresh Fruit Portal suggest that total southern hemisphere citrus production is projected to increase by 9.85% in 2013, with strong production growth in Peru (+10%) and Australia (10.68%). Total citrus exports for the region are projected to increase by 2.8% in 2013 to 2,587,935 tonnes, up from 2,517,071 tonnes in 2012.

Citrus exports from Peru are projected to increase by 10% to 92,004 tonnes, from Argentina by 6.31% to 433,000 tonnes, and from Australia by 2.16% to 176,500 tonnes.

Production in Chile, by contrast, is expected to fall by 3.62% and exports by 1.75% as a result of water scarcity. Uruguay, similarly, is expected to see a 17.5% decline in exports to 119,775 tonnes, following a decline in production of between 15 and 20%.

South Africa continues to dominate the global citrus export trade, with an increase of 4% projected for 2013, taking total South African citrus exports to 1,602,304 tonnes, some 61.9% of southern hemisphere exports. South African exports have been affected by increased input costs for shipping, transport, energy and labour, although a weakening rand has eased the impact of increases in domestic costs.

Other articles on Fresh Fruit Portal report that a number of market uncertainties overhang the South African citrus sector. These include:

“the pending threat of a ‘five strikes and you’re out’ scenario for South African citrus in the EU”, linked to detections of Citrus Black Spot (CBS) during import inspections;
the introduction of Chinese import restrictions on Californian citrus, which is likely to intensify competition on the US market from domestic US producers in the high-end component served by South African exporters;
the emergence of China as “the world’s number one citrus producer” and “sixth largest” citrus exporter overall.

The reports note that South African citrus exporters are increasingly interested in the Russian market, but face competition from existing suppliers Ecuador, China, Argentina and Chile. Far Eastern and Middle Eastern markets are also of growing interest.

Kenya–Tanzania SPS dispute on flowers in transit resolved

info@agritrade.cta.int (Smedley, Clare ) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 08:04:46 +0000

In April 2013, it was announced that Kenya had lifted its ban introduced in May 2011 on Tanzanian cut-flower exports via Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. This followed multiple rounds of negotiations and confirmation that effective measures were being taken to combat the 11 pests identified in the Pest Risk Analysis that was completed in September 2012.

However, according to the Tanzania Horticulture Association, the ban has resulted in Tanzanian flower farmers losing “more than five” key customers of cut roses in the UK, Australia, Japan, Russia and Italy.

A report in the Kenyan Star newspaper in April noted that “flower growers in Kenya are seeking to consolidate new markets in Asia and the US as airlines begin direct flights to these destinations” (airfreight costs can account for up to 50% of the import price). These markets “now account for up to 10 per cent of total flower exports annually” from Kenya. According to Kenya’s Horticultural Crops Development Agency, “Japan, South Korea, Russia and the US are among the new buyers taking up more of the Kenyan produce.” Market opportunities have also been identified in Ghana, the DRC and Nigeria.

The report notes that in the first 2 months of 2013, Kenyan cut-flower production increased by 8%. Kenya accounts for one-third of international flower produce.

Lowering the cost of remittances for Africa

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 06:59:00 +0000

As part of the effort of approaching the inaccuracies in understanding the magnitudes of remittances to/within Africa, the World Bank hosted on 16th May in Brussels a meeting which gathered diaspora organisations, country representatives, the European Commission and international organisations.

EU seeks pathway to strong UN climate deal in 2015

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 06:23:55 +0000

All countries should outline their long-term plans for curbing greenhouse gases next year - earlier than favoured by Washington – in order to revive the stalled fight against climate change, the European Union proposed on 28 May, in an official submission to the United Nations. Deciding on commitments next year should allow time for a review of each national plan before the 2015 agreement, it said.

Laurent Pipitone: “The ICCO is working to address the flaws in market mechanisms”

info@agritrade.cta.int (Smedley, Clare ) — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 19:57:19 +0000

Since the collapse of the International Commodity Agreements in the 1980s, the international cocoa trade has been ruled by the futures market. Developments in 2007–2008 led many participants to question the operation of speculative markets of this kind, and in particular to examine their impact more closely. What is the current situation? How are these instruments viewed today?

Laurent Pipitone, Director of the Economics and Statistics Division of the International Cocoa Organization gives us his analysis.

Q: There are a number of current initiatives aiming to make the cocoa supply chain more resilient and so increase global production. Is there a risk that these will eventually affect cocoa prices?

Chocolate manufacturers are expecting significant supply deficits over the long term, with cocoa plantations aging and the average age of cocoa farmers also rising. In their view, much remains to be done before this trend is reversed.

Several years ago, after a number of consecutive years of deficit, the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) was also concerned that we were entering a period of structural supply deficits. But the crisis that began in 2007–2008 led to a dramatic change in demand trends for cocoa and chocolate, and we are once again seeing supply surpluses. But for the economic crisis, it is estimated that 6 of the past 7 years would have recorded supply deficits.

In consequence, the ICCO thinks there is no real cause for concern in the short term, especially as cocoa stocks are high. But the problem of structural deficit persists in the medium term. Cocoa growers remind us that, while we are constantly asking them to invest, they have no wish to produce surpluses that would prompt a fresh round of falling prices.

Long-term trends remain difficult to assess. It is hard to measure the impact of the various initiatives designed to promote more sustainable cocoa production. We have very little country-by-country information, with no data on the exact size of the planted area, and nothing profiling the plantations in different regions. Thus far our main long-terms concerns centre on the risk of supply deficits, so this is where we must focus our activity, while still endeavouring to improve our assessment of the situation on the ground.

