PRESS REVIEW. Current Events in Euro-Mediterranean Agriculture, Food and Environment

Transcription

1 PRESS REVIEW Current Events in Euro-Mediterranean Agriculture, Food and Environment September

2 C e t t e r e v u e d e p r e s s e r e p r e n d l e s a r t i c l e s s i g n a l é s s u r l e s i t e d u C I H E A M e n s e p t e m b r e , à p a r t i r d u t r a v a i l d e r e c h e r c h e d e s i n f o r m a t i o n s r é a l i s é a u s e i n d u S e c r é t a r i a t G é n é r a l p a r S é b a s t i e n A b i s ( a d m i n i s t r a t e u r ) e t M a t t h i e u B r u n ( s t a g i a i r e ) A b o n n e z - v o u s à n o t r e s ys t è m e d e v e i l l e e t s u i v e z j o u r a p r è s j o u r l a c t u a l i t é a g r i c o l e, a l i m e n t a i r e e t e n v i r o n n e m e n t a l e e n M é d i t e r r a n é e g r â c e à n o t r e p l a t e - f o r m e i n f o r m a t i v e d i s p o n i b l e à l a d r e s s e s u i v a n t e scoop.it/t/ciheam-pr es s-r eview 2

3 Sommaire Tunisia: Food too expensive despite Islamists pledges... 6 Tunisie : La coopération change de cap. De nouveaux projets avec Qataris, Koweitiens et Turcs... 7 Les Etats-Unis refusent de vendre du blé au Maroc... 8 "kiwifruit of Italy", new consortium created to boost competitiveness... 8 Non-renouvellement de l accord de pêche Maroc-UE... 9 Maroc : sécurité alimentaire, la protection des consommateurs n est pas une mince affaire... 9 Maroc : Les prix de la volaille s envolent Les prix agricoles vont rester élevés, prévient la FAO UN body urges G20 action on food prices, waste Report Forecasts Olive Oil Prospects for Spain, Italy, Greece Malta, fuelling a thriving economy Maroc : agrégation agricole, une opportunité de développement pour les petits agriculteurs En 2011, les exportations et les importations ont progressé dans le monde arabe Russian wheat export prices rise on Egypt's deal French President Hollande backs UfM Secretariat in call for 'Mediterranean of projects' Limiting climate change impact on water resources: EU project to hold training workshop in Amman Greece: Consumption down, prices up Le nouveau schéma du démantèlement tarifaire Algérie-UE Il sera opérationnel à partir du 1er septembre En Ile-de-France, le recul des terres agricoles alarme le monde paysan Matières premières: Lourde sera la facture Maroc : La flambée du cours du blé alimente la rumeur sur la hausse du prix du pain Africa: FAO Warns of Food Shortages in Urban Settings Grape growers fight to keep planting limits Illegal pesticides threaten agriculture and fragile ecosystem EU: Debate on CAP reforms Agroindustrie Tunisie: Baisse des prix de l'huile d'olive Italian organic food players seek out Russian opportunities Tunisie - L'augmentation des prix du lait et de la tomate reportée, les agriculteurs mécontents Ministry exploring new portals for produce exports to Europe En 2020, pourra-t-on encore vivre à Gaza? Italy: UN agencies highlight fears of repeat of world food crisis France mulls plan to soften blow from soaring grain Russia has become the main market for Spanish fruit and veg Malta : hydrologist seeks to mitigate flooding, recharge groundwater Climate threat to world's poor is underestimated: Oxfam Chile and Morocco sign cooperation agreement in view of free trade Tunisie - USA: Comment conquérir le marché américain de l'agroalimentaire

4 Egypt buys Black Sea wheat, seeks Russia export clarity Vers une PAC plus citoyenne? Productivité agricole en Tunisie: Prés de 64 millions de dinars investis Italy : Up 6% the consumption of organic foods Plan Maroc Vert : la BAD accorde un prêt de 105 millions d'euro au Maroc Formation : Le Maroc développe la recherche agricole avec l appui de l UE Tunisie: Agriculture - Pourquoi le marché de gros est-il boudé? L agriculture périurbaine soumise à l urbanisation? Le cas de Sétif Egypt cotton exports start to unravel Production céréalière en Algérie : cacophonie chez Benaïssa Lebanon : agriculture plan draws fire from farmers Plan Maroc Vert : 150 MDH pour promouvoir la viticulture UN warns of global food crisis, but is Egypt prepared? Stéphane Le Foll n est pas convaincu par les OGM actuels Mario Monti backs UfM in call for stronger Euro-Mediterranean cooperation Morsy drops farmers debts EU proposal would limit use of crop-based biofuels Céréales : une très bonne récolte française favorable à l'exportation (FranceAgriMer) Catania: start of a great event for the made in Italy in the Russian market Jordan- Supply shortfall sends vegetable prices soaring Jordan: "new opportunities for production of quality fresh produce" Lebanon can boost Arab-EU trade ties Italy, crops collapsed for boiling hot summer: -35% for tomatoes Barroso says EU ready to provide Egypt 500 million in financial aid if IMF deal agreed Tunisie: Marzouki veut booster l'édification économique du Maghreb arabe A farmers eco-network for tourism Egypt to lift ban on rice exports As Russia Joins WTO, Better Prospects for European Olive Oil Algérie : Renforcer les stocks de blé Lebanon to discuss elimination of Turkish import duties on bananas Italy: 32.4% of farms gone in the last 10 years Lebanon seeks to open new markets for apple exports Italy, first semester 2012: steady export, total value +27.1% Hunger economics: Do rising food prices mean trouble ahead? Italy-Lebanon: Joint Business Council founded in Beirut Cioloş promotes ties between farmers, consumers in CAP reform OECD agriculture official urges end to biofuel mandates Algérie : la demande nationale en céréales est estimée à près de 7 millions de tonnes/an Spain, promotional campaign for lemons in EU and Russia? La justice européenne au secours des agriculteurs grecs G20/Vers un G20 agricole à Rome mi-octobre autour des stocks alimentaires

