Maghrebian and North African Farmers Union
The project of the Mediterranean Platform Quality of Agriculture and Food
The project
The draft of the platform Mediterranean Agronomic Agromed – quality is presented in the framework of the European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) in a cross border cooperation program between Sicily and Tunisia and established by the European Commission. It was introduced in March 2010 under the first call for project in the framework of the program.
The presentation of the project
The project is a symmetrical structure with the purpose of creating a balance between the two shores of the Mediterranean. This project met five active partners in economic and social development fields, namely : the Provincia Regionale di Caltanissetta, UTAP Tunisian Union for Agriculture and Fisheries, the center of ARES for research and development, UMAGRI the North African farmers Union, and the Provincial Agricoltori degli di Caltanissetta Union.
The role of the project and its objectives
This project aims to promote the integration of agricultural and food industries between Sicily and Tunisia, to improve product quality and strengthen the presence of its food products in international markets.
The main activity is : the creation of a technological platform and a Mediterranean institute of quality in the food sector, which has been entrusted to UMAGRI.
The thirtieth session of the agricultural fair Macfrut 2013 Chezenia- Italy, 25-27 September 2013.
The exhibition was organized on the theme of plants, technologies, production related services, packaging, transportation and marketing of fresh vegetables and fruits.
The participation of UMAGRI at the show targeted the support of the Mediterranean platform for quality that is fused with the project “Agro Med Quality”: The quality of agriculture in the Mediterranean Basin.
The eighth session of the International Fair of Agriculture in Morocco in 2013 SIAM Meknes – the Kingdom of Morocco 25-28 April 2013.
Better information on the organization’s objectives in the framework of the project “Agro Med quality.” The promotion of the Mediterranean Observatory quality, and the expansion of the organization’s data base.
The Mediterranean Symposium on “quality and food security in the Euro-Mediterranean region”, Tunisia March 6, 2013.
In the framework of the creation of the Mediterranean observatory, UMAGRI has organized a seminar on the theme of “Quality and food security in the Euro-Mediterranean region.”
to provide the main activities of the project, including the design of the electronic platform and the perspectives for creating a Mediterranean observatory quality. To approach the question of agricultural and food products quality in the Euro-Mediterranean area.
The contribution of experts in the field of quality and food safety of the two shores of the Mediterranean had for sure strengthened the seminar.
Meeting for the effective launching of SFOAP program. Addis Ababa, 10-16 March 2013.
According to the decision to integrate UMAGRI into the second phase of SFOAP program , the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has invited the Union to participate in the meeting scheduled specifically to finalize the wording of the draft for the next step and give it a kickoff for its effective implementation; UMAGRI and the International Fund for Agricultural Development , approved the draft program and financial agreement relating thereto, to make it truly launched on 1 April 2013 until December 2014.
National consultations on the strategic plan of UMAGRI Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, Sudan (2013).
The Maghreb Union farmers organized consultations on the strategic plan of the organization, in coordination with member organizations. These workshops are based on the system of partnership based on the actual contribution of the number of participants: elected officials, administrators, and experienced technicians in the field. At the end of the workshops, all proposals from organizations have been brought together to provide support for the implementation of a strategic plan and the development status of UMAGRI .
A workshop on the Support to Farmers Organizations in Africa Program (SFAOP), Nairobi, Kenya, from 23 to 27 September 2012.
In accordance with the decision to integrate UMAGRI into the second phase of the SFOAP program, UMAGRI attended the meeting at which the first phase and the timing of implementation of this project were assessed. The problems faced by regional networks of African agricultural organizations during the first phase were presented to be avoided during the second phase. The last points have been established for the development of the final project for its next phase, to be launched by 2013.
Visiting experts from International Fund for Agricultural Development for North Africa: Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, the Egypt, Sudan, 02-13 July 2012 :
In preparation for the main phase of the Support to Farmers Organizations in Africa Program (SFAOP), a team of experts from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) visited the member organizations of UMAGRI as well as of other organizations in North Africa. The purpose of this visit was to identify organizations which are active in those countries, and to measure their capacity to support farmers and their respective representations. Weaknesses and suggestions appeared in the experts’ report and also adequate remedy proposals to be adopted in the framework of the Support Program for Farmers’ Organizations.
Agromed_Quality_01_Eng
The finalization of the project to upgrade skills of immigrants Tunisians (Green Action) Tunisia 15-16 February 2012
As part of this project, UMAGRI organized a final seminar under the title “Immigration and enhancement of the capacities of migrants”, in which eight final project studies prepared by an Engineering consulting firm, were presented for immigrants wishing to launch their agricultural investment projects in their natal regions.