Q: Futures markets respond to speculation as well as market fundamentals. Given current levels of concern over the resilience of the cocoa supply chain, is this still the most appropriate market mechanism? Are the ICCO, multinationals and governments considering other pricing arrangements, alongside their training projects and schemes to distribute seeds and fertilisers?

Supply and demand remain the best means of determining prices on the international market. The cocoa futures markets in London and New York play a particularly important role, providing a benchmark figure which helps to determine the price payable. When prices rise on the two futures markets, so too does the farm-gate price, and vice versa.

The ICCO in the past acted to stabilise prices by releasing buffer stocks and maintaining prices within a given range, but this proved ineffective.

However, the operation of the market in general, and financial markets in particular, is far from perfect. For example, there is a lack of transparency regarding transactions concluded on the London cocoa market. We have insufficient information on the positions adopted by different market participants, whether speculators or the chocolate manufacturers who buy cocoa beans on the physical market, and on the concentration of these positions.

An external regulatory authority is required to prevent the acquisition of dominant positions, place limits on the positions taken by speculators, provide comprehensive statistics on authorised stocks, and publish the movements of market participants. Some progress has been achieved recently but it has not yet gone far enough.

Then, for the cocoa-producing countries at least, there are problems of making this data accessible to strengthen their position vis-à-vis the buyers, and especially of a lack of agricultural organisations and access to services.

We are addressing all these problems: transparency of markets and information, data collection, regulation of the futures markets etc.

A few years ago, we looked at the impact of financial markets on prices. Do they produce more or less price volatility, i.e. price increases and decreases linked to speculation? We also examined the purchase by a London-based hedge fund of more than 240,000 tonnes of cocoa futures contracts expiring in July 2010. The size of this trade gave the operator de facto control of the July futures market. Why did this happen and how can we avoid this kind of problem in future? We issued recommendations, and the London futures market responded by implementing a number of measures – insufficient maybe, but measures were taken.

So we have no problem with futures markets in principal, but we are working on ways of improving the way they operate.

Q: So you are not questioning the existence of commodities futures markets, in themselves a type of financial market?

What we do question is their operating environment and their regulatory regime. But, for us, the principle of a futures market is essential, because it is this financial market that provides us with a benchmark world price. We have no idea, for example, how much Barry Callebaut pays such and such a cooperative for its cocoa beans. Only the financial market gives us a benchmark price for use by mutual agreement for all transactions on the world market. It provides a transparent means of conveying information.

Q: But in the case of other commodities – such as flowers at the clock auction in the Netherlands, tea at the auctions in Mombasa, Calcutta etc., even tobacco in Zimbabwe – supply and demand are matched on a significant scale without the element of speculation evident on the cocoa futures market. These are markets that exist to provision the supply chain, not speculative financial markets...

The ICCO is thinking about setting up commodity markets in producer countries with a view to reducing transaction costs and rendering cocoa growers less vulnerable to price volatility and other risks, shortening the value chain and improving its effectiveness, strengthening the negotiating position of small growers, improving the supply and transparency of market information, and increasing access to sources of finance at reasonable cost. We are about to commission a feasibility study on creating such a system in Côte d’Ivoire. We are optimistic that it will help to improve the income of cocoa growers and their standard of living, so contributing to a more sustainable cocoa economy. But bear in mind that there are a number of constraints. A variety of experiments conducted in East Africa in sectors other than cocoa have not all been productive. We are currently evaluating the situation.

However, the financial market as presently defined retains an important role in the transmission of information on prices, market liquidity etc.

Q: But markets such as those for flowers and tea also fulfil these conditions. In reality doesn't the role of speculation in food commodity markets still remain open to question.

This topic has prompted significant debate. The IMF, World Bank, UNCTAD, IFPRI and FAO combined to produce a number of studies under the auspices of the G20 during France's presidency 2 years ago. These studies did not conclude that financial markets produced distortions in physical markets. Although such distortions may occur in the short term, this is not the case in the long term.

We conducted similar studies a few years ago, examining price volatility and price levels, and we too were unable to identify any medium- or long-term distortions engendered by financial markets. So short-term distortions may occur from one week to the next but they have only a short-term impact.

Overall, the majority of international organisations investigating the issue agree that, in a futures market, price movements are nearly always determined by fundamentals. Spikes may occur over a period of weeks, but these are almost always the result of an underlying fundamental, such as drought.

Q: So can we conclude that futures markets contribute in some degree to the resilience of the cocoa supply chain?

They play an essential role in the smooth running of the market. Despite a number of flaws and areas for improvement, they are integral to the smooth running of physical markets.

UK should spend millions to combat malnutrition, charity says

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 08:31:20 +0000

£132 million (€154.3 million) – this is the amount Britain should spend a year until 2020 in order to commit to combat malnutrition in poor countries, a charity group Save the Children report says.
Moreover, the charity suggest that the rich countries should spend an additional €773 million a year between now and 2020 on basic nutrition.

Development goes hand-in-hand with peacemaking, EU official say

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 07:50:24 +0000

Poverty is aggravated by the absence of peace and security, so the EU should not only provide development aid to but also get actively involved in negotiating solutions to conflict, the EU special representative to the Horn of Africa, Alexander Rondos, said at a high-level conference on peacemaking and mediation.

EU: Top importer of agricultural products from developing countries

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 06:55:04 +0000

In 2012, the EU was the global top importer of products from developing countries, the latest European Commission report monitoring the agri-trade policy, entitled "Agricultural trade in 2012: A good story to tell in a difficult year?" shows. On average between 2009 and 2011, 72% of EU imports came from developing countries (€67 billion), significantly above the 43% share in total agricultural imports of the "Big 5" taken together (Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand and Japan).

