Cultivating
Sustainable Futures
News
BREXIT READINESS ASSESSMENT
In order to assist members, partners and beneficiaries perform a comprehensive Brexit readiness assessment, COLEACP has compiled a series of elements intended to better appreciate potential implications of Brexit on current business models, with a specific focus on whether main impacted supply chains are sufficiently resilient to continue functioning in a post-Brexit environment. The following news is structured in three main sections.It is strongly recommended to move from Context to Main issues and implications prior to dive into Impacted supply chains.CONTEXT: this section presents briefly background information on the Brexit process, and potential Brexit options that are still on the tableMAIN CHALLENGES AND IMPLICATIONS: this section briefly explores some of the main issues and implications going along with a hard Brexit and/or a “no deal” Brexit, especially regarding triangular supply chains, tariffs and non-tariffs issues and contractual concernsIMPACTED SUPPLY CHAINS: this section focuses on the main issues to be addressed for triangular and non-triangular supply chains, as well as a checklist of actions/questions to be considered. Triangular supply chains stand for goods which are either landed first in a EU27 member state before forwarding to the UK and neighbouring EU27 countries or which are being landed in the UK for forwarding to an EU27 member.
News
THE OUTCOME OF THE UK GENERAL ELECTION
The return of a Conservative Party-led government with a clear parliamentary majority now means the revised Withdrawal Agreement should receive Parliamentary ratification, with the agreed transition period entering into effect until at least 1st January 2021, while negotiations for a new comprehensive UK/EU free trade area agreement are completed. While any immediate prospect of a ‘No-Deal Brexit’ has therefore been averted until at least 1st January 2021, it remains a possibility given the commitments made during the General Election campaign to ensuring the agreed transition period is not extended beyond 31st December 2020.This is problematical since concluding a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU within 12 months would be unprecedented. There is as a consequence widespread scepticism over the prospect of concluding a comprehensive free trade agreement by the end of 2020.In this context any refusal of the Conservative government to request an extension of the transition period until 1st January 2023 would give rise to a ’No-Deal Brexit’ in which the UK would leave the EU without an agreed alternative trade framework being in place, with UK/EU trade relations, therefore, reverting to most-favored-nation (MFN) treatment.This would prove highly disruptive of trade flows across the EU27/UK border including for ACP horticultural exports serving the UK market via ports of landing in EU27 member states and ACP horticultural exports landed in mainland Europe and using the UK ‘land bridge’ to serve markets in the Republic of Ireland.This would also put considerable strains on UK border clearance services, with potential adverse consequences for the flow of ACP horticultural exports through certain non EU27/UK points of entry to the UK market.The return of a majority Conservative Party government, however, means the UK will now leave the EU customs union and single market at some point (1st January 2021 or 1st January 2023 or whenever an EU/UK free trade area agreement has been successfully negotiated).This means ACP horticultural exporters will need to take the necessary steps to prepare for a ‘Hard Brexit’, to minimise the adverse effects on ACP horticultural exports arising from the logistical, administrative and market changes which the UK’s departure from the EU customs union and single market will give rise to.BREXIT READINESS ASSESSMENT
News
9TH ACP SUMMIT OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT
The 9th Summit of ACP Heads of State in Nairobi focuses on the theme "A transformed ACP : Committed to Multilateralism”. The president of State House Kenya is taking this opportunity to highlight a few priorities : • The number 1 resource available to ACP countries is people! "Growing people" though capacity building must be at the heart of any strategy. • Industrialisation of agriculture to open new markets, integration of small farmers into national and regional markets, adding value at source -- are the main ways to ensure inclusive growth. • Supporting entrepreneurship and growth of MSMEs, accounting for 80% of the jobs in Kenya. Business skills training, market access and access to finance, especially for youth and women. • Need to improve the regulatory and institutional frameworks to promote MSMEs and enable them to grow into larger companies. Increasing competitiveness through transparency. • Frameworks to facilitate innovation and technology uptake. Young people are ready for the digital revolution. We need tech startups and technological hubs. Tech and finance are linking up to offer new solutions. • Private sector-led industrialisation and the critical role of MSMEs in supporting an enabling environment through public-private partnerships. • Need to diversify products and services, including creative and cultural industries (the orange economy). He adds: “we need to look at each other’s economies and trade among one another".
