Looking back at the 48th Codex Alimentarius Commission: working together to strengthen agri-food standards
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
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As part of the AGRINFO programme, COLEAD took part in the 48th Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC48), held at FAO headquarters. This major international forum for the development and adoption of food safety standards was organised this year under the theme “Together”, highlighting the importance of broad and inclusive global participation in standard-setting processes. The event provided COLEAD with a valuable opportunity to present its programmes and expertise to delegates from more than 100 countries, while also strengthening exchanges and identifying… +Supporting the avocado value chain – the example of Ethiopia
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
As part of the MAHEBER programme, COLEAD continues to support the sustainable strengthening of the horticultural sector in Ethiopia through complementary actions that combine improved production practices with the structuring of sustainability approaches within companies. In Addis Ababa, a collective face-to-face training was recently organised on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in the avocado value chain, with a particular focus on an emerging pest: the Persea mite (Oligonychus perseae). In the context of rapid expansion of avocado production for both domestic… +The new SPRING programme: a new momentum for a sustainable and inclusive horticultural sector in The Gambia
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
COLEAD is pleased to announce the official signing, in The Gambia, of the new SPRING – Sustainable Production for Resilient and Inclusive New Generations programme, funded by the European Union. This key milestone marks the successful conclusion of an extensive stakeholder consultation process carried out in late 2024 and early 2025, whose contributions were instrumental in shaping the programme’s ambition, priorities and overall structure. SPRING aims to strengthen the contribution of The Gambian horticultural sector to economic growth, food security… +STDF Penja Pepper Project (Cameroon): sustainability confirmed three years on
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Implemented under project STDF/PG/593, support to the Penja pepper value chain in Cameroon aimed to sustainably strengthen the application of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) best practices. At the heart of this approach was the co-development of practical tools tailored to the needs of field actors. Guides to SPS best practices, educational brochures, practical fact sheets and structured training modules were developed and rolled out throughout the project. Three years after the project’s official closure, the results speak for themselves. Training… +Multi-country Programme for Strengthening Trade Capacities (PRCC): support to MSMEs and professional organisations, and launch of bottleneck studies
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
In March 2025, COLEAD signed a new contract with the French Development Agency (AFD) under the Trade Capacity Building Programme (PRCC). The programme aims to contribute to poverty reduction and to the improvement of food security and nutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa by supporting the development of a fairer, safer and more sustainable agricultural sector. The specific objective of the PRCC is to support smallholders, farmer organisations and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in maintaining and improving their access to… +Flashback 2015 : Training: sharing to ensure sustainability- an example from Ethiopia
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Source : HORIZONS Magazine n°4 “With the development of value chains, many professional associations and organisations are building up experience and diversifying the services they offer to their members, in particular training and the popularisation of improved agronomic practices. COLEACP needs to take this development into account. Firstly, to make sure it does not find itself in the position of competing, despite its best intentions, by offering support that these organisations already provide to companies. Secondly, because, unlike aid programmes… +Market access for fresh citrus, juice, essential oils and peel valorisation – new sector study now available
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
This sector analysis, achieved through the FFM+ programme, combines technical and economic approaches to provide a comprehensive overview of opportunities and requirements on the European market. This type of sector study is designed to be directly operational for COLEAD partner-beneficiaries: producers, packhouses, processors and ingredient suppliers. It enables quick answers to very practical questions such as: what do European buyers expect for fresh citrus? which formats and specifications are required by juice bottlers? how can by-products (peel, essential oils) be… +Strengthening the resilience of the ginger value chain in Nigeria: the strength of a structured partnership between public and private actors
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Following the major crisis triggered in 2023 by a ginger wilt outbreak that caused production losses of up to 80% in some key producing areas of Nigeria, particularly in Kaduna State, COLEAD, through the FFM+ programme, continued and strengthened its support to the sector in 2025. This new phase builds on the initial actions implemented in 2024 and aims to restore farmers’ confidence, improve the sustainability of production systems, and enhance the competitiveness of the sector. In partnership with CBI’s… +Pilot plot, fruit value chain: how a living laboratory is transforming agricultural practices in Nigeria
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Reelfruit, one of Nigeria’s leading dried fruit processors, has reached a major milestone with the establishment of a one-acre demonstration plot at its Abeokuta site. Supported by COLEAD under the Fit for Market Plus (FFM+) program, this plot serves as a living laboratory for best agricultural practices for mango, coconut, pineapple, and banana—four key crops for the company’s processing activities. Affiong Williams, founder of Reelfruit, explains that this initiative addresses the critical challenge of accessing quality raw materials: “Fruit farming… +Nigeria: strengthening the SPS quality management system through capacity development of the national plant protection organisation (NAQS)
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
As Nigeria’s National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO), the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) plays a central role in safeguarding plant health, preventing the introduction of pests, and certifying agricultural products for export. To strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to meet international phytosanitary requirements, COLEAD, under the Fit for Market Plus (FFM+) programme funded by the European Union and the OACPS, implemented two consecutive training sessions aimed at improving both the organisation and the implementation of official controls. These activities form part of… +