EU anti-discards policy

info@agritrade.cta.int (Smedley, Clare ) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 09:58:54 +0000

Based on a discussion paper prepared by the Irish Presidency, the April Fisheries Council of Ministers will hold an orientation debate on how to move forward on outstanding issues, in the context of the current negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council, such as the scope and detail of the landing obligation, otherwise referred to as the ‘anti-discards’ policy.

Many observers feel that fisheries ministers – under pressure from France, Spain and some other member states who want to protect their fleets from sudden changes – might try to dilute plans for a total ban on the practice of discarding fish at sea, even though an outright discards ban was backed by the European Parliament. Ministers will consider a compromise text, which a European Commission source described as “quite unacceptable”, as it would further delay the implementation of the discard ban and allow up to 7% of fish to be discarded.

The Fisheries Commissioner, Maria Damanaki, urged ministers to stay strong: “The public does not want fish to be just thrown away.” She said all caught fish should be landed; if they were of low value, they should be turned into fish meal.

In a review of global discarding, the UN noted that the north-east Atlantic had the highest discard level in the world, estimated at 1.3 million tonnes – the majority attributed to the EU. The Commission estimates that 23% of all fish caught by EU vessels are discarded.

Sustainable fishing certification too lenient and discretionary, study finds

info@agritrade.cta.int (Smedley, Clare ) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 09:56:20 +0000

A new study published in the scientific journal Biological Conservation, analysed the outcome of 19 formal objections launched by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) against the certification of fisheries. Such objections were heard by an MSC-appointed adjudicator. In all but one case, the adjudicator ruled in favour of the certification of the fishery.

The researchers sought to determine whether these fisheries actually met the MSC’s principles for certification: sustainability of the targeted fish stock, low impacts on the ecosystem and effective management. They found that many of these fisheries – representing 35% of MSC-labelled seafood – did not meet MSC standards.

The study highlighted the case of a swordfish fishery which has high levels of by-catch, including sharks, endangered loggerhead and critically endangered leatherback turtles: “When the MSC labels a swordfish fishery that catches more sharks than swordfish ‘sustainable’, it’s time to re-evaluate its standards,” said one of the co-authors.

The authors of the study suggest that the MSC’s principles are too lenient, and allow for an overly generous interpretation by third-party certifiers and adjudicators, which means that the MSC label may be misleading to both consumers and conservation donors. “Unfortunately, the take-home message is that consumers can’t necessarily trust a label. They have to do a little bit of their own research, look for something that gives you more context than the label,” concluded the co-author of the study.

The MSC has objected to the paper and its conclusions in an official statement: “[The Biological Conservation paper] appears to misunderstand the intention of the objection procedure. Their paper fails to capture the wide range of benefits associated with a participatory and transparent objection process.”

FTA negotiations with Thailand to promote fish exports to the EU

info@agritrade.cta.int (Smedley, Clare ) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 09:53:33 +0000

On 6 March, the EU started negotiations for a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) with Thailand, the latest in a series with ASEAN countries. The EU is currently the third largest export market for the Thai fisheries industry: including frozen and prepared shrimps, canned tuna and tuna loins, and frozen squid. Thailand has become the primary source of canned tuna for the EU markets.

On this occasion, a public consultation has been launched by the EC, including on fisheries products, “to give the EU fisheries sector the opportunity to provide information that will help the Commission establish priorities and take decisions throughout the negotiating process”. The EC questionnaire covers issues such as tariffs, rules of origin, trade facilitation, investment in the fisheries sector (including access to fishing licences) and sustainable fisheries. In other words, it focuses on those participating in the regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) in their fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing commitments to global fisheries’ governance.

On 15 March, the European tuna sector platform EUROTHON published its views regarding these EU–Thailand FTA negotiations. EUROTHON underlined the need to develop FTAs with countries “having a high level of compliance with sound governance, human rights and global environment protection”. To that end, “the level playing field that EUROTHON would seek is at least the level that third countries would need to achieve to become beneficiaries of GSP+ trade advantages.”

EUROTHON asks that tuna products for the EU will be treated sensitively and will accordingly be excluded from the EU liberalisation. Thailand should apply the EU standard preferential rules of origin for imports of fishery products into the EU: “No derogation must be granted.” Moreover, as Thailand is a member of ASEAN, which regroups all major competitors for the EU tuna industry, “it is therefore of vital importance that the EU does not grant regional cumulation to Thailand.”

Finally, EUROTHON would be in favour of including sustainability provisions (socially as well as environmentally) in FTAs to ensure a ‘level playing field’. EUROTHON also requires that Thailand correctly applies the hygiene–sanitary, IUU and traceability regulations.

Tate

info@agritrade.cta.int (Smedley, Clare ) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 08:45:17 +0000

In April 2013, with the cost of importing sugar into the EU from preferred countries at a 10-month high, Tate & Lyle Sugars (TLS) expressed concerns, reported by Bloomberg, that sugar production quota abolition will allow EU beet processing companies “to produce and sell as much quantity as they wish”, while traditional refiners will not enjoy free access to their globally sourced raw sugar supplies. TLS called for “some kind of mechanism to allow the cane refiners to compete with fully liberalised beet and isoglucose sectors”.

Figures made available on sugar prices at the EC CAP management committee on 11 April 2013 showed that since the end of 2011, the gap between EU and world market prices for white sugar has been growing, with only a slight dip in the last month.

