AARINENA Global Post-harvest Initiative
Meeting of the ad hoc Committee for the development of a
Global Partnership Programme on the theme of
Linking Smallholder Farmers to Markets
AlAin-Abu-Dhabi, 22-23 February 2006
Background
The “Strategic Framework for a Global Post-harvest Initiative - Linking Farmers
to Markets” was developed following an International Workshop on Post Harvest
Systems held in FAO Headquarters in Rome in 2003, jointly organised by FAO/AGS,
the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) and the Post-harvest Global
Forum (PhAction). The International Workshop was preceded by regional
consultations in Asia-Pacific, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, West
Asia and North Africa, and Central Asia and the Caucasus that assessed regional
needs of the post harvest sector. Based on the results of the regional
consultations, more than 100 participants representing different stakeholder
groups participated in the workshop and contributed to the development of an
innovative initiative designed to address the complexity of the post-harvest
sector and to meet the trade and market access challenges that face farmers and
other rural actors in a rapidly changing world.
The Strategic Framework is composed of four interlinked pillars that address
policy, institutional R&D capacity, supply chain integration and infrastructure,
and inter- and intra- regional learning and information sharing issues. At the
GFAR Steering Committee meeting held in Mexico in October 2004, the Regional
Forums and other stakeholders identified with the Strategic Framework and
recommended that the GFAR Secretariat explore the development of a Global
Partnership Programme within the framework of the Global Post-harvest
Initiative.
In December 2004 and throughout 2005, the GFAR Secretariat undertook actions to
identify areas of convergence and common needs and demands across regions, and
also to assess donor interest in supporting a global programme.
Across regions, agricultural R&D and investment is addressing predominantly the
needs of those farmers, whether they are large, medium or small, that are
capable of articulating their demands and have the resources to access
appropriate services. In all developing continents, appropriate technological
and organisational options and support services for those poorer farmers that
practice subsistence or family agriculture are less well attended to. Two
potential common regional cross-cutting areas of interest suggest themselves:
• Support to the transition of smallholder farmers from subsistence to a greater
level of commercially oriented production, building their capacity to engage in
supply chains linked to growth markets. This meets the needs manifested
especially in APAARI, FARA and FORAGRO. It is also a priority for another of
GFAR’s stakeholders, the International Federation of Agricultural Producers.
• Commodity differentiation and diversification; differentiation (e.g. organic
products) can be an opportunity for farmers to generate higher incomes, while
there is a growing demand for higher value agricultural products. This meets the
needs of AARINENA in particular, but is also important in the other regions.
With respect to funding opportunities, IFAD, Italy and the Rockefeller
Foundation have in the past contributed to activities associated with the Global
Post-harvest Initiative. IFAD and the Rockefeller Foundation have manifested the
possibility of further support, IFAD related to the organisation of partnerships
– among supply chain actors and R&D support services, and the Rockefeller
Foundation particularly to activities in Africa. CIDA has indicated interest in
supporting activities that engage the private sector. A ‘linking farmers to
markets’ programme could provide such an opportunity to engage both private
service providers and the private food processing and retail sector. There is
therefore potential for obtaining support from the above donors for an
inter-regional proposal or proposals that address their interests.
At the GFAR Programme Committee Meeting held in Marrakech, Morocco in December
2005, AARINENA, FARA and APAARI encouraged the GFAR Secretariat to proceed with
the elaboration of a Global Partnership Programme along the above lines.
Activities in the Near East and North Africa
In the West Asia and North Africa region, AARINENA played the major
convening role for the consultation that was held in Cairo in February 2002.
Subsequently AARINENA confirmed the importance of post-harvest, marketing and
enterprise related activities and expressed the desire to use the Post-harvest
Initiative to strengthen and build on the commodity networks that have been
established for cotton, date palm, olive and herbal medicinal plants. In March
2005, a planning meeting was held with the Commodity Network Coordinators, the
Post-harvest Working Group Leaders and selected experts from the region with the
aim of: a) identifying cross-cutting needs of four commodity networks (olive,
date palm, cotton and medicinal plants) in the AARINENA region, in the area of
post-harvest handling, processing, and marketing and enterprise development; b)
prioritizing three project ideas that would address the identified needs; and c)
establish a plan of work for the subsequent development of the ideas into full
proposals. The principal output of the meeting was the prioritization of the
following three project ideas:
• Market-orientation for the AARINENA networks and their members
• Innovative and effective market-oriented and demand-driven extension services
• Organic production and markets for of olive, cotton, dates and medicinal and
herbal plants
For each of the selected idea a draft project profile was developed and these
have been subsequently transformed into concept notes that can be used as the
basis for further project proposal preparation.
The Abu-Dhabi meeting
The meeting that will be held in Abu-Dhabi on 22-23 February is designed to
move the above process forward by convening an ad hoc working group composed of
the promoters of the three project ideas mentioned above and selected resource
persons from the region. The objectives of the meeting are the following:
(a) To review the three project concept notes and determine the possibility for
financing and execution them as stand alone projects within the AARINENA region;
(b) To identify commonalities among the three projects that could form the basis
of an inter-regional proposal that will add value to and increase the
effectiveness of on-going research and development interventions in the region
and in other regions;
(c) To identify candidate on-going R&D interventions that could become an
integral part of an inter-regional programme;
(d) To make a preliminary determination of the experience and expertise
available in the region, and the demands and needs that might be met by
expertise from other regions;
(e) To develop the plan of activities required for preparing the region to
participate in a inter-regional project planning meeting to be held in the
second semester of 2006.
Tentative Programme
Wednesday, 22 February
09.00 Welcome to the meeting and introduction of participants. Ibrahim Hamdan
09.30 Review of actions taken since the Antalya Meeting at the global level.
Rupert Best
10.00 Break for refreshments
10.30 Review of the actions taken and presentations of the three concept notes
• Market-orientation for the Networks and their members. Prof. Abdelouahhab
Zaid.
• Innovative and effective market-oriented and demand-driven extension services.
Eng. Mohamed El-Kholy.
• Organic production and markets for of olive, cotton, dates and medicinal and
herbal plants. Nabeel Abu-Shriha.
12.00 Discussion on advances and perspectives for regional projects and
priorities for an inter-regional programme (Global Partnership Programme).
13.00 Lunch
14.00 Definition of common cross-project issues that could form the basis of an
inter-regional programme.
15.30 Break for refreshments
16.00 Identification of candidate on-going R&D interventions (countries,
locations, and institutions), with an inventory of experience and expertise.
Thursday 23 February
09.00 Development of a plan of activities in preparation for an
inter-regional project planning meeting to be held in the second semester of
2006.
13.00 Close of meeting and lunch
14.00 Further conversations on an individual basis as required for follow-up.
Participants in the ad hoc Committee
1. Prof. Abdelouahhab Zaid, Market Orientation Project & DPGN General
Coordinator
2. Eng.Mohamed El-Kholy, Extension project &Olive Network Focal Point -Egypt
3. Mr. Nabil Abu-Shriha, Organic production & marketing project and NGO Rep.
4. Dr. Samir Al-Shaker- DPGN Post-Harvest Coordinator
5. Dr. Mohamed Safwat Medicinal &Aromatic plants Network, Chairman of the Board
6. Dr. Saleh Shdeifat Olive Network, Chairman of the Board
7. Dr. Magdi Madkour, ICARDA
8. Rupert Best, GFAR
9. Fawzi Taher , FAO
10. Ibrahim Hamdan, AARINENA