COLEACP and the climate: Create a capacity to adapt and absorb changes in food safety, social or environmental domains!

Although it is established that the poor countries of the South are and will be the first victims of global warming, and that the most polluting country has stated its intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, managing agricultural production on all fronts has become the sine qua non to guarantee access to the most profitable markets.

Since 2000, COLEACP has drawn up strategies aimed at updating the knowledge of its members and beneficiaries: a multitude of SMEs, small-scale producers and sometimes even large companies.

During the earlier part of the decade, regulations on pesticide residues, food hygiene and various rules ensuring food safety forced a change in mindset regarding the modes of production; control at all stages and the obligation to prove the existence and implementation of control measures .

There were two ways of tackling these issues: settling for ad hoc certifications or transforming the value chain in a sustainable way. It is the second option that COLEACP has adopted and continues to apply today through its capacity-building system.

To convince producers, this challenge had to be transformed into an opportunity! The case of the traceability of outputs from small-scale producers speaks volumes: implementing this seemed insurmountable, but with support from COLEACP, companies quickly realised that the traceability system was a great opportunity to streamline and optimise their business and control costs.

Between 2005 and 2015, the same methods were applied to all European market requirements, such as environmental protection and social welfare.

Today, the ‘Fit For Market’ programme applies these instructions with a ‘hard-line’ approach. By strengthening capacities in the short, medium and long term amongst all operators, while providing technical solutions and assistance to immediately apply the new knowledge in situ.

Since 2004, over 2,000 business development projects have been supported and implemented with COLEACP.

Applying the principles of sustainability, with its three mainstays, to improve business competitiveness is the best example of transforming a problem into an opportunity. Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) operators understand this well: the Fit For Market programme, which strengthens the competitiveness of ACP SME producers by implementing sustainability measures, has been a huge success to date and is only gaining in momentum with already 250 requests for support in year one.

COLEACP and its beneficiaries are accompanying producers in the development of sustainable climate-compatible agriculture which brings with it opportunities for all and especially small-holders.

Guy Stinglhamber

COLEACP General Delegate.