News Digest: Brexit
- 15/12/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
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UK Border Operating Model updated The UK has delayed border checks on goods coming from the EU until next year, citing supply chain issues. On 18 November the UK Government updated its Border Operating Model. The report The Border with the European Union: Importing and Exporting Goods sets out the revised timetable, and provides a Navigation Guide to what’s new or has changed (pp. 8–11). The main points to note are: Full customs declarations and controls will be introduced on… +Update on EU MRL changes
- 15/12/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Angola, Belize, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Caribbean, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Cook Islands, Côte d'Ivoire, Country, Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Headline, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, News, Niger, Nigeria, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Congo, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Key points Since the start of 2021, there have been European Union (EU) maximum residue level (MRL) changes concerning 123 plant protection products (PPPs), compared with 59 in 2020. These changes refer to modifications to the previous regulation, and can be either an increase or lowering of the MRLs for certain foods. Since the latest Flash Info in August 2021, there have been changes to 40 PPPs, 13 of which are key for ACP horticulture (acrinathrin, ametoctradin, spinetoram, fludioxonil, fosetyl-aluminium,… +COLEACP training-of-trainers: “From face-to-face to distance learning”
- 15/12/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Caribbean, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, News, Nigeria, Pacific, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zimbabwe
In 2020, due to Covid-19 restrictions, it became urgently necessary to develop digital tools and distance learning methods. COLEACP mobilised quickly, and in April 2020 a training course on the basics of digital training was organised urgently for COLEACP’s ACP experts and the training department team, in partnership with the Digital and Multimedia Teaching Support Centre at the University of Lausanne. The transition to digital involves mastering new tools, learning new teaching methods, and operating a platform to host the… +Biocontrol: Opportunities and challenges in tropical horticulture
- 13/12/2021
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific, Switzerland
COLEACP Keynote Address at ABIM 2021 On 19–20 October, COLEACP participated in the 16th Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting (ABIM) in Basel, Switzerland. During these two days, 970 participants from 44 nations were able to network together face-to-face, as well as listen to inspiring presentations and panel discussions. Both SMEs and large enterprises were well represented. The programme of ABIM 2021 included a journalist-led panel discussion involving biocontrol industry leaders, food processors, NGOs and researchers on how biocontrol will help transform… +News digest: Agri-food systems and sustainability
- 07/12/2021
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: Africa, Angola, Cameroon, Caribbean, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, News, Nigeria, Pacific, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Agri-food and climate Africa Voices from the AGRF 2021 Summit call for pathways to recovery and resilient food systems The AGRF 2021 Summit, was a critical gathering of global and African voices. Designed to outline, discuss and validate commitments to, and accelerate action towards, ending hunger, reducing poverty and improving nutrition by 2030. From 7-10 September, leaders from across the continent and beyond gathered under the theme of “Pathways to recovery and resilient food systems” to define the pathways and… +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
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… +