According to Bloomberg’s report, TLS representatives have argued that since “the ACP, LDC countries account for less than 5 percent of the world trade…, to continue to limit us to their supply volume wouldn’t be giving a parallel treatment.” TLS representatives insisted that “the EU must allow imports from elsewhere” in cases where ACP/LDC countries “cannot fulfil refiner needs”. TLS representatives also highlighted how certain north-western European sugar beet producers can produce sugar more cheaply than some ACP/LDC suppliers.

According to documents produced for the EC’s Advisory Group on Sugar, TLS’s concerns about the opening up of new sources of raw sugar imports are only partially addressed through the sugar tariff-rate quota (TRQ) arrangements under the Andean Pact and Central American FTA arrangements. These will provide access to only 246,000 tonnes of raw sugar in their first year of operation, increasing at a rate of 7,380 tonnes per annum. While India has requested expanded access for its sugar exports under the pending EU–India FTA, the EU continues to treat sugar as a sensitive product in these negotiations.

This has left the EU using a series of interim measures to improve availability of sugar on the EU market. Between January and March 2013, “the European Commission’s sugar management committee … authorised the import of 584,000 tonnes of white sugar…, nearly half the amount the EU is projected to approve this year.”

As noted in an article on the website Euractiv.com, the situation on the EU sugar market is of concern to others. The chief procurement officer for Unilever has estimated that the retention of the current EU sugar regime cost Unilever €26 million in 2012. This estimate is based on the difference between the EU and world market prices for white sugar.

Senegal refines its onion import regime

info@agritrade.cta.int (Smedley, Clare ) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 08:35:44 +0000

According to articles in the regional press, strong growth since 2003 in the Senegalese onion sector has seen production rise from 40,000 to 240,000 tonnes. However, Senegal continues to be an important market for EU onion exports. Senegal’s imports from the EU increased by 58% between 2007 and 2011, before falling in 2012 by 8.4% to 133,328 tonnes, some 17.2% of the EU’s total onion exports of 773,265 tonnes.

The decrease in Senegal’s imports from the EU may in part be attributable to the effects of a seasonal import ban that has been in place for a number of years. However, questions have been raised over the effectiveness of the seasonal import restrictions, with reports of stockpiling of imported onions occurring prior to the implementation of seasonal restrictions and their gradual release through the closed import period. Press reports in April 2013 highlighted the difficulties faced by Senegalese onion producers in obtaining profitable prices for their onions.

In order to address this issue, the 2013 starting date for seasonal import restrictions was brought forward from April to February. In addition, the government decided in April to introduce more stringent measures at ports to prevent the import of containers containing onions, as well as announcing that it would “facilitate” the granting of import authorisations to “importers who commit to promoting the marketing of local production”.

Linked to these import measures, the government of Senegal is supporting investment in post-harvest infrastructure, with the building of a major storage and conservation warehouse in Dagana Region, with support from the EU. This will allow producers to store their production and sell it during low season (i.e. periods when onions are not being harvested).

Jamaican cocoa farmers’ incomes boosted by pragmatic solutions while legislation is pending

info@agritrade.cta.int (Smedley, Clare ) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 08:29:14 +0000

According to the Jamaican press, the president of the Jamaican Cocoa Farmers’ Association (JCFA) has said that “the JCFA has been paying its members up to J$2,500 [€19.68] per box for their supplies, which is J$500 more than the J$2,000 price paid by the Cocoa Board”. However, “JCFA bought only 87.5 tonnes of cocoa” in the 2012/13 financial year, around 7% of production. Given the financial difficulties of the state-run Cocoa Industry Board – which has seen farmers holding back supplies as a result of arrears in payment – JCFA has had to announce that it can only buy cocoa from JFCA members. At present, payments to JCFA members are made in a timely manner, through a well- structured payment system (paid within 2 weeks direct to their bank accounts). JCFA is, however, open to accepting new members upon payment of membership fees.

JCFA sees readily available opportunities for the marketing of Jamaican fine/flavoured cocoa in Belgium, Germany, Japan and Saudi Arabia, noting that the only limit is the availability of supplies. For the coming year the Association has already committed its available production under specific contracts, obtaining prices that are reportedly among the highest in the Caribbean region. It is these forward contracts that support the JCFA’s ability to promptly pay farmers at levels 25% above the Cocoa Industry Board price.

JCFA is working with the Cocoa Industry Board to boost overall cocoa production by purchasing and distributing “24,000 seedlings… to all cocoa farmers, regardless [of whether] they are members of the association”. However, farmers must undertake “all land preparation work before receiving the seedlings”.

Plans are currently under way in Jamaica to “demonopolise” the sale of cocoa beans. While the new legal arrangements for licensing cocoa beans exports have not yet been finalised, the JCFA has been able to commence direct exports with the permission of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Legal and regulatory constraints on GI protection illustrated

info@agritrade.cta.int (Smedley, Clare ) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 08:05:37 +0000

Given that the rooibos industry in South Africa “has an estimated R600 million turnover [€48.8m] and employs 4,500 people”, there is some confusion as to why comprehensive moves to register rooibos as a ‘geographical indication’ (GI) or a trademark have not been initiated sooner. Seven years before recent French corporate efforts to register rooibos as a trademark, a similar case arose in the United States.

According to an article in South Africa’s Business Day, Soekie Snyman, Coordinator of the Rooibos Council of South Africa, argued recently that the Council had “found it difficult to determine how best to protect the tea”. This was particularly the case since “South African law did not cater for geographical indications”, while EU rules “demand that a geographical indication be protected domestically before the EU accepts it”.