News
COLEACP mission under FFM and FFM SPS programmes to Uganda
COLEACP mission under FFM and FFM SPS programmes to Uganda: visits of beneficiaries from public and private sector to analyse their application for support, develop and validate a list of priority actions
News
GROUP TRAINING ON ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
As part of its Fit For Market programme, COLEACP organised group training on organic agriculture over 3 days in Ijebu Ode (#Nigeria). Participants learned about the main principles of organic agriculture, and how it presents both advantages and constraints for companies. The classes were very interactive, and the training offered a space for networking opportunities and exchange of business information. A field visit to Tinwot Organic Farm enabled participants to see organic production at first hand.
News
FIT FOR MARKET PROGRAMME IN GHANA
As part of its Fit for Market programme, COLEACP organised training in Ghana for technical and extension staff, to develop their capacity to pass on good practices in hygiene, traceability, crop protection and safe use of pesticides to workers and/or small-scale producers. Trainees were those responsible for production, pest control methods and phytosanitary treatments, as well as quality traceability managers and packaging managers of horticultural companies. Participants built on previous COLEACP training on Crop Protection and Safe Use of Pesticides and/or Food Safety Management. This training was based on COLEACP’s Field Training Workshop method. The method, designed in a simple and imaginative way around specific topics, helps trainees understand the good practices they need to employ in production and processing to ensure their produce complies with standards and regulatory requirements.
News
WORKSHOP ON ESTABLISHMENT OF AGRO-INDUSTRIES
In Luanda, COLEACP participated in a workshop on the establishment of agro-industries, organised by Consórcio Rede Camponesa (CRC, Consortium of Farmer Networks). We took the opportunity to present our strategy to support the horticultural sector and strengthen the capacity of producers, improving their connection to national, regional and international fruit and vegetable markets.
News
GROUP TRAINING ON CROP PROTECTION AND SAFE USE OF PESTICIDES
In October 2019 COLEACP organised group training on “Crop Protection and Safe Use of Pesticides” in Arusha, for technical staff and extensionists of Tanzanian companies and cooperatives. While in Tanzania our experts held fruitful discussions with representatives of the agricultural sector, including Mr Katemani, Ms Lightness Christopher Muro and Ms Dorah John Amuli from the Plant Health Services; and Mrs Shukrani Mdegela from the Wood Africa Foundation.
News
COLLECTIVE TRAINING ON FOOD SAFETY MANAGEMENT
After the success of the "Hygiene and traceability" training in may, COLEACP organized a 4 days training on “Food safety management", from 2d to 5th September in #Zimbabwe. This training, rich in sharing and discovery, was a great success both on a human and intellectual level.
News
FIELD TRAINING WORKSHOP METHOD
COLEACP organised a training in Zimbabwe on its Field Training Workshop method. The method, designed in a simple and imaginative way around specific topics, helps trainees understand the good practices they need to employ in production and processing to ensure their produce complies with standards and regulatory requirements. The trainees were mainly technical and extension staff of Zimbabwean horticultural companies. Participants in Field Training Workshops can learn how to sensitize workers and small-scale producers about good hygiene practices, traceability, crop protection and the safe use of pesticides – and to practice these themselves. Companies that wish to benefit from this in-company coaching are invited to express their interest.
News
COLEACP's SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT SYSTEM
Lucy Agricultural Development plc in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has recently received support with COLEACP’s Sustainability Self-Assessment System. As part of its Fit For Market programme, COLEACP coaches beneficiaries the first time they fill out the online system – when they come to update, they will complete it themselves.
News
FIT FOT MARKET PROGRAMME IN GHANA
COLEACP’s Fit For Market programme has helped Maphlix Trust Ghana Limited to start exporting sweet potatoes to the Netherlands. The company is a producer and processor of food crops, including sweet potatoes, a developing sector in Ghana. With COLEACP’s support, Maphlix Trust Ghana Limited has put in place a quality management system to ensure a traceable and quality product.