5 Tunisie-Turquie : Signature d'une convention de coopération agricole Ukraine's farm barons stoke fears of agriculture monopolies Turkey aims to be one of top 10 economies in Maroc - Suspension des droits de douane sur le blé tendre à partir du 1er octobre How to grow a rooftop garden and wring pollution's neck South Africa seeks better access to EU for agriculture Malta Enterprise delegations to explore business prospects in Tunisia and Algeria G20: la Russie veut une doctrine de sécurité alimentaire globale Une reconstitution des stocks de blé qui coûtera cher à l Algérie Algérie - L aquaculture booste le secteur de la pêche à Aïn Temouchent Jobs scarce, more Italians volunteering on organic farms FAO GIEWS Country Brief on Syrian Arab Republic No to cuts in cohesion funds, Malta proposes revision of EU s agriculture spend millions d'habitants en Egypte en Algérie : hectares de céréales irrigués en appoint d ici à Quest for authentic solidarity Jordan :Talks under way with Iraq to serve as export gateway Maroc : La filière céréalière fait chuter la production agricole L'économie mondiale ralentie par le changement climatique Malta hosting CIHEAM meeting focusing on food security All time high in grain prices predicted for Innovative action plan for youth employment in agriculture Jordan: Boosting agricultural earnings Egypt at risk from global food rises: UN official Russia's wheat exporting rivals rub hands for Egypt deals Egypt's largest dairy producer to boost capacity by third: Citadel Capital

6 Tunisia: Food too expensive despite Islamists pledges Date : 3 August 2012 Source :The Daily Star URL : Tunisian women buy vegetables in Ariana souk on August 2, 2012 in Tunis. It is Tunisia's first Ramadan under an Islamist government, which promised to rein in food prices when it came to power seven months ago, but has yet to do so, and poor Tunisians are struggling to cope. Sheltering the cradle in her arms from the blazing sun, Aisha scoffed at the prices found in Tunis central market. These prices are unheard of! They are worse than the Ramadan heat wave, she says. It is Tunisia s first Ramadan under an Islamist government, which promised to rein in food prices when it came to power seven months ago but has yet to do so, and poor Tunisians are struggling to cope. This year everything is expensive; the prices have hit all-time highs, complains the housewife, as she eyes the well-stocked shelves, whose contents remain largely out of her price range. Aisha adds she is forced to feed her family every night for iftar a plate of kadhab, any sort of vegetarian dish without protein. Amid the cries of market traders and the pungent smell of fish, disadvantaged Tunisians wander round the stalls searching for affordable food. One kilo of lemons today, at four dinars ($2.46), is eight times more expensive than before Ramadan. It s a disgrace, says Souha, blaming the speculators who profit from the hunger that follows the daylong fast. At the end of April, Prime Minister Hamadi Jabali pledged to bring down the cost of consumer goods before Ramadan, but it was a promise that rang hollow as prices continued to climb. What is supposed to be a period of abstinence for Muslims, the holy month often paradoxically leads to a frenzy of consumer demand and price hikes. In a bid to curb price speculation, the authorities deployed monitors, but they have met with hostility from some traders. Even so, more than a thousand offenses were recorded in the first five days of Ramadan. The government must do what is necessary to contain high prices and increase salaries, otherwise it will be punished in the next elections, says Mohammad, a civil servant. What is more important than allowing people to eat during Ramadan? he asks, recalling that last year s revolution, which ousted dictator Zine al-abidine Ben Ali, was sparked by frustration at the poverty and precarious livelihoods of so many Tunisians. People sacrificed their lives. We have a government and elected MPs, but the prices have not fallen one iota, says his wife Nabila. The coalition government, formed after the first post-uprising poll in October, has raised the minimum monthly salary to around 150 euros, and talks over public- and private-sector pay increases are in their early stages. But for now, the cost of living is frequently satirized in the media, with newspapers devoting entire sections to the problem of food prices and sometimes offering inexpensive recipes. You have to secure a bank loan to make chakchouka, quipped one radio commentator recently, referring to a highly popular, spicy dish made of tomatoes, onions, eggs and peppers. Tunisia went into recession last year, and despite recovering in 2012, the economy remains fragile. Unemployment, which spurred many of the revolutionaries into action, hovers at around 19 percent. 6

