• West African mango blockchain – Making supply chains more resilient

    • 25/05/2020
    • Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
    • Category: Côte d'Ivoire, Mangoes, News
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    COLEACP has been working with Société Internationale d’Importation (SIIM) and Belgian start-up BlockO to develop MangoBlockchain, currently in beta version – a tool that is especially relevant in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, where the resilience of supply chains depends on trust and transparency (Commodafrica, 19 May). A first for the region, MangoBlockchain will contribute to the professionalisation of the West African mango sector, which in recent years has experienced too many interceptions on arrival on the European market.… +
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  • Enhancing kenyan horticultural exports: COLEACP’s new EU programme

    • 15/05/2020
    • Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
    • Category: Kenya, News
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    COLEACP’s new Nairobi-based programme, signed on 30 April, aims to increase the resilience, inclusiveness and sustainability of Kenyan horticultural value chains. The four-year, €5 million programme financed by the European Union through the EU delegation in Kenya, will aim to secure a lasting improvement in the capacity of all stakeholders in the Kenyan horticultural sector to adapt to evolving sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS), commercial, social and environmental requirements on local, regional and international markets. Implemented by a programme management unit… +
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  • B2B networking in the Pacific region

    • 14/05/2020
    • Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
    • Category: Fiji, News, Pacific
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    At the Joint ACP-EU Private Sector Development Information, Knowledge Sharing and Networking event for the Pacific region in December, COLEACP participated in a B2B session for Fijian producers and export companies. The event, organised with the technical support of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and the Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO), brings together the implementation agencies of ACP/EU financing facilities and private sector development programmes on one hand, and ACP private sector stakeholders on the other.  … +
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  • Important information regarding non-renewal of plant protection product approvals

    • 05/05/2020
    • Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
    • Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
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    This news info provides an on regulatory changes concerning plant protection products The European Commission (EC) has recently issued notifications of the non-renewal of approval under EU regulations of 4 key plant protection products: thiacloprid, beta-cyfluthrin, fenamiphos and mancozeb. MRL CHANGES FOLLOWING NON-RENEWAL OF THESE ACTIVE SUBSTANCES Following non-renewal of EU authorizations, the maximum residue levels (MRLs) are generally lowered to the limit of determination (LOD): 0.01 mg/kg. In most cases this will mean that these substances can no longer… +
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  • Desert Locust situation

    • 05/05/2020
    • Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
    • Category: Africa, News
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    As we all focus on COVID-19, it’s important not to lose sight of other critical issues facing the sector. Of particular concern is the locust crisis in Africa; the forecast is worrying and FAO warns that the impact on food security in the next few months could be devastating. According to the FAO Locust Watch update, the situation in the Horn of Africa remains extremely serious. In Kenya, a new generation of locusts is developing. More eggs will hatch and… +
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  • Focus on the global flower industry

    • 24/04/2020
    • Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
    • Category: News
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    PROVIDED BY UNION FLEURS – INTERNATIONAL FLOWER TRADE ASSOCIATION (WWW.UNIONFLEURS.ORG) European market Since mid-April, activity is gradually restarting on the European market with garden centres having opened again in some EU countries (Belgium, Austria, the whole of Germany). It provides some breathing space for the sector, but some major markets are still mostly locked down (e.g. France, United Kingdom, Switzerland). The overall market activity (both volumes and prices) in the EU is in any case nowhere close to what it… +
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  • COLEACP launches new Digital Distance Training

    • 24/04/2020
    • Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
    • Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
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    COLEACP is moving from face-to-face training to digital training in the context of COVID-19. To comply with precautionary measures related to COVID-19, for the time being COLEACP has cancelled the organization of group training sessions. As an alternative, digital distance training is the best solution. Digital distance learning cannot entirely replace face-to-face training. However, methods and technologies are now available to achieve a highly satisfactory quality of training. COLEACP has already moved ahead with the launch of Digital Distance Training… +
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  • Business support for SMEs

    • 24/04/2020
    • Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
    • Category: Caribbean, News, South Africa
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    Inter-American Development Bank This hub, coordinated by the IADB, lists initiatives and solutions to support SMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean through the crisis. It includes an interactive map of ideas and innovations in Latin America and the Caribbean, with ideas from entrepreneurs for possible innovative solutions applicable to the COVID-19 crisis. OECD – SME Policy Responses This guide from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development highlights how SMEs are being affected by the current COVID-19 pandemic, reports… +
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  • GLOBALG.A.P. – What You Need to Know

    • 24/04/2020
    • Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
    • Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
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    GLOBALG.A.P. has published a set of FAQs relating to COVID-19 for producers with GLOBALG.A.P. Certificates and Certification Bodies. It explains procedures for re-registrations and extensions, and which control points and compliance criteria are directly affected by the GLOBALG.A.P. emergency procedure due to the coronavirus. GLOBALG.A.P. is working on the option of remote inspections and audits for certification bodies and producers: IFA Remote. An initial draft of the IFA Remote solution will soon be published, along with an invitation to join… +
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  • FAO’s information bank

    • 24/04/2020
    • Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
    • Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
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    FAO is has a growing range of information resources on COVID-19, available through its dedicated website. Selected information of particular relevance to COLEACP’s members and beneficiaries includes: POLICY BRIEF on COVID-19 and smallholder producers’ access to markets. Immediate impacts tend to be more severe for high-value commodities (perishable products), which are often produced by smallholder farmers. Several countries are putting in place a variety of measures to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on smallholder producers. This brief builds on… +
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