The project to upgrade skills of Tunisian migrants: Green Action
The project
The Green Action is a project presented as part of the Joint Initiative for Migration and Development, led by the United Nations Program for Development and funded mainly by the European Commission.
This project is part of a working partnership between the CRESM -Center of Economic and Social Searches for the South which is an organization that promotes local development projects, solidarity and cooperation for the benefit of social groups and / or disadvantaged areas in the Italian South, and UTAP – the Tunisian Union of Agriculture and Fisheries , and UMAGRI.
Presentation of the project :
Tunisian community living in Sicily has a remarkable professional competence in the field of industries, fisheries and food.
The project offers to the Tunisian community living in Sicily a range of information and mechanisms merged into the national program for the consolidation of vocational training and reintegration in the country of origin.
The project aims to convey information, support and subsidize the Tunisian people in Sicily to exploit their skills in the field.
The project guides and monitors the Tunisian immigrants in Sicily wishing to return and invest in their home country.
The project was launched since 2009, his first step was completed in April 2011, the second phase started in September 2011 until end of February 2012.
The role
The project aims to educate, mentor and guide Tunisian expatriates in Sicily and willing to invest in Tunisia.
Procedures and an information system had been put in place for beneficiaries in Sicily, followed by guidance and assistance in Tunisia.
The objectives
- To provide real support in order to guarantee a successful social and professional reintegration of Tunisians who wish to return home.
- To provide a system of information on sustainable investment opportunities in agriculture and food industries in Tunisia for the Tunisian community living in Italy.
- To create a stable structure to support projects in Tunisia for Tunisians abroad.
- To create a network of founding partners to support the project beneficiaries.
The draft food safety and traceability in the Arab Maghreb countries
The project
It is proposed as part of the investment program in the Mediterranean (Invest in Med) and funded by the European Commission project.
The presentation of the project
The project aims to enhance the skills of workers in the agriculture sector in the three Maghreb countries (Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco) ensuring resources and advanced technology in the field of food safety.
The role
Defining the methodology adopted in the program of the United Nations on traceability in Egypt (Etrace) and apply in the those countries, so that the farmers’ production in the said North African countries would be in conformity with the method of traceability in order to be promoted for exportation to Europe.
Project activities
The project has four main activities :
- Technical assistance (May 2009) : An expert -from Egyptian project on food safety and traceability – has assessed the situation of food safety and traceability in the three North African countries, which allowed him to identify the needs in the field of training and technical and technological support, hence the development of an appropriate plan of action and a selective program for 12 representatives of the countries mentioned.
- The Training of Trainers (June 2009) : 12 North African countries involved in the project attended a training assignment held in Egypt; which allowed the participants to learn the method implemented by the proposed traceability in Egypt in order to apply it in all Maghreb countries, and explore methods and techniques that will enable farmers to match their products traceability program in order to develop exports to the European Continent…
- A Workshop exchange between North and South in order to share best practices in the field of food security in the Mediterranean region (19 November 2009): This workshop was attended by agricultural organizations, centers for capacity building competitiveness, and support for entrepreneurship institutions, to explore and exploit the possibilities of cooperation and partnership between the two sides.
- Forum of Businessmen (20-21 November 2009) : This forum was held for two days at the International Exhibition of Agriculture, the Agricultural Mechanization and Fisheries. It was attended by a delegation of 30 Euro-Mediterranean enterprises and about 70 companies active in the Maghreb agriculture and food industries.
Egypt and FAO ramp up support to South-South Cooperation
25 June 2014, Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) – At the 23rd session of the African Union Summit, the Egyptian Government renewed its commitment in support of African countries’ efforts to achieve food security and improve agricultural and rural development. A Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Egypt and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has sealed the announced commitment.
“South-South Cooperation is crucial for knowledge sharing and also to promote stability and development across the African continent. Nowadays, South-South Cooperation is no longer a slogan but a necessary instrument for achieving more with less”, said H.E. Sameh Hassan Shoukry, Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, “Egypt is ready to offer its technical expertise, technologies, and long-standing experience to boost agriculture, agribusiness and improve food security across African countries”, he added.
The FAO Director General, Jose’ Graziano Da Silva, who co-signed the Memorandum, thanked the Egyptian Government for its contribution and stressed the strategic importance of horizontal cooperation mechanisms in exchanging development solutions to reduce poverty and hunger.
Under the Memorandum, special support will be provided to the Nile-bordering countries, Sahel and the Horn of Africa to enhance management of natural resources; boost agricultural production and productivity; build the countries’ capacities to respond to crises and threats and, improve food security.
“Poverty and food insecurity are still a reality in the continent. At a time when a protracted financial crisis is impacting the flow of traditional development assistance, South-South Cooperation provides an unprecedented opportunity to promote direct exchange of practices, knowledge and experience between countries of the global South”, said Abdessalam Ould Ahmed, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa.