7 The Ben Ali regime repeatedly claimed that less than 4 percent of the country s population lived in poverty. After the revolution it emerged that this was a gross underestimate, with the real figure estimated at almost a quarter. Tunisie : La coopération change de cap. De nouveaux projets avec Qataris, Koweitiens et Turcs Date : 21 août 2012 Source : African Manager URL : La coopération bilatérale de la Tunisie reste encore en-deçà de ses potentialités. Les données disponibles certifient, en effet, un déséquilibre au niveau des échanges de la Tunisie avec l extérieur. D ailleurs, 80% des échanges de la Tunisie s effectuent avec un nombre restreint de pays européens, tandis que les échanges réalisés avec les pays arabes ne dépassent pas les 10%. La coopération bilatérale avec les autres pays du monde reste aussi médiocre et ne dépasse pas les 10%. Un constat qui appelle la Tunisie à renouveler ses engagements, à imprimer une nouvelle dynamique à ses relations dans l objectif d'opérer un tournant qualitatif à tous les niveaux, de renforcer la coopération, d'élargir ses horizons et de diversifier ses aspects afin de réaliser la complémentarité escomptée. Dans une rencontre récente avec la presse, Riadh Bettaieb, ministre de l'investissement et de la Coopération Internationale a s ailleurs montré qu un déséquilibre en termes de la coopération bilatérale de la Tunisie peut impacter la machine économique et freiner la croissance du pays. Cela peut provoquer, selon le ministre, un repli annuel de 1 à 2 points dans la croissance du pays, ce qui nécessitera la mise en place des mesures urgentes afin d éliminer les obstacles entravent les échanges, dans l objectif de hisser la coopération économique au niveau souhaité. Toutefois, en dressant le bilan des six premiers mois de l année 2012, Riadh Bettaieb a indiqué qu une nouvelle dynamique a été enregistrée au cours de cette période. Plusieurs pays comme la Malaisie, la Turquie, la Chine, l Australie, la Bretagne, Canada, Qatar, l Arabie Saoudite, la Libye, le Bahreïn ou les Emirats arabes ont manifesté déjà leur intérêt à renforcer leur coopération avec la Tunisie. D ores et déjà, avec le Qatar, un accord d investissement de 500 millions de dinars sous forme de bons de trésor a été signé. Des conventions de coopération ainsi que des mémorandums d entente ont fait aussi l objet d un accord. Plusieurs projets de développement sont, également, en phase d étude par le Fonds de Développement d'abu Dhabi qui a manifesté son intérêt pour financer certains projets. D autres projets ont été alloués au Fonds Koweitien de développement économique pour une possibilité de financement. Ces projets ont concerné la protection du littoral de l érosion et l aménagement des pistes agricoles dans les régions de périmètres irriguées, ainsi que le développement des réseaux de transfert du gaz. Une ligne de crédit de 400 millions de dollars et un don de 100 millions de dollars seront encore débloqués par la Turquie en faveur de la Tunisie. Le prêt sera remboursable avec des conditions aisées. Ces montants ont été décidés suite à plusieurs visites effectuées par les hommes d affaires turcs en Tunisie, durant lesquelles, ils se sont rendus compte des besoins de la Tunisie. Plus encore, durant le premier semestre de l année actuelle, deux conventions de prêt ont été pareillement signées entre la Tunisie et le Japon et ce pour le financement de deux projets. Le premier concerne la réalisation de l autoroute Gabes/Médenine qui s étale sur 90 Km. Le projet a nécessité 200 millions de dinars de la part de l agence japonaise pour la coopération internationale (JICA). Le deuxième projet qui a nécessité des investissements de l ordre de 120 millions de dinars s articule autour de l approvisionnement des zones urbaines de l eau buvable. Il est également prévu que le gouvernement japonais donne son accord pour le financement de deux nouveaux projets dont un pour la lutte contre les inondations à Oued Medjerda. Ce projet a nécessité des investissements équivalents à 200 millions de dinars. A rappeler aussi que trois conventions dont un don de 19 millions de dinars ont été signées en février dernier avec la Chine. 7

