FAO trains experts to upgrade value chains of Special Agriculture Products

11 April 2023, Cairo – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held a virtual training on sustainable food value chain (SFVC) analysis as part of the regional Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP), “Evidence-based policy and investment for sustainable development of the value chains of Special Agricultural Products in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region – One Country One Priority Product (OCOP)” on 3-6 and 11 April 2023. Over 30 trainees and experts in value chain development attended from across the NENA region.

OCOP is a global initiative initiated by the Director General of FAO in 2021 to promote agricultural products with unique qualities and special characteristics while placing the production, distribution and marketing models of smallholders and family farming at the centre of interventions. After launching in the NENA region in 2022, FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa (FAO-RNE) developed a regional TCP to support the governments in six selected countries in analysing the status of the value chains and designing upgrading strategies for the priority products – dates in Jordan, chickpea in Lebanon, carob in Morocco, olive in Syria, harissa in Tunisia, and coffee in Yemen.

The five-day interactive training is an integral component of the OCOP programme and aims to scale-up the capacities of trainees and develop their technical expertise in applying the concepts/tools of the SFVC framework and conduct SFVC analysis and design. The training was conducted by FAO Food Systems and Food Safety Division (ESF) and facilitated by FAO-RNE.

Boosting the value chains of special agricultural products

During the first four days of the training, the trainees gained profound insight on sustainable food systems and value chains and the methodologies for SFVC analysis and design process. The training covered the elements of the functional analysis - including value chain mapping, end-market analysis, and analysis on support services, governance and enabling environment – and the economic, social, and environmental sustainability and resilience assessment. By combining theory with practical exercises, the participants were equipped with the needed know-how for holistic, systems-based analysis of the value chain and designing sustainable solutions.

The final day of the training was devoted to selected countries facing conflicts and protracted crises. The discussions were centred on the various impacts of conflict-prone and conflict-affected contexts on the functioning of value chains, and how to conduct the value chain analysis and design in such contexts.

Maryam Rezaei, Agro-Industry Officer at FAO-RNE explained, “this training enables the FAO-OCOP national focal points and consultants to apply sound and consistent methodologies in their analysis of the Special Agricultural Products value chains, taking into consideration all dimensions of sustainability. They will identify constraints and leverage points, design concrete and sustainable interventions and develop an upgrade strategy for the value chain in a participatory process at country-level". Active participation from the trainees demonstrates the importance of sustainable value chain development, and will contribute to quality assessments as part of FAO support to the governments in the region.