The article notes that the Rooibos Council is now fast-tracking the registration of rooibos as a collective trademark. Similar moves are expected from the South African Honeybush Tea Association. The Council hopes that receiving “official trademark status in South Africa” will be sufficient for the EU to extend GI protection to rooibos in order to combat efforts by the French firm Compagnie de Trucy to obtain exclusive marketing rights, which “could affect South African exporters in any international market”.

The South African government has now sent a communication to the EU seeking “protection of ‘rooibos’, ‘honeybush’ and ‘Karoo’ as geographical indications under the economic partnership agreement between South Africa and the EU”. According to the EC’s economic and trade counsellor in South Africa, the extension of such protection will form part of the EPA negotiations.

African Agricultural Technology Foundation Partnerships Newsletter Issue 12 / Jan-Mar 2013

francis@cta.int (Jeanneret-Grosjean Cedric ) — Thu, 30 May 2013 19:10:13 +0000

The African Agricultural Technology Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that facilitates and promotes public/private partnerships for the access and delivery of appropriate agricultural technologies for sustainable use by smallholder farmers in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) through innovative partnerships and effective stewardship along the entire value chain.

Visit their site: www.aatf-africa.org

Agrikalsa Nius - March 2013 - Solomon Islands agricultural newsletter

francis@cta.int (Jeanneret-Grosjean Cedric ) — Wed, 29 May 2013 08:56:14 +0000

Agrikalsa Nius is the monthly electronic newsletter of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of the Solomon Islands. It is prepared by the Agriculture Information Unit; to subscribe, send your e-mail address to mal.agrikalsanius[at]gmail[dot]com.

Agrikalsa Nius - April 2013 - Solomon Islands agricultural newsletter

francis@cta.int (Jeanneret-Grosjean Cedric ) — Wed, 29 May 2013 08:50:52 +0000

Guidelines: access and benefit sharing in research projects

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:01:20 +0000

These guidelines describe the type of agreements that can be used in access and benefit sharing in research projects. Their primary audience are scientists working with crop genetic resources and related traditional knowledge in research organisations. They can also be useful for authorities involved in legislative processes on the matter and for local populations who participate in research and development projects dealing with the conservation and use of agricultural biodiversity. This publication is based on the experience gained during the implementation of the project ‘In situ/On farm Conservation and Use of Agricultural Biodiversity (Horticultural Crops and Wild Fruit Species) in Central Asia’.

(Agrobiodiversity Platform, 12/4/2013)

Factors affecting access to and protection of aquaculture genetic resources

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:59:11 +0000

Actors in the aquaculture sector face emerging difficulties pertaining to affordable access to improved breeding material and technology, while also securing adequate funding for sustainable breeding programmes. Public ownership or support seems to be important measures to balance these objectives. This is particularly the case during the early phases of implementation and operation of applied aquaculture breeding programs. This study thus investigates how actors in the sector access aquatic genetic material and protect innovations in breeding. It analyses how corporate strategies, technological developments, and international regulatory regimes affect these options.

(FNI, 03/2013)

Roadmap for the foundation of a sustainable cassava industry in Jamaica

francis@cta.int (Jeanneret-Grosjean Cedric ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:54:37 +0000

The Cassava Value Chain Roadmap was developed from the proceedings of a national workshop which was held as an off shoot of the regional workshop Adding value to local foods for food and nutrition security: myth or strategic option – Leveraging the research, innovation and entrepreneurship network, 26-29 November 2012. Industry experts, researchers and practitioners delivered key presentations on various aspects of the industry. Gaps, and proposed solutions or options were identified for moving the industry forward.

[CTA REPORTS: ADDING VALUE TO LOCAL FOODS FOR FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY: MYTH OR STRATEGIC OPTION]

The Role and Impact of State Marketing Boards and Agencies

francis@cta.int (Jeanneret-Grosjean Cedric ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:52:19 +0000

This CTA commissioned report reviews the impacts that state marketing boards and agencies have had on the agricultural sector. The broad findings are that state boards and agencies are generally operating within a set of traditional parameters and are required to respond to often quite different commercial, regulatory and policy agendas at the same time. These agendas are to a large extent no longer relevant in the 21st century, and often lead to confusion in achieving the desired outcomes. In addition, such entities tend to be ‘followers’ rather than ‘leaders’ and innovators. Their contribution to creating value and improving food and nutrition security in the region has not been significant and the Caribbean has become a net importer of food.

[CTA REPORTS: ADDING VALUE TO LOCAL FOODS FOR FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY: MYTH OR STRATEGIC OPTION]

_{Image:Empire Marketing Board (1927) poster 'Highways of Empire' by Macdonald Gill (1927);}_{Source: UK National Archives. Catalogue reference: CO 956/537.}

A review of global scenario exercises for food security analysis: assumptions and results

francis@cta.int (Jeanneret-Grosjean Cedric ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:48:19 +0000

This study reviews nine major global food security scenario in the literature, published between 2000 and 2012. Four out of the nine studies focus explicitly on agriculture and the food system. Four others have a broader or different perspective (e.g. climate change, environment and ecosystems) but include elements relevant for food security analysis. The study finds that all of the scenarios only deal with two of the four dimensions of food security: food availability and food accessibility, while food utilisation and stability are hardly covered.

(FoodSecure.eu and LEI Wageningen UR, 14/02/2013)

Farming change: growing more food with a changing resource base

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:46:24 +0000

This publication combines three inter-related papers on Caribbean agriculture on growing food crops without soil, securing ecosystems services of forest cover and combating invasive alien species. The first paper presents the types of soils, their suitability to food production, the soil fertility and degradation, the latest advancement in soilless technologies and some enabling policy options. The second paper describes the types, functions and services of forested ecosystems in the Caribbean (timber and non-timber use, provision of water supply, soil protection, and the problem of hillside deforestation for agriculture). The third paper covers the issue of biodiversity destruction, including the impacts on economically important crop and animal species for food production, by focussing on the invasive alien species threat.