8 La Tunisie a renforcé également son partenariat avec la Suisse. Un don de 13 millions de dinars a été convenu. Ce don n est qu une partie des 60 millions de dinars décidés par la Suisse pour soutenir la transition démocratique en Tunisie. Les Etats-Unis refusent de vendre du blé au Maroc Date : 16 août 2012 Source : Bladi.net URL : Les Etats Unis auraient rejeté les appels d offres émis par le Maroc pour l achat de blé tendre, ce qui laisse présager une forte baisse des stocks de farine et de pain durant les prochains mois. Le Maroc, prêt à acheter tonnes de blé tendre américain dans le cadre d un accord douanier préférentiel, n a reçu aucune offre venant des Etats-Unis, affirme une source de l Office National du Blé et des Féculents au quotidien Al Massae. La forte baisse des récoltes de blé aux Etats-Unis, impactées par la sécheresse qui y sévit, expliquerait le refus des Etats-Unis de vendre le blé au Maroc, selon la même source, laquelle affirme également que d autres pays suivront l exemple américain. La France pourrait aussi refuser de vendre une partie de ses récoltes de blé au Maroc, qui, dans le meilleur des cas, réduira la part réservée habituellement aux marchés du Maghreb Arabe au profit du Maroc, une solution qui resterait insuffisante pour le Maroc. Les réserves de blé au Maroc couvriront tout au plus deux mois des besoins des minoteries industrielles du pays, où la flambée du prix du pain pourrait mener à une crise sociale identique à 1981 à Casablanca. Une cellule de crise a été constituée au sein de l Office National du Blé pour tenter de trouver une solution alternative permettant de fournir normalement le marché marocain en blé dans les prochains mois. "kiwifruit of Italy", new consortium created to boost competitiveness Date : 23 August 2012 Source :Green Med URL : To face the economic crisis and the challenges of the market, a new consortium was recently created in Italy for the kiwifruit sector. It joins nine of the most important suppliers mainly from the Emilia Romagna and Veneto regions. Concentration of supply is increasingly seen as a solution to increase competitiveness. The nine companies are Spreafico, Naturitalia, Salvi-Unacoa, Granfrutta Zani, Frutta C2, Orogel Fresco, Pempacorer, Minguzzi and Consorzio Kiwigold, who together represent more than 100,000 tonnes of the Hayward kiwifruit production of Italy, or around 20 per cent of the country s total output. The main objectives of this commercial partnership - stated Alessandro Fornari (pictured), director of Consorzio Kiwigold and president of the new consortium - are, on the one hand, the definition of minimum quality standards on kiwifruit production and marketing, to guarantee constant quality and improve the image in front of customers and consumers. Secondly, the implementation of coordinated marketing and promotional campaigns directed primarily towards new markets and overseas countries. All this - Fornari continues - in order to boost the reputation of Italian kiwifruit and maximize the economic return for producers, against rising global production of kiwifruit and general stagnation of consumption. 8

9 The founders intention is to grow further and fast, by opening the doors to more Italian top suppliers and exporters able to meet the Consortiums requirements. A lever on which the Consortium will act to 'conquer' new markets will be the Italian origin of the product, guarantee of uniqueness and natural features thanks to the outstanding suitability of Italy for this fruit., President Fornari concluded. Non-renouvellement de l accord de pêche Maroc-UE Date : 23 août 2012 Source : Le Matin URL : L Espagne a décidé d accorder une aide supplémentaire de 5,3 millions d euros aux pêcheurs espagnols affectés par le non-renouvellement de l accord de pêche entre le Maroc et l UE, a annoncé le ministre de l Agriculture, de l alimentation et de l environnement, Miguel Arias Canete. Le gouvernement espagnol a décidé de prolonger de six mois, soit jusqu au 14 décembre prochain, l aide accordée aux pêcheurs affectés par la non-reconduction de l accord de pêche entre le Maroc et l Union européenne (UE), souligne le ministère de l Agriculture, de l alimentation et de l environnement dans un communiqué rendu public mercredi soir. Ainsi, le montant global de l aide semestrielle aux pêcheurs espagnols atteint plus de 5,3 millions d euros, précise la même source, ajoutant que chaque pêcheur recevra la somme de 45 euros pour chaque jour de chômage. Cette mesure a été annoncée suite à une réunion tenue entre le ministre de l Agriculture avec les représentants des associations professionnelles de pêche lors de laquelle l accent a été mis sur les problèmes et la crise qui frappe le secteur. Maroc : sécurité alimentaire, la protection des consommateurs n est pas une mince affaire Date : 23 août 2012 Source : Le Matin URL : L ONSSA ne ménage aucun effort pour protéger et sensibiliser les consommateurs. D importantes quantités de denrées alimentaires ont été saisies durant les 3 premières semaines du Ramadan. Tout en saluant ces efforts, la Fédération marocaine des droits du consommateur appelle les citoyens à la vigilance. La question de la sécurité alimentaire est depuis toujours un sujet sensible. Les risques liés à la consommation de produits non conformes ne s arrêtent pas au stade de l intoxication comme on pourrait le croire. Ils peuvent être bien plus graves. En effet, selon un responsable de l ONSSA (l Office national de sécurité sanitaire des produits alimentaires), l organisme étatique qui assure le contrôle des denrées alimentaires aussi bien d origine animale que végétale, «Les dangers qu encourent les consommateurs vont de l intoxication aux cancers (dus aux résidus des pesticides, contaminants et médicaments vétérinaires), en passant par les risques physiques tels la présence dans la nourriture d objets durs ou pointus». Qu en est-il de la sécurité sanitaire au Maroc? Les efforts déployés en matière de sécurité alimentaire au Maroc sont-ils suffisants? Visiblement, la réponse est oui dans la mesure où les responsables de l ONSSA se montrent rassurants. «Les inspecteurs de l ONSSA disposent de toute la logistique nécessaire pour l accomplissement de leurs missions d inspection et de contrôle. Aussi, ils bénéficient de façon régulière de cycles de formation continue pour la mise à niveau de leurs connaissances en matière de contrôle sanitaire et phytosanitaire des denrées alimentaires encadrée par des experts dans des domaines spécifiques de chaque secteur d activité», explique-t-on du côté de l office. Du côté de la Fédération marocaine des droits du consommateur (FMDC), l optimisme semble être de 9

