Nada Zvekic (FAO) and Adrian Keler (CEI)

“EastAgri Network: transforming agriculture in agribusiness - example of successful FAO-CEI

collaboration”

Meeting of CEI WG on Agriculture

Rome, 22 May 2006

reminding EastAgri’s raison d’être

achievements since last year

what is EastAgri?

network of practitioners involved in agribusiness &

agricultural investment from:

• IFIs • donors

• private banks

why EastAgri?

improve exchange of information share lessons learned

coordinate policy messages

coordinate interventions

key members

geographic coverage

• initially: CEI countries

• target:all EBRD countries of operation

how does it work?

a light structure...

• dedicated website

• annual EastAgri meetings

• thematic meetings/workshops

… operated by FAO

members’ benefits

- easier access to information

- advertise events / publication

- access to performance of past projects and lessons learned

- more impact on policy matters

website maintenance

• maintenance of database (550 projects, 24 subsectors)

• 220,000 hits in 2005 (100,000 pageviews)

• 45 articles dispatched

thematic meetings

• Serbia agribusiness seminar

• rural credit guarantee schemes

• Polish/Ukrainian wholesale markets

• Georgia wine sector

our goals?

• encourage information sharing

• cross-fertilization of ideas

• suggestions for next phases

“CEI support to Wholesale Markets Development in Ukraine”

Activities

• Study tour in Italy (focused on legislative and other public

support mechanisms)

• Study tour in Poland (focused on the involvement of private

stakeholders in the process of wholesale markets development)

• Advisory services by Italian, Polish and FAO consultants

UKRAINE

ITALY

POLAND

“CEI support to Wholesale Markets Development in Ukraine”

Implementation:• October 2005 – May 2006

Planned results:• Improvement of the quality of

Ukraine’s wholesale markets investment plan

Follow-up:• The investment plan to be financed

under World Bank’s ACSF (“Agricultural Competitiveness and

Food Safety”) project.

Multi-partner action!

KEP: planned projects

“Building Effective Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Quality Control System in

Moldova”

•Technical assistance to be provided by the State Veterinary and Food Administration of the Slovak Republic.

•Focus on harmonisation of fruit national standards and establishment of efficient national quality control structures in

accordance with EU principles.

•Implementation of marketing quality criteria for domestic and imported fruit and vegetables and food safety criteria for food

products, including application of worldwide recognised standards and norms.

• KEP grants (approved and planned for 2006):

€ 250,000

• Total projects value:

€ 790,000

...some figures

More information available at:

Thank you for your attention!

Adrian Keler

Secretariat for CEI Projects

Tel. +39 040 7786 732

E-mail: keler@cei-es.org

www.eastagri.org www.ceinet.org

Nada Zvekic

FAO Investment Center Division

Tel. +39 06 5705 5474

E-mail: nada.zvekic@fao.org