News digest: Agri-food policy
- 28/05/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, Cocoa, News, Pacific, Pepper
No CommentsGLOBAL Fairtrade Covid Fund: A significant impact for farmers Fairtrade’s Covid Relief and Resilience Fund is a joint effort developed by Fairtrade International, its member organisations, and government and commercial partners, aimed at delivering direct financial help to small-scale producers hard-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. More than 500,000 farmers and agricultural workers in nearly 60 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean benefit from the Fund. Launched in 2020. the €15 million fund runs until 2022, providing personal… +Nairobi: International Avocado Congress
- 27/05/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Avocados, Kenya, News
The International Africa Avocado Congress – Avocado Africa 2021 – will be held in Nairobi on 23–25 June. The Avocado Society of Kenya (ASOK) organises the congress in collaboration with other regional and international organisations in the avocado value chain in Africa and beyond. The event, with the theme “Avocado Africa: A convergence of technology and business for increased competitiveness and trade”, is a platform specifically aimed at stimulating trade, technology, knowledge transfer and sharing, and will draw avocado sector… +Setting up an internal audit system
- 27/05/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Burkina Faso, Capsicum, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Senegal
This new training series, “Setting up an internal audit system at the level of National Plant Protection Organisations”, has just been launched in French with participation of the NPPOs of six countries: Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali and Senegal. This online training is taking place over seven weeks in May and June, and a repeat session will be offered in August. The course materials are currently being translated, and a training series for NPPOs in English-speaking countries will… +Disseminating R-SAT – COLEACP’s Rapid SPS Assessment Tool
- 27/05/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Suriname, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Competent authorities of six priority countries On 22 and 29 April, COLEACP’s new Rapid SPS Assessment Tool (R-SAT) was presented in English and French to competent authorities of the six priority countries where it will soon be applied: Suriname, Uganda and Zimbabwe; Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal. A presentation of the tool was followed by discussions. The planning for its implementation in the six pilot countries will be discussed with each country individually, including selection of the value chain that… +Import controls in Europe – the example of Belgium
- 27/05/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
On 4 May, COLEACP held a meeting with National Plant Protection Organisations (NPPOs) and stakeholders in the fruit and vegetable sector of ACP countries on “How import controls of fresh fruit and vegetables are carried out in Europe – the example of Belgium”. The meeting was well attended, gathering around 60 participants representing NPPOs from all ACP regions along with COLEACP experts. Following presentations on the experiences of Senegalese and Kenyan exporters, Lazlo Avonts described the activities of the Border… +NExT Kenya – Live update
- 30/04/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Kenya
Successful digital status event of the NExT Kenya programme On 29th of April, COLEACP hosted a digital event on its 5-million EUR NExT Kenya programme, funded through the EU to enhance Kenya’s horticultural exports. 150 participants had the opportunity to listen to our high-level panelists, to find out what has happened in the first year of the programme and how to partner with the programme. Following speakers all shared their views on the current challenges and opportunities of the Kenyan… +St Vincent & The Grenadines: Update 27 April
- 27/04/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Caribbean, News, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
For the past two weeks the government has been mobilising the international community to request financial support for reconstruction. The latest estimate by the Ministry of Finance was for $500 million (50% of St Vincent & The Grenadines’ annual GDP). The United Nations has launched an appeal for solidarity and some countries have already replied positively. The Prime Minister and the Ministers of Finance and Tourism visited the North region (up to the Red zone limits) to see the impact… +Suriname: Capacity building bears fruit
- 26/04/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Caribbean, News, Suriname
Ministry extension staff (group 2) trained in the COLEACP Field Training Workshop method Training-of-trainers on safe use of pesticides, crop protection and Field Training Workshops for extension workers and researchers of MAAHF Suriname In Suriname, the primary support to famers is provided through the extension services of the Agriculture sub-directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries (MAAHF). A need was identified for Ministry extension staff to receiving training in COLEACP’s Field Training Workshop method to upgrade their… +Our team of national relays
- 22/04/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Caribbean, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Fiji, Guinea, Madagascar, News, Pacific, Senegal, Suriname, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda
COLEACP has long depended on a committed team of local representatives (“relays”), who contribute their wide-ranging in-country and regional expertise in each of the three African, Caribbean and Pacific regions, keep us in touch with our value chains “on the ground”, and enhance our networks. Meet the team! COLEACP National Relays AFRICA Burkina Faso Edit Patric KABRÉ is an expert in food safety and SPS issues Cameroon Guy Jacques WAMBA is an agricultural engineer specialising in plant protection and organic… +News digest: policy
- 22/04/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
GLOBAL 2021 Global food policy report: Transforming food systems after Covid-19 On 13 April the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) launched its 2021 Global Food Policy Report. Covid-19 upended our food systems in 2020, leading to lost livelihoods, food insecurity and rising poverty. The report looks at the critical lessons learned from the pandemic so far and explores opportunities for transforming our food systems to be more resilient, healthy, sustainable, efficient and inclusive going forward. Critical questions addressed include:… +