10 mise. Selon le Dr Bouazza Kherrati, le président de cette fédération: «l ONSSA œuvre à la protection du consommateur marocain tout au long de l année». Et d ajouter toutefois avec une certaine réserve : «En tant que Fédération marocaine des droits du consommateur, nous constatons des insuffisances dans certaines régions du Maroc. Mais à chaque appel de notre part, l ONSSA répond présent et nous la remercions pour les efforts fournis en vue de répondre positivement aux plaintes des consommateurs». Quid de la logistique Afin d offrir un service de proximité, l ONSSA dispose de 10 Directions régionales coiffant 67 services vétérinaires provinciaux, 42 services provinciaux du contrôle des produits végétaux et d origine végétale, 33 services provinciaux de la protection des végétaux, 14 antennes régionales de contrôle de semences et plants, 5 directions du contrôle et de la qualité aux frontières et 17 laboratoires d analyses. S agissant des ressources humaines, l ONSSA dispose d un capital humain comptant agents réparti entre : 316 Ingénieurs, 286 médecins vétérinaires, 69 administrateurs et assimilés, agents de maîtrise et 407 agents d appui. L Office est doté, par ailleurs, des moyens et outils nécessaires: «moyens de transport (véhicules de déplacement), matériels techniques pour effectuer les missions de contrôle sanitaire et phytosanitaire, matériels dédiés aux investigations analytiques (thermomètre à sonde, à pic et à infrarouge, sachets de prélèvements, glacière des prélèvements, matériel de scellé des prélèvements, les ph-mètres, laser-mètre, etc.)», ajoute notre source. Travail continu et soutenu Il faut souligner que l ONSSA assure un travail quotidien pour la protection des consommateurs. Tous les produits alimentaires sont concernés. Durant la troisième semaine de Ramadan, à titre d exemple, ses investigations ont abouti à la saisie et à la destruction de 578 kg et 199 litres de produits alimentaires d origine végétale et de 44 tonnes de produits d origine animale impropres à la consommation dont, principalement: 235 kg de semoule et de farine, 85,5 kg de céréales, 64 kg de pâtes alimentaires, 15,75 kg de café, kg de concentré de tomates, 36 kg d olives, 93 litres de boissons gazeuses et soda, 30 litres d huiles de friture et d huile de table, 30 litres de jus de fruits et nectars, kg de viandes rouges et produits à base de viandes rouges dont kg de viandes rouges issus de l abattage clandestin, kg de viandes blanches, unités de produits de la pêche, kg de produits laitiers, 547 kg de produits de la ruche et 608 unités œufs de consommation. Les efforts fournis sont énormes, mais sans l implication du consommateur, ils ne produiront guère l effet escompté. La FMDC et l ONSSA sont d accord sur un point: les consommateurs doivent être vigilants et éviter absolument les lieux de vente clandestins. Le Dr Kherati est catégorique : «En termes de quantité, les tonnages saisis par rapport à ceux commercialisés restent très infimes puisque l informel échappe aux différentes tournées de contrôles. Et cela nous interpelle à renforcer la sensibilisation des consommateurs en leur demandant de ne pas acheter les denrées alimentaires et plus particulièrement celles d origine animale des marchands ambulants. Car le risque de consommer des produits avariés est énorme». Même son de cloche du côté de l ONSSA qui affirme : «Les citoyens sont invités à s approvisionner en produits alimentaires d origine connue auprès des points de vente fixes et identifiés. Ils doivent acheter ou consommer des produits alimentaires que proposent les magasins qui respectent la chaîne de froid et les conditions générales d hygiène et de propreté. Les citoyens doivent être vigilants et vérifier l origine, l étiquetage et les conditions de stockage des produits alimentaires». Car, selon nos interlocuteurs, intoxication ne signifie pas forcément «contrôle défaillant» actes de contrôle en trois semaines Durant les trois premières semaines de Ramadan, les brigades mobiles de contrôle de l ONSSA ont réalisé sorties au cours desquelles elles ont effectué visites de différents points de vente, d unités de transformation, d établissement, d abattoirs et de lieux de restauration collective. Les actes de contrôle, réalisés à cette occasion, ont donné lieu à procès verbaux de prélèvements d échantillons aux fins d analyses, à 249 procès verbaux de constatations directes d infraction et à actions de sensibilisation en matière d entreposage des produits alimentaires, d étiquetage et des conditions d hygiène. Mais le travail de l ONSSA ne se limite pas au marché national, les postes frontaliers étant aussi concernés. Ainsi, au courant de la deuxième semaine de Ramadan, les actions de l ONSSA ont porté sur le contrôle à l importation au niveau des différents postes frontaliers de tonnes de produits alimentaires. De même que ces investigations ont donné lieu à 31 prélèvements d échantillons pour analyses, à 83 actes de contrôle documentaire, à 164 actes de contrôle physique et au refoulement de produits alimentaires non conformes suivants : 1 tonne de viandes blanches, 144 litres de jus de fruits, litres de 10