(IICA, CARDI, CTA, 2012)

Key environmental impacts of global genetically modified (GM) crop use 1996–2011

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:04:30 +0000

This paper updates previous assessments of the environmental impact crop biotechnology has had on global agriculture. According to this paper, the adoption of the technology has reduced pesticide spraying by 8.9% and, as a result, decreased the environmental impact associated with herbicide and insecticide use on GM crops. The technology has apparently facilitated a significant reduction in the release of greenhouse gas emissions from this cropping area, which, in 2011, was equivalent to removing 10.22 million cars from the roads.

(Landes Bioscience, Vol. 4 Iss. 2, Spring 2013)

Ecological livestock

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:48:08 +0000

With a focus in Europe, this Greenpeace technical paper explores the options for reducing the impacts of livestock production and consumption on biodiversity loss, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles, land use change, and climate change. It defines the concept of ‘land sparing’, which believes that sustainable intensive agriculture will lead to more land available elsewhere for conservation and biodiversity, for example forest protection.

(Greenpeace Research Laboratories Technical Report, 12/02/2013)

Innovate: The Scinnovent Centre Newsletter March 2013

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:44:42 +0000

In the March 2013 issue of the Scinnovent Centre: Making research evidence count for policy, practice, and governance of STI, with interviews; Review of various STI forums and training; Three new publications; New project: Mapping pollution for health research.

http://www.scinnovent.org/

(Scinnovent Centre, 03/2013)

SRI: much more than more rice

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:43:15 +0000

The March 2013 issue of Farming Matters is dedicated to the System of Rice Intensification (SRI). It contains case studies, analysis and interviews dedicated to this innovative form of rice production.

http://www.agriculturesnetwork.org/get-involved/events/events-2013/sri-wageningen

(Farming Matters, 03/2013)

Climate-smart agriculture in Africa: e-discussion summary report, March 2013

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:38:44 +0000

During a month-long e-discussion on climate-smart agriculture (CSA), the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) invited participants to share real-life examples to strengthen the evidence base on climate-smart agriculture, particularly in the context of Brazil-Africa agricultural cooperation. Participants underscored the need for high-level support to reduce the risks facing farmers. They stressed that a large part of innovation is in organisational and behavioural change, not just the introduction of new technologies. On gender issues, the group noted the need to link gender to monitoring and evaluation to ensure that the issue is adequately considered, and it called for supporting women and the most vulnerable groups to access land, resources and markets.

http://www.ipc-undp.org/pressroom/files/ipc819.pdf

http://climate-l.iisd.org/news/ipc-ig-collects-evidence-on-climate-smart-agriculture/

(via IISD Reporting Service, 26/03/2013)

Synthesis Report of 2nd International Symposium on Underutilized Plant Species

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:36:56 +0000

This title contains 89 articles on research avenues, strategies and practices related to the conservation and use of underutilised plant genetic resources, with a focus on tropical fruits. The 2^nd International Symposium on Underutilized Plant Species took place in June 2011 in Kuala Lumpur. The compilation lists work on community seed systems, indigenous food crops, underutilised plants, tropical fruits and vegetables, policy dialogue and patenting issues, food and nutrition security, options for biotechnology, among many other advanced subjects.

http://www.ishs.org/ishs-book/979

(ISHS, March 2013)

Modern ICT for agricultural development and risk management in smallholder agriculture in India

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:33:57 +0000

While helping farmers manage production and market risks, obtain good prices and reduce wastage, this research by CIMMYT found that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) still need better supporting infrastructure in rural areas, improved small farmers technical literacy and more inclusive business models. Mobile telephony has been the most recent and widely-accepted mode of delivering information. Increasing mobile phone and mobile phone-based services enhances the availability of content-specific information, and also helps to improve awareness, education, the better adoption of technology, better health and efficiency, reduced transaction costs, greater market efficiency and better climate-linked risk management

http://purl.umn.edu/147107

(CIMMYT Working paper 3, 04/2012)

Lessons learned: an innovation learning platform for Drought Tolerant Maize in Malawi

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:31:53 +0000

This study found that increasing the scope of the demonstration trials and a more timely delivery of inputs would improve the Innovation Learning Platform (ILeP) of the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) project. Facing the challenge of how best to advocate and promote drought tolerant maize varieties, the DTMA initiative established an ILeP in Malawi and Nigeria. This report focuses on presenting detailed account of the implementation of the approach, the lessons learned, analysing whether there is enough experience to suggest (or not) extrapolation of the approach to other areas and communities.

http://purl.umn.edu/147181

(CIMMYT Working Paper 6, 09/2012)

Genetics in agriculture

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:22:35 +0000

In this issue of GeneWatch: livestock genebanks, agricultural biotechnology policy, patented seeds, agricultural technologies in a warming world, and more.

http://goo.gl/0qehY

(Council for Responsible Genetics, Jan-Mar 2013)

Factors affecting access to and protection of aquaculture genetic resources

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:17:20 +0000

The study investigates how actors in the aquaculture sector access aquatic genetic material and protect innovations in breeding. It analyses how corporate strategies, technological developments, and international regulatory regimes affect these options.

http://www.fni.no/publ/biodiversity.html#agr

(FNO, 03/2013)

Guidelines: access and benefit sharing in research projects

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:15:57 +0000

These guidelines describe the type of agreements that can be used in access and benefit sharing in research projects. Target audience are scientists working with crop genetic resources and related traditional knowledge.