Egypt will provide ad hoc technical expertise in various agricultural fields and train officials of selected countries in areas where Egypt has a comparative advantage. FAO will provide support to facilitate mutual learning between countries, oversee technical and quality standards, promote partnerships and facilitate resource mobilization.
FAO’s South-South Cooperation
FAO has been facilitating South-South Cooperation initiatives between and among countries for more than 20 years, providing technical support to country-level action on food insecurity. Since 1996, tripartite agreements have been signed with over 50 developing countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific region, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Near East. Over 1 900 experts and technicians have been fielded in the framework of various food security initiatives, showing that the mutual sharing and exchange of key development solutions can make an invaluable contribution to the achievement of food security and to the modernization of small-scale agriculture throughout the developing world.
In Africa and the Near East Region so far, Morocco and FAO signed an agreement of USD 1 million to benefit African countries, in collaboration with Morocco’s private sector.
Through a USD 2.5 million agreement, Chad financed a first phase of SSC knowledge sharing by Vietnamese experts and technicians in support of the implementation of the National Programme for Food Security.
Angola signed an agreement worth USD 2.2 million to support the Brazilian Research Agency (EMBRAPA) to carry veterinary and agricultural research, rehabilitation and capacity development in Angola.
Nigeria launched a second phase of SSC through a USD 19.6 million agreement that supports capacity and knowledge sharing by over 650 Chinese experts and technicians, in support of programmes on sustainable agriculture and food Security.
Morocco’s first South-South Cooperation agreement to benefit Guinea and other countries in Africa
16 June 2014, Rome- Building on previous efforts, the Kingdom of Morocco will offer technical assistance to the Republic of Guinea through a South-South Cooperation Tripartite Agreement signed today at FAO headquarters by FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva, Morocco’s Minister of Agriculture and Marine Fisheries, Aziz Akhannouch, and Guinea’s Ambassador Permanent Representative to FAO, Mamady Conde.
The project includes development of irrigated agriculture, support to the horticulture value chain, and capacity building for the Ministry of Agriculture of Guinea. It seeks to contribute to Guinea’s effort in fighting hunger and extreme poverty in the country.
“This agreement marks another chapter in the partnership between FAO and Morocco,” Graziano da Silva said after the signing ceremony, which took place at an event organized by the Government of Morocco to share the success of its national agricultural strategy, the “Plan Maroc Vert“.
That strategy, which promotes sustainable growth in agricultural production, is seen as the engine behind Morocco’s achievement of the First Millennium Development Goal’s hunger target.
Today’s agreement shifts into action the General Agreement on South South Cooperation signed last April between Morocco and FAO.
In his remarks, Graziano da Silva also welcomed a contribution from the Credit Agricole du Maroc to the Morocco Trust Fund for South South Cooperation at FAO. An innovative feature in the agreement allows for public as well as private sector contributions to the trust fund.
“We believe that promoting South-South Cooperation can greatly contribute to reducing inequality in African countries. It is not about imposing a specific approach but about sharing knowledge, know-how and experience,” Minister Akhannouch said at the event. “In this framework, we shall find the basis of a new solidarity between African countries”.
Morocco’s support for South South Cooperation in Agriculture and Fisheries will be financed through a trust fund established in April. “We are shifting the agreement into action only two months after it was created,” Graziano da Silva noted.
Through the fund, Morocco will contribute to achieving food security in African countries by supporting sustainable agricultural production and improving natural resources management.
“We want to learn from Morocco’s experience and benefit from FAO’s expertise”, Ambassador Permanent Representative of the Republic of Guinea to FAO, Mamady Conde, said.
The partnership between FAO and the Kingdom of Morocco also extends to other areas. “While we are working together to support other countries through South-South Cooperation, FAO is also assisting Morocco in its own path towards sustainable development,” FAO Director-General explained.
In this context and within FAO’s revised strategic framework, FAO is finalizing two TCP Facility projects that will support Morocco’s efforts in promoting Blue Growth and in adopting the Modeling System for Agricultural Impacts of Climate Change (Mosaicc).
FAO’s Director General thanked Minister Akhannouch for his “personal commitment to strengthen the partnership between the Kingdom of Morocco and FAO.”
“I hope that we can continue to work closely towards our common objectives, to the benefit of the people of Morocco and the people of the region,” he added.
Morocco was recognized by FAO in a separate event today for having met the First Millennium Development Goal hunger target of reducing by half the proportion of its population who is undernourished ahead of the 2015 target date.
Last Updated: 25 February 2019 by admin2
ANAP Documentary (in Arabic) – Tunisian SFOAP Project