11 boissons aux extraits végétaux, kg de graisse de palme, 121,5 kg de tisanes diététiques, kg de thé vert, kg de préparation à base de sésame. Repères Chaque fois que le consommateur a des doutes concernant un produit alimentaire, l ONSSA l invite à prendre attache avec ses services en contactant son centre d appel au n Au sein de la FMDC, il existe des associations qui ont des guichets-conseils ouverts cinq jours sur sept pour recevoir les doléances des consommateurs s estimant lésés. Ces associations restent à la disposition des consommateurs pour toutes déclarations d intoxication ou d abus. Maroc : Les prix de la volaille s envolent Date : 27 août 2012 Source : emarrakech URL : De 13 DH / Kg à plus de 25 DH / KG, se sont en moyenne, renchérit les volailles sur le marché national. Produits de grande consommation pour les ménages marocains, cette inflation vient casser considérablement leur pouvoir d achat. Si au ministère de l agriculture l on avance essentiellement la canicule comme principale cause de ces augmentations de prix, les professionnels du secteur, de leur côté, indiquent qu ils existent d autres facteurs ayant conduit à cette situation. En effet, Omar Badaoui, responsable au marché de gros de volaille à Rabat, a déploré, dimanche sur 2M, que le secteur a fortement souffert de l augmentation des prix du fourrage : «Le prix du fourrage a augmenté depuis 3 mois 70% des petits éleveurs ont été contraints de fermer boutique» s est-il plaint. Notons que le secteur aviculteur génère plus de emplois directs et indirects et connaît depuis 4 ans un taux de croissance de 7% pour la production de viande et 5% pour les œufs de consommation. Les prix agricoles vont rester élevés, prévient la FAO Date : 27 août 2012 Source :Le Point URL : Les prix agricoles resteront élevés et volatiles au cours de la prochaine décennie, prévient dans un entretien au Monde le directeur général de l'organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture (FAO). La pire sécheresse depuis un demi-siècle aux Etats-Unis et de mauvaises récoltes dans la région de la mer Noire ont eu pour conséquence une hausse des cours du maïs, du blé et du soja. Le prix du riz n'a pour l'instant pas été touché. Le Fonds monétaire international et la Banque mondiale ont déjà conseillé aux Etats de se préparer à une éventuelle poursuite de la hausse des prix alimentaires au cours des prochains mois mais ils ne prévoient pas de crise comparable à celle de "Toutes les projections de la FAO aboutissent à la conclusion que les prix agricoles vont rester élevés et connaître une grande volatilité dans les dix années à venir", dit le Brésilien José Graziano da Silva dans un entretien au Monde daté de mardi. 11

12 "Pour y faire face, nous recommandons la constitution de stocks nationaux de produits alimentaires de base", ajoute-t-il, recommandant la création, dans chaque pays, de stocks couvrant "entre une semaine et un mois" de besoins alimentaires. La France et les Etats-Unis se sont récemment déclarés prêts à réunir le Forum de réaction rapide du G20 en cas de dégradation sur les marchés des céréales et du soja. Paris, Washington et Mexico doivent tenir une conférence téléphonique fin août sur ce dossier au niveau de leurs hauts fonctionnaires. Ils décideront alors s'il convient de réunir ce forum. "Nous discutons actuellement de l'opportunité de convoquer le Forum de réaction rapide", confirme le directeur de la FAO dans son entretien au Monde. "La première convocation de ce Forum ne devra pas être interprétée comme un signe d'affolement, mais comme la volonté d'assurer une meilleure coordination", ajoute-t-il. La FAO a établi une liste de 50 pays en situation "d'insécurité alimentaire", dit José Graziano da Silva. "Malgré l'augmentation des prix agricoles qui renchérit le coût (de l'aide alimentaire), il est extrêmement important de maintenir cette aide alimentaire, faute de quoi les pays bénéficiaires risqueraient de connaître des troubles sérieux", estime-t-il. UN body urges G20 action on food prices, waste Date : 27 August 2012 Source : Reuters URL : The world's top farm producers in the Group of 20 countries must agree coordinated action to ease worries about food prices, the head of the United Nations foood agency said on Monday, as he and other experts bemoaned a huge global waste of food and water. The third price surge in four years has come after drought in the United states and poor crops from Russia and the Black Sea bread basket region. Senior figures from the G20 will discuss the food price rises this week, but any decisions on action are unlikely before a mid-september report on grain supply, officials have said. U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation Director-General Jose Graziano Da Silva said he would not characterise the current food price rise as a crisis, but it could reach that level next year if harvests in the southern hemisphere were disappointing. "We need coordinated action and I believe that the G20 is responsible enough for this action," da Silva told a news conference during a conference on water in the Swedish capital. The annual World Water Week conference looks at how resources are used and the link between water and food security. Speaking to Reuters, da Silva said any coordination should involve avoiding unilateral export bans and encouraging subsitution of foods, for instance the eating of beans in Latin American and of casava in Africa. He noted that between 85 and 95 percent of the crops most affected by the price rises, wheat and corn, came from the G20. He said that even if wheat prices rose 10 to 20 percent that did not mean bread prices would rise by the same amount. 12

