The Food Chain Approach – Policy Implications for the Way into the EU?

1. Roundtable 4: “Integration of Western Balkan agricultural markets into EU markets” The Food Chain Approach – Policy Implications for the Way into the EU?

2. Overview • The Food Chain Approach (FC) • FAOs interventions in the FC • Institutional Regulation of the FC • Policy Implications • Lessons Learnt – The Way into the EU

3. The Food Chain Approach Inputs Production / Farming Collection / Sorting / Grading / Packing Processing Wholesale / Retail Consumer Waste Management

4. Inputs Production / Farming Collection / Sorting / Grading / Packing Processing Wholesale / Retail Consumer Waste Management FAOs interventions in the FC • FAO intervention: • input use (pesticides, fertilizers, varieties, etc.) • improved technologies • institution building (e.g. advisory services) • association building • contract farming • etc. • Examples: • Albania • Macedonia • RITA (S&M) • Sandzak (S&M)

5. Inputs Inputs Production / Farming Production / Farming Collection / Sorting / Grading / Packing Collection / Sorting / Grading / Packing Processing Processing Wholesale / Retail Wholesale / Retail Consumer Consumer Waste Management Waste Management Institutional Regulation in FC • Regulations: • EU Water Directive • prohibited production methods • hygiene and food safety regulations • procedures / technologies • traceability • waste management • voluntary, e.g. EUREPGAP • etc. Regulations: Technical advise on:

6. Inputs Inputs Production / Farming Production / Farming Collection / Sorting / Grading / Packing Collection / Sorting / Grading / Packing Processing Processing Wholesale / Retail Wholesale / Retail Consumer Consumer Waste Management Waste Management Field level  Institutional Level • Regulations: • EU Water Directive • prohibited production methods • hygiene and food safety regulations • procedures / technologies • traceability • waste management • voluntary, e.g. EUREPGAP • etc. Regulations: Technical advise on: • FAO intervention: • input use (pesticides, fertilizers, varieties, etc.) • improved technologies • institution building (e.g. advisory services) • association building • contract farming • etc. • Examples: • Albania • Macedonia • RITA (S&M) • Sandzak (S&M)

7. Policy Implications • 2 Levels: • Field Level (improvements in food chain) • Institutional Level (enabling environment for entering markets) • => Bottom-up Approach in Policy Advice • Upwards => feedback to existing policies => need for adaptation or creation of new policies • Upwards & Downwards => testing & demonstration of policies • Downwards => implementation & enforcement • Integration into Rural Development • Awareness raising and confidence building

8. Lessons Learnt – the Way into the EU • Integrate field projects with policy making • Include policy component in field projects (and vice-versa) • If national standards not yet up-to-date • Focus on niche markets (e.g. high quality domestic, organic, local specialties) • Enter into voluntary standards (EUREPGAP) • Prepare as far as possible to adapt to coming regulations without loosing competitiveness • Pressure on policy level by lobby-groups, e.g. farmers or processors association, etc.

9. Questions and discussion Thank you for your attention