Markets and trade
 

Projects

Bananas

The World Banana Forum
The World Banana Forum is a permanent space of assembly for participants representing the global banana supply-chain to promote open dialogue on challenges facing the banana industry.

Terminated Projects:

Farmer participatory evaluation and dissemination of improved Musa Germplasm
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Uganda
Project Executing Agency: International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP) of Bioversity International (formerly IPGRI)

Reviving banana cultivation in the Republic of Guinea
Project Executing Agency: United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

Adding value to bananas: a technical evaluation and workshop on the uses and marketing of banana based products
Project Executing Agency: International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP) of Bioversity International (formerly IPGRI)

Strengthening the banana value chain through the growth of inclusive markets in the Dominican Republic
The joint UN programme aims to strengthen stakeholders’ capacities to develop and implement sustainable marketing strategies, adopt new production technologies, improve access to finance and risk management tools, and improve life and social conditions in rural areas in the three provinces of Montecristi, Valverde and Azua.

Diversification of agriculture in Guatemala and Mexico (Chiapas), through the production of export fruits
The primary goal of this project funded jointly by CFC and the governments of Mexico and Guatemala was to contribute to a reduction of poverty and environmental degradation in rural areas through a production reconversion model based on fruit supply chains combined with intensive vegetable production systems.

Citrus

Improving Production of Citrus Planting Material in the Caribbean Basin
(Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago)
Project Executing Agency: United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

Hard fibres

Future Fibres Initiative
Established in December 2010 with support from the German Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, the Future Fibres Initiative sets out to give much needed support to sisal and other hard fibres.

Oilcrops

Projects on oilcrops
The Intergovernmental Group on Oilseeds, Oils and Fats (IGGOOF) was designated by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) as International Commodity Body (ICB) responsible for the formulation, appraisal and supervision of projects on oilseeds, oils and meals.

Other Projects

Training on regulations, standards and certification for agricultural exports
These manuals explain the objectives, scope, advantages and constraints of a selection of voluntary private certification programmes (e.g. organic agriculture, "fair trade", GlobalGAP). They are designed for farmers and exporters.

Increasing incomes and food security of small farmers in West and Central Africa through exports of organic and fair-trade tropical products (2005-2009)
Demand for organic and fair-trade products is increasing on the international market. These markets offer opportunities for small farmer in developing countries.

Facilitating the understanding and adoption of WTO principles and commitments in agriculture in the CIS countries
The purpose of the project is to facilitate understanding and adoption of WTO principles and rules for agriculture and foster a dialogue on the implications of changes in trade policy to fulfill the accession commitments on the agricultural sector in the CIS countries. The project consists of analytical, capacity building and information sharing activities that aim to facilitate the implementation of WTO commitments in the agricultural sector. FAO, together with external partners, is providing specialized training (through workshops and an online course) on the Agreement on Agriculture, the rules of accession in the case of individual countries and other related WTO agreements and provisions, such as those related to SPS.

Articulating and mainstreaming agricultural trade policy and support measures
The FAO project, Articulating and mainstreaming agricultural trade policy and support measures, was implemented during 2008-2010. With a view to maximize the contribution of trade to national development, a process has been underway in many developing countries to mainstream trade and other policies into national development strategy such as the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP).

The extent and impact of import surges: the case of developing countries
Import surges and their perceived negative effects on producers in an importing country is a sensitive matter, and hence the reporting of such episodes hit headlines. This phenomenon seems to be on the rise particularly since mid-1990s, which is one reason why many observers relate this phenomenon to the opening up of domestic markets with the implementation of the AoA.

Policies for good economic management of food price swings in African countries
The key objective of the project is to provide feasible approaches and design policy options for the economic management of food price swings and to strengthen the capacity for their implementation.