13 Da Silva noted that the food price rally was not as serious as in 2007/08, when there were violent protests in countries including Egypt, Cameroon and Haiti. "There is no crisis," he told Reuters. "This kind of panic buying is what we need to avoid at the moment." Da Silva and other experts at the conference said that there was also a massive waste of food in the world, an issue that needed to be resolved in order better to harness resources. "Up to half of the food we produce never gets eaten," said Torgny Holmgren, executive director of the Stockholm International Water Institute. A quarter of the water used worldwide was used to produce more than one billion tonnes of food that nobody eats, he said. Da Silva told the conference that one third of all food production was lost and that this was due to poor storage in developing countries, or being thrown away in rich countries. He also said water security was a vital factor for food security and that food needed to be produced in a way that conserved water, used it more sustainably and intelligently, and helped agriculture adapt to climate change. "We need to produce more with less," he added. Report Forecasts Olive Oil Prospects for Spain, Italy, Greece Date : 27 August 2012 Source : The Olive Oil Times URL : The European Commission has released a brief report on olive oil production expectations towards year Based mainly on statistical analysis and predictions about the progression of the oil industry compared to past trends, the report is concerned with the big three of the olive oil sector; Spain, Italy and Greece. Spain For Spain, assuming average climatic conditions, olive oil production in 2020 is expected to be approximately 1.68 million tons compared to less than 1.50 tons in 2011, with a fluctuation between 1.43 and 1.86 million tons. The per capita olive oil consumption will remain the same at 13kg/year for a total consumption of 632,000 tons in Spain. Exports of olive oil are due to follow the trend of the past years reaching million tons compared to 840,000 tons in 2011, mostly to markets outside the EU, while imports will not change significantly and stay at 40,000 to 50,000 tons. Regarding the land used for olive groves in Spain, an increase is expected for irrigated olive groves from 681,000 hectares in 2011 to 771,000 hectares in 2020, while a loss of 20,000 hectares is expected for the non-irrigated groves. Italy Italy will most likely experience a minor decrease in olive oil production in 2020 to 477,000 tons, compared to 538,000 tons in Imports of olive oil will continue to be a strong part of the sector and they are expected to be just under 500,000 tons per year until Exports are expected to approximately 360,000 tons in Considering that consumption of olive oil in Italy has been declining during the recent years, the same pattern is expected for the time period until 2020 and consumption will sum up to 360,000 tons. 13

14 The land in Italy used for olive trees cultivation will remain unchanged counting to 1.14 million hectares, according to the report. Greece Olive oil production in Greece is also expected to decline, from 310,000 tons in 2011 to 270,000 tons in Regarding exports and taking into consideration the fact that the trend of previous years shows a reduction, a slight fall is projected by the report and exports will sum up to 82,000 in Oil imports in the country are negligible and amount to only 3,000 tons per year. Consumption of olive oil in the country is also expected to decline, from a total of 228,000 tons in 2011 to 202,000 tons in Finally, the land used for olive groves will most likely expand to 767,000 hectares in 2020 compared to 738,000 hectares in 2007, but with a reduction in the yield. Sources: Agricultural Markets Brief No 2, Prospects for the Olive Oil Sector in Spain, Italy and Greece Malta, fuelling a thriving economy Date : 27 August 2012 Auteur : George Pullicino Source : Times of Malta URL : A few days ago, the National Statistics Office (NSO) published statistics regarding full-time employment last March. These figures continue to confirm that for the first time in Malta, there are currently more than 150,000 people in full-time employment, more specifically, 150,400. This amounts to an increase of 2,500 in full-time employment over the past year, 2,300 of which within the private sector, whereby the private sector in Malta now employs 109,600, or three quarters of all workers. There was an increase in full-time employment in the restaurant, entertainment and cultural sectors, pharmaceutical manufacturing, transport, IT programming and consultancy, accountancy and management consultants, health and education. Such new and modern types of work are driving our economy thanks to the leadership of Lawrence Gonzi, who kept our country on the right path despite numerous international crises. This is a sharp contrast to the situation 25 years ago! In 1987, 55,000 people were employed by the Maltese government, compared to 41,000 today a considerable reduction over the past 25 years. While 109,600 are today employed by the private sector, this is a 70 per cent increase over the 65,000 that were employed privately 25 years ago. Nationalist governments always created jobs; not jobs within the ranks, but dignified work that reflects a vibrant and dynamic economy driven by private initiative, rather than an economy fuelled by favours. This does not mean that everybody is doing the job that they would like to be doing. There are those who are unemployed and we must continue to improve the economic climate so that they too find work that provides them with the greatest satisfaction August 23. Dom Dom Mintoff, one of the major protagonists in our country s history over the last 70 years, has passed away. Whether you agreed with him or not, he was definitely one of our contemporary protagonists. He worked for the country in the way he thought best, having an impact on our country and our lives. 14

