News digest: Agri-food markets, production and trade
- 06/12/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Avocados, Cameroon, Caribbean, Citrus fruits, Coffee, Fiji, Kenya, Mangoes, News, Nigeria, Pacific, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda
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Agri-food Africa Rwanda: Rwanda plans to double its lending to agriculture Rwanda plans to double its lending to the agricultural sector from 5.2 to 10.4% by 2024. The goal is to modernise agriculture, which now accounts for one-third of Rwanda’s GDP. Small farms can rarely access financial services due to high interest rates (18-24% per year). Access to these loans will enable farmers to invest in new means of production and thus secure the food supply for a country whose… +Updated guidance on the new EU Organic Regulation
- 29/11/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Caribbean, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, News, Nigeria, Pacific, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
The new EU Organic Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2018/848), originally intended to apply from 1 January 2021, was postponed to 1 January 2022 to allow for completion of the secondary legislation due to Covid-19, among other reasons. In the meantime, several new delegated and implementing acts have been issued during 2021. At the time of writing, 18 items of secondary legislation have been published, and a further eight are in the adoption process. These latest changes are included in COLEACP’s “Update… +IPPC/FAO RELEASE GUIDELINES
- 26/11/2021
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: Angola, Cameroon, Caribbean, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, News, Nigeria, Pacific, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe
On 18 November the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released new guidelines on fall armyworm (FAW): “Prevention, preparedness and response guidelines for Spodoptera frugiperda“. Fall armyworm is affecting plant health in more than 70 countries, with many others at high risk of introduction. The guidelines offer globally harmonized measures and actions that countries can take to minimise the spread of the pest and protect their territories. It is a transboundary pest that… +News digest: COP26, climate change and food systems
- 26/10/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
What’s happening at COP26? You can view the overall schedule and themes here. What events are relevant to food systems? As well as the international negotiations, there are many “Green Zone” events and side events. The following selection focuses on natural resources, agriculture, and the ACP regions. Green Zone You can join these events virtually by subscribing to the COP26 YouTube channel. Links to each free live stream will be found on the Green Zone webpage. Date in November Time… +News digest: Agri-food markets and production
- 26/10/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Avocados, Bananas, Caribbean, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Gambia, Germany, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Madagascar, Mangoes, Mozambique, New Zealand, News, Onions, Pacific, Papayas, Rwanda, Senegal, Spain, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom
AFRICA Building resilient food systems in Africa – Declaration at the 11th AGRF The 8,300 participants of the Eleventh African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) came together in Nairobi, Kenya from 7 to 10 September 2021 to call for and plan action on building resilient food systems in Africa. “Here at the AGRF, we have heard a strong call for Africa and the world to change the way we produce, process, market, consume food, and reduce waste. We know that a… +Reducing pesticide use in tropical agriculture
- 26/10/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
On 11–12 October COLEACP participated in a workshop on “Reducing the use of pesticides in tropical agriculture: Key challenges and strategies”, organised by the Agropolis Foundation. During these two days, scientists from the European Union, Middle East and Africa exchanged views on topics ranging from epidemiology, toxicology and environmental impact to societal impacts resulting from pesticide use across the globe. Edouard Lehmann, COLEACP’s Research & Innovation Manager, took part in a round table on how to promote multi-stakeholder collaboration in… +Sustainability Self-Assessment System at the heart of COLEACP’s activities through FFM and FFM SPS programmes
- 25/10/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
Sustainability – environmental, social and economic – is key to COLEACP’s mission. Our members are encouraged to sign up to our Sustainability Charter, and to regularly complete our Sustainability Self-Assessment System, which was initially supported by the Fit For Market programme (FFM). The system enables producers and agribusinesses to monitor their evolving impacts in all three areas and demonstrate their progress to current and potential customers, and other interested parties. By utilising the system, businesses can: Strive for continuous improvement… +Unfair Trading Practices Directive now law in most EU countries
- 25/10/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
For over 10 years, COLEACP has been part of a coalition of organisations, including Oxfam, the Fair Trade Advocacy Office and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM-EU), lobbying the EU to tackle unfair trading practices (UTPs) in agricultural supply chains. We advocated strongly for new legal provisions to extend beyond the EU to also protect third country suppliers. The groundbreaking EU Directive 2019/633 on Unfair Trading Practices in Business Relationships between Businesses in the Agricultural and Food Supply… +COLEACP and partners supporting sustainable entrepreneurship
- 25/10/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
During September and October COLEACP collaborated with partners to present four online events, supported by the Fit For Market programme. With OECD: Fruit and Vegetables Industry Series: Session no. 1 On 14 September the OECD Fruit and Vegetables Scheme and COLEACP launched the Fruit and Vegetables Industry Series to highlight the significance of the sector in the context of the United Nations International Year of Fruit and Vegetables (#IYVF2021). The first joint session, with 220 participants, focused on “The fruit… +Caribbean AgTech investment opportunities
- 25/10/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Caribbean, News
The first 2021 Caribbean AgTech Investment Summit explored the opportunities for agricultural technology companies in the Caribbean, welcoming over 500 registrants from 60 countries around the world. Introducing the event, Dr Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana, spoke of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) e-agricultural strategy “to improve producers’ competitiveness, incorporate greater climate smart technologies in the production process, increasing intra-regional trade and improving market infrastructure and connectivity, especially for small producers” (Caribbean Export News, 6 October). This is a key part… +