VeSeL: Village e-Science for Life Blog

This DFID-funded project is exploring potential applications of ICTs for poor and marginalised people, linking to existing Reflect groups in Uganda, Burundi and India.

Labels: development, DFID, education, ict4d, research4development Links to this post

Posted by Kevin Walker at 11/29/2007 02:41:00 PM 0 comments

The EUREPGAP site contains latest news, online training, trainer guidelines, publications etc... but the only protocol (from agribusiness information services) I found online for fruit and vegetable so far is from 2001 (a new one was approved in 2004, I think).

DSCN0094[i-DSCN0094]In Kenya realIPM provide EUREPGAP training (course overview) and other training and do field research including bioprospecting for natural crop protection. DFID funded the poster above and worked with Freshlink to help farmers acquire certification.

Kenya Gatsby Trust is working with AfriCert to mobilize and capacity build smallholder farmers for certification and in collaboration with Rockfeller Foundation, TechnoServe and AfriCert (formally a project of ICIPE) to facilitate accreditation of a local EUREPGAP certfying body and subsequent certification of MSEs to sustain and/or penetrate the European markets. They also have technology for agriculture projects and work with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology which is where one of the Mtito Andei Development Initiative members works.

IDRC also supported a Pride Africa project in Kirinyaga aimed at producing a EUREGAP booklet for local farmers (see also Pride Africa DRUMNET - phase 2 with IDRC ).

There is an EU FP7 project proposal "Common European standards for hygiene in the agricultural and food processing sector – Information and communication technologies and sensors for a user friendly verification management" (presentation) which I haven't yet found anymore info about.

And finally, a radio programme from oneworld, two trainers from Zambia describing their work with small scale farmers to meet Eurepgap export standards.

Labels: agriculture, DFID, drumnet, eurepgap Links to this post

Posted by josh_u at 12/21/2006 08:09:00 AM 0 comments

Picture+1[i-Picture+1]
From Promoting Growth in Africa: trade - A DFID factsheet
Access to International Markets
"If you’re a Kenyan farmer, how do you know what European shoppers want and demand? In Kenya, the DFID Business Services Marketing Development Project, supports ‘Freshlink’, which links small farmers with vegetable and fruit exporters. Freshlink provides technical training to farmers groups’ and helps the groups to establish quality control systems which enable them to comply with EurepGap, a European supermarket code of practice. Prior to the project, Freshlink was selling produce to only one exporter but now has contracts with 3 exporting companies. The number of farmers exporting produce has tripled and many have diversified into other crops such as passion fruit and snow peas. "

An interesting presentation on the work of Fresh Link "Breaking Barriers ­ - ­Freshlink Vegetable Marketing Organisation Producer Groups Experience" finishes by describing the challenges they face:

1. Low growth of market size
2. Markets failure to recognize and reward effective management through price incentives
3. Weak commercial contracts
4. Weak producer group management and governance structures
5. High costs of implementing Eurepgap Standard and no commensurate increase in returns on investment

Labels: agriculture, development, DFID, freshlink Links to this post

Posted by josh_u at 12/20/2006 01:58:00 PM 0 comments