http://agrobiodiversityplatform.org/par/2013/04/12/guidelines-access-and-benefit-sharing-in-research-projects/

(PAR, 12/04/2013)

Opportunities and limitations for functional agrobiodiversity (FAB) in the European context

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:09:44 +0000

Reforms in EU policy facilitate the implementation of FAB concepts in agriculture but Impediments to the adoption of FAB approaches still exist, mainly: no ready-to-use management practices and lack of data on the effectiveness of FAB measures.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1462901112002523

(via ELN-FAB Newsletter, April 2013)

Ecological livestock

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:04:19 +0000

With a focus in Europe, options are explored for reducing the impacts of livestock production and consumption on biodiversity loss, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles, land use change, and climate change.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/publications/Campaign-reports/Agriculture/Ecological-Livestock/

(Greenpeace Research Laboratories Technical Report, 12/02/2013)

SRI - much more than more rice

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:02:29 +0000

The March 2013 issue of Farming Matters is dedicated to the System of Rice Intensification (SRI). It contains case studies, analysis and interviews dedicated to this innovative form of rice production.

http://www.agriculturesnetwork.org/get-involved/events/events-2013/sri-wageningen#.UVqgf6wPM6s.twitter

(Farming Matters, 03/2013)

Key environmental impacts of global genetically modified (GM) crop use 1996–2011

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:50:13 +0000

This paper updates previous assessments of the environmental impact (associated with changes in pesticide use and greenhouse gas emissions) crop biotechnology has had on global agriculture.

http://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/gmcrops/article/24459/

(Landes Bioscience, Vol 4 Iss 2, Spring 2013)

Lessons learned: an innovation learning platform for Drought Tolerant Maize in Malawi

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:48:06 +0000

This study found that increasing the scope of the demonstration trials and a more timely delivery of inputs would improve the Innovation Learning Platform of the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) project.

http://purl.umn.edu/147181

(CIMMYT Working Paper 6, 09/2012)

Report on ASARECA workshop on cage aquaculture and the environment

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:30:14 +0000

The report raises awareness of environmental issues, the consequences of ignoring these, and the tools available to incorporate cage aquaculture into more comprehensive lake management programmes.

http://cgspace.cgiar.org/handle/10568/27783

(ASARECA, 31/03/2013)

‘Sustainable Sourcing of Agricultural Raw Materials. A Practitioner’s Guide’

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:09:31 +0000

This guide sets out the issues companies need to take into consideration when planning and implementing a sustainable sourcing strategy, with particular focus on developing a sustainable supply chain. Illustrating the main challenges in developing sustainable supply chains, it develops a set of actions and strategic responses to support businesses in dealing with sustainability issues along the supply chain. The collaborating partners to this joint publication area among others the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI).

http://www.intracen.org/Sustainable-Sourcing-Guide/

(International Trade Centre, 12/3/2013)

‘Agricultural Research for Development in Papua New Guinea’

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:04:51 +0000

Co-edited by Dr. Andy Hall, this book presents a collection of papers on an agricultural capacity building programme in Papua New Guinea. It fleshes out the conceptual bones of Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D), a practice which aims to directly link investments in research with tangible development outcomes. Topics discussed include: organisational needs assessment, facilitating AR4D, capacity building at NARI, agricultural innovation grant scheme, research-policy linkages.

http://www.merit.unu.edu/permalink.php?id=855

(UNU-MERIT, 18/2/2013)

Tropical fruit tree species and climate change

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:03:00 +0000

Tropical fruits are adapted to hot and humid environments. Many tropical fruit species might spread beyond their current geographical limit whereas some species might exhibit irregular bearing of fruit. In this context, there are some important questions that need answers: What are the key characteristics that allow farmers to choose a new crop that they are not used to growing? Are farmers already experiencing impacts of climate change? If so, what are their adaptation strategies? Are there new opportunities for capitalizing tropical fruit tree genetic resources that benefit human kind? The study provides a state of knowledge to overcome threats to agriculture and food security, exploring new ways of helping vulnerable rural communities adjust to global changes in climate.

http://www.bioversityinternational.org/index.php?id=19&user_bioversitypublications_pi1[showUid]=6946

(Bioversity, 2012)

Agriculture for development: new paradigm and options for success

francis@cta.int (Myren Britt ) — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:01:05 +0000

The role of agriculture as an instrument for industrialisation had been rigorously conceptualized in the 1960s and 1970s under the classical paradigm of development economics. After many implementation failures under import substitution industrialisation policies and protracted neglect of agriculture under the policies of the Washington Consensus that followed the debt crisis, agriculture has gradually returned in the development agenda, especially with the food crisis. Alain de Janvry, UC Berkeley, argues in this article that a new paradigm has started to emerge as to how to use agriculture for development, pursuing a broadened development agenda. He explores the specifications of this paradigm and discusses conditions for successful implementation.

http://are.berkeley.edu/~esadoulet/papers/De%20Janvry%20Elmhirst%20lecture.pdf

(International Association of Agricultural Economists, 2010)

Disaster risk management

ictupdate-feedback@cta.int (Jim Dempsey) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:38:37 +0000

Pacific Disaster Net is one of several initiatives that brings together a wide selection of information and tools that supports stakeholders and communities to prepare for and manage natural disasters in the Pacific island region.

Adopting ICTs on small islands

ictupdate-feedback@cta.int (Jim Dempsey) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:32:50 +0000

An ICT-based development framework

ictupdate-feedback@cta.int (Jim Dempsey) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:27:49 +0000

ICTs delivered through an appropriate development framework can help overcome the physical boundaries that limit small islands’ capacity to conduct economic, political and social transactions.

