FAO’s information bank
- 24/04/2020
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
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FAO is has a growing range of information resources on COVID-19, available through its dedicated website. Selected information of particular relevance to COLEACP’s members and beneficiaries includes: POLICY BRIEF on COVID-19 and smallholder producers’ access to markets. Immediate impacts tend to be more severe for high-value commodities (perishable products), which are often produced by smallholder farmers. Several countries are putting in place a variety of measures to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on smallholder producers. This brief builds on… +Institutional responses
- 24/04/2020
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
ACP Inter-American Development Bank The IADB has a dedicated website for Latin American and Caribbean businesses in the context of COVID-19. It includes blogs and connection platforms on topics such as ‘Tips to prepare your company for the impact of COVID-19’, and ‘How can the COVID -19 crisis change the private sector for the better?’ coronawestafrica.info The Regional Working Group for Risk Communication and Community Engagement in West and Central Africa has launched an online portal, COVID-19 West and Central… +COLEACP information on supply and demand for ACP horticultural products
- 17/04/2020
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
Building on its intra-ACP Fit For Market programmes, COLEACP’s proposed activities in the short term to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will focus on logistics and access to markets. Activities will include: Monitoring and informing the ACP and EU agri-food industry on logistics, trade and market dynamics. Supporting innovative national and international logistics and trade solutions to help ensure the trade in agricultural and food products – matching supply to demand for available logistical routes; diversifying from export… +Global flower industry
- 17/04/2020
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: News
Provided by Union Fleurs – International Flower Trade Association The gradual relaxation of lockdown measures in some European countries (Spain, Denmark, Germany) and the effective or planned re-opening of garden centres and/or flower shops (Belgium, Italy, Austria) offer some breathing space for demand of flowers and plants on the European market, which is starting to grow slightly, though nowhere close to the usual volumes known in the peak spring season across Europe. Easter has been generating some very welcome sales… +First results of COLEACP’s COVID-19 survey – Kenya
- 17/04/2020
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Kenya
Over the past two weeks, COLEACP has been asking businesses in ACP countries to share their experiences of the COVID-19 crisis and to let us know what support is most urgently needed. Our online survey will be repeated at the end of each month in order to measure the evolution of the impact of the pandemic over time, and companies that were unable to take part in the first round are encouraged to contribute in future. We will let you… +Prospects for domestic and regional markets throughout ACP countries
- 17/04/2020
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
AFRICA A Zimbabwe exporter of fresh vegetables that also sells regionally and locally reports that after 3 days of lockdown, the government relaxed the rules for key sectors: health, agriculture, food manufacturing and distribution. This saw local markets partially open and trade has been going on, although at a slow pace. The bulk of agro-commodity prices have slumped, except for lemons and partially avocado. Farms have been asked to lockdown but operate with housed labour inside the farm. Regarding exports,… +How can large companies support their MSME partners?
- 17/04/2020
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: News
Business Fights Poverty, a business-led collaboration network focused on social impact, has launched a new Business and COVID-19 Response Centre and an Action Toolkit to provide practical steps large companies can take to support their MSME partners through the COVID-19 crisis. As MSMEs struggle, the impact on their communities is also significant as they are often the only source of goods and key services for the most poor and vulnerable populations. For large companies, who rely on MSMEs in their… +Survey of EU Companies in Cameroon
- 17/04/2020
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Cameroon
The Delegation of the European Union in Cameroon has launched a survey to map the presence of European companies in Cameroon; to measure the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on European companies and identify the key actions to take to defend their interests; and to lay the foundations for the creation of a European Business Organization in Cameroon. Relating to the current crisis, the survey asks about impacts that companies are experiencing or expecting, including missing goods/services; production losses/sick employees;… +East Africa: COVID-19 hampers fight against locusts as threat grows
- 17/04/2020
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, News
A predicted second wave of desert locusts in East Africa will cause major food security problems for countries already struggling against the coronavirus lockdown – and COVID-19 is also directly disrupting the battle against the locusts. According to Al Jazeera (9 April), flight bans imposed to slow the spread of COVID-19 have significantly delayed deliveries of pesticides in countries across the region. Vincent Ssempijja, Uganda’s Agriculture Minister, reported that Uganda has deployed more than 2000 military troops to carry out… +