News digest: Brexit
- 16/03/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
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Ghana–UK trade agreement Ghana and the United Kingdom signed a trade agreement worth $1.6 billion on 2 March (Gov.uk, 2 March; Africanews, 3 March), and the legislation came into force on 5 March. The renewed Continuity Agreement will allow duty-free, quota-free access for Ghana to the UK market, and preferential tariff reductions for UK exporters to the Ghanaian market. It means Ghanaian products such as bananas, tinned tuna and cocoa can be traded to Britain without tariffs. The UK Global… +International Women’s Rights Day 2021
- 08/03/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
Celebrate with PAFO and COLEACP women innovations in the agrifood sector! Women still face too many challenges in finding jobs in the formal economy or starting and developing businesses, due to insufficient conducive policies and normslow rates of land ownership, as well as access and control over resources and limited access to credit. However, women are a significant entrepreneurial force as owners of farms, input supply stores, service delivery businesses, and processing and export firms whose contributions to local, national,… +News digest: Policy
- 17/02/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
GLOBAL UNEP Adaptation Gap Report focuses on nature-based solutions Capping a year that was one of the three warmest on record, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has released its fifth Adaptation Gap Report, finding that although many nations have advanced in adaptation planning, developing countries face a significant gap in adaptation finance (IISD, 25 January). The report places special focus on nature-based solutions that promote protection, sustainable management and restoration of ecosystems. It finds that nature-based solutions must receive significantly… +Finding alternatives to control priority pests and diseases
- 17/02/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Avocados, Capsicum, Caribbean, Kenya, Mangoes, News, Pacific
Research & Innovation activities at COLEACP aim to ensure that solutions are available to farmers to tackle priority pests and diseases Challenges following EU ban on PPPs Every year, the use of many plant protection products (PPPs) is affected by regulatory changes – that is, changes in approvals and Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs). This has a direct impact on producers who often must change production methods (good agricultural practices – GAP) to comply with the new rules. Any non-compliances can… +News digest: Agri-food markets & production
- 17/02/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean
GLOBAL Overview: Global papaya market The situation in the global papaya market is quite stable at the moment (Fresh Plaza, 12 February). But the lack of air cargo capacity due to the coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on the supply and price levels of papayas, which are significantly more expensive than in other years. Overview: Global onion market The global onion market is stable at the moment. Last year’s harvest was good in Europe and North America, but… +New COLEACP Rapid SPS Assessment Tool – promoting dialogue and engagement
- 09/02/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, Pacific
COLEACP’s new Rapid SPS Assessment Tool (R-SAT) provides an integrative change management model to help competent authorities in ACP countries assess their national sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) systems. At the heart of the model is the facilitation of dialogue and engagement between the key stakeholders, both public and private. In the final stage of developing R-SAT, online training sessions are taking place with SPS experts: one in English in the second half of February, and one in French in the… +COLEACP information meetings for NPPOs
- 09/02/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, Pacific
Further information on TRACES NT COLEACP’s videoconference for National Plant Protection Organisations (NPPOs) on 19 January, on “Use of the European TRACES NT system in ACP countries”, was well attended. Resources The following additional support is available on using TRACES NT: From late March 2021, virtual training courses will be provided by Better Training for Safer Food (BTSF). COLEACP will provide details when more information becomes available. Distance support and training from the TRACES helpdesk is available on request: contact… +STDF Cameroon: Collective training on good nursery practices
- 24/01/2021
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: Africa, Cameroon, News
In December 2021, group training was held in Penja, Cameroon on good nursery practices in Penja. The training for member companies of the Penja pepper GI aimed to strengthen the skills of nurserymen and nursery managers so that they can master the management of a nursery, from choosing varieties to an understanding of risk control measures recommended in nurseries. The training, part of the “Project to improve the sanitary and phytosanitary quality of Penja pepper in order to facilitate its… +Training-of-Trainers in Ethical Production and Corporate Social Responsibility
- 19/01/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Togo, Uganda, Zimbabwe
COLEACP’s training-of-trainers in Ethical Production and Corporate Social Responsibility is taking place in two stages. Over 3 weeks in September 2020, online training was provided for French-speaking experts. Of 19 experts selected, 14 took part and successfully completed the training, which included practical exercises and group presentations. Participants attended from Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, Senegal and Togo. Next, in January–February 2021, the course will be provided in English – over 4 weeks, as the first experience was quite… +COLEACP technical publications in 2020
- 19/01/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Capsicum, Caribbean, Eggplant, Mangoes, Pacific, Pineapples, Tomatoes
Guidelines for ACP national authorities in response to the new EU Phytosanitary Regulation In 2020 COLEACP began to publish a series of guidelines in response to the new Plant Health Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 that came into operation in December 2019. Under the new regime, special measures have been introduced for crops that are a known pathway into the EU of serious pests that could damage agriculture or the environment in Europe. These include capsicum, mango, Solanum (eggplant and tomato), and… +