Mobile innovation on Caribbean islands

ictupdate-feedback@cta.int (Jim Dempsey) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:07:49 +0000

The Caribbean Mobile Innovation Project, launched by infoDev, aims to help mobile app innovators in the region bring their mobile apps, services and content to the market and build growth-oriented startups into successful enterprises.

Managing plant pests

ictupdate-feedback@cta.int (Jim Dempsey) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:53:31 +0000

Towards Caribbean e-agriculture

ictupdate-feedback@cta.int (Jim Dempsey) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:43:01 +0000

Despite high mobile penetration in Caribbean developing nations, using ICTs for business activities is still an obstacle for many smallholders in the agricultural sector.

Handheld digital data collection

ictupdate-feedback@cta.int (Britt Myren) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 12:09:59 +0000

KoBoToolbox provides an integrated suite of applications for mobile digital data collection which you can use while conducting academic research.

Promoting entrepreneurship through social media

ictupdate-feedback@cta.int (Britt Myren) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 11:48:51 +0000

Olawale Isaiah Ojo uses the social media to inform the youth about agricultural entrepreneurship.

Slow progress in ICTs for African research

ictupdate-feedback@cta.int (Britt Myren) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 11:42:54 +0000

African agricultural research institutes increased their use of ICTs, however, progress is slow, says Myra Wopereis-Pura.

The right information at the right time

ictupdate-feedback@cta.int (Britt Myren) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 11:31:58 +0000

Multidisciplinary institutions need to develop, use and sustain ICT innovations for linking research, extension and markets, thereby bringing research into practice.

Sharing local knowledge

ictupdate-feedback@cta.int (Britt Myren) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 11:26:06 +0000

Researchers now use ICTs to gather information more effectively from the field. ICTs also give them the possibility to help share knowledge in local communities.

Research-based advice for farmers

ictupdate-feedback@cta.int (Britt Myren) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 11:15:22 +0000

Based on information from soil samples in Africa, ICT tools have been developed to gather more specific information and disseminate research results to farmers by using text messages.

Promoting interactivity

ictupdate-feedback@cta.int (Britt Myren) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 10:04:14 +0000

ICTs can help researchers to interact with farmers. The challenge lies in finding a way of integrating traditional and new communication technologies such as mobile phone, radio and video services to send agricultural and market information to farmers.

Funded by the crowd

ictupdate-feedback@cta.int (Britt Myren) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 23:00:11 +0000

Dan Kisauzi, managing consultant at the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS), explains how local rural development organisations can make use of crowd-funding.

Social media as advocacy tool

ictupdate-feedback@cta.int (Britt Myren) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 22:01:48 +0000

Hudson Wereh Shiraku is a project assistant at Biovision. He runs a blog about youth and agriculture and uses ICTs as advocacy tool to promote organic agriculture.

What can crowdmaps do for me?

ictupdate-feedback@cta.int (Britt Myren) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:09:06 +0000

A crowdmap is a tool that allows people to collect, visualise and map crowdsourced information in support of spatial decision making and information dissemination.

ICTs for indigenous knowledge preservation

ictupdate-feedback@cta.int (Britt Myren) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 11:59:36 +0000

Public libraries in South Africa engage with local communities to preserve indigenous knowledge. This involves teaching them to use ICT tools.

Springboard for crowdsourcing

ictupdate-feedback@cta.int (Britt Myren) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 11:50:39 +0000

In Jamaica, extending a mobile application's functionality with real-time information from farmers could create a service that is more practical for them and for extension officers.

Mapping trees for food security

ictupdate-feedback@cta.int (Britt Myren) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 11:38:47 +0000

A crowdsourcing experiment was carried out in Mauritius to find out where the island’s breadfruit trees are located. However, the contributors’ lack of ICT skills made for disappointing results.

Crowdsourced land rights

ictupdate-feedback@cta.int (Britt Myren) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 11:15:39 +0000

Crowdsourcing initiatives can encourage and support citizens to directly capture and maintain information about land rights. A database of crowdsourced land rights can improve security of tenure for the poorest.

Improved plantain production

Plantains are able to adapt to a variety of ecosystems and offer great potential in food production; however, despite this, plantain cultivation remains a marginal activity. This manual describes basic procedures for improved plantain production.

Intensive Rice Cultivation

As a result of population pressure and frequent shortages of land and water, this guide describes other methods of cultivation that could be used in order to improve rice yields.

ASSESSMENT OF AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION NEEDS IN AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN & PACIFIC (ACP) STATES EASTERN AFRICA Final Overview Report

Agrodok 48 Entering the organic export market

A guide for farmer's organisations

Agritrade: Agricultural and fisheries trade issues for ACP countries: 2010 Compendium

The second in a series launched in 2009, this 2010 Compendium offers a collection of critical reviews of issues related to agricultural and fisheries trade for the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries published on the Agritrade website between 2009 and 2010.

Follow-up to CTA’s Agricultural Information Needs Assessment Studies for the Caribbean and Pacific - Part 1 of 2 - From study to strategy

Follow-up to CTA’s Agricultural Information Needs Assessment Studies for the Caribbean and Pacific - Part 2 of 2 - From strategy to implementation

Assessment of Agricultural information needs in African, Caribbean & Pacific (ACP) States: Country Study Burundi

Assessment of Agricultural information needs in African, Caribbean & Pacific (ACP) States: Country Study Cape Verde

Assessment of Agricultural information needs in African, Caribbean & Pacific (ACP) States: Country Study Comores