15 I believe that even though he brought about important changes in social policy, particularly during the early 1970s, he did not adapt to the changing times, which was reflected in his thoughts and actions. Inevitably this also stagnated the country. Even if we disagreed with him, we salute him on his demise August 22. Cereals and food security The threat of a global food crisis is once again upon us, brought about in part by speculations on cereals, as well as factors such as the drought that is currently affecting the United States. This is leading to unprecedented prices of cereals, on which animals feed, subsequently having a devastating effect on all food production. According to the FAO, the UN s food agency, in July alone the price of food increased by six per cent, the largest increase in the past three years. On average, cereals increased by over 20 per cent. This is a threat that impacts us, but also impacts many, including the billion people who live on the poverty line. It also has a devastating impact on populations in developing countries where spending on food amounts to 80 per cent of monthly expenditure. It is calculated that should these price hikes reach a 10 per cent increase, then 10 million people will go hungry. There is an urgent need for concrete action. A country like ours will feel the effects of this immediately, particularly since we depend exclusively on imported cereals to feed our livestock. It is therefore appropriate that for the CIHEAM s 13-member strong Agriculture Ministers Meeting that will be hosted in Malta next month, we have chosen to focus on food security within the Mediterranean as a primary theme August 19. Research for better quality In the wine sector, it is important that we not only take stock of what we have accomplished over the past 10 years but also build strong research foundations and continue to build on what we have achieved. Today I had the opportunity to visit the works that are underway on the new experimental centre for viticulture and oenology in Buskett. This centre is being made possible thanks to an investment of over 500,000, 85 per cent of which is financed by the EU s interregional programme in partnership with the Istituto Regionale delle Vite e del Olio in Marsala, Sicily, which I visited a year and a half ago. In fact, our centre will continue its research with the assistance of the Sicilian institute. Research is the key to success in any sector. Agriculture is no exception. The centre will be divided into an experimental winery where new techniques will be studied, and laboratories. The production area will be split into areas where grapes are pressed, an area where the wine can age, and an area where the wine will be bottled and stored. The two labs will be dedicated to chemical analysis and microbiology of the grapes and wine, as well as analysis of the soil in which the vines are grown. Experimental variations of Maltese vines will also be planted around the centre. Malta has made great leaps forward thanks to EU membership. We introduced a number of new regulations in this sector, which revolve around both the interests of consumers and farmers. Malta is in total conformity with such legislation and also boasts some 80 D.O.K. and I.G.T wines. This centre will also serve as a control centre regarding conformity with such legislation, as well as a training and information hub for farmers and producers. We will therefore also be assisting the private sector to continue to enhance the quality of products that are made available to the consumer August 16. The four faces of the London Olympics The Olympics have come and gone. It was certainly a massive celebration of sports. In my opinion, there were four faces at the London Olympics that captured the spirit of the Games. The first is that of Mohammed, or Mo Farah, as he won his second gold medal. An unforgettable expression of joy. Mo arrived in 15

16 the UK from Somalia when he was eight years old. He integrated himself in athletics in his new country, to become one of the athletes that brought most happiness to the supporters of Team GB when he won gold in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres. Another unforgettable expression was that of Michael Phelps mother as she watched her son win his 16th gold medal in London. Debbie Phelps celebrated in every possible way: shouting, crying, pointing her finger, hugging those next to her. She probably remembered all the times she dropped him off at 4 a.m. training sessions or accompanied him to heats and competitions, all building up to this very moment. Her dedication paid off as she watched her son became the Olympic athlete with most medals: 22, 18 of them gold. It is a pity that he has decided to retire. The third is that of South Korean fencer Shin A-lam, as she sat crying waiting for a decision following the chaotic ending to her semi-final against Germany s Britta Heidemann, where in an added second, the German succeeded in overturning a loss into a victory. Her expression epitomised the agony that sport brings with it, recalling the fact that in a competition such as this, an athlete s hopes and dreams may be shattered by an official s decision. Yet perhaps the most unforgettable remain the faces of every one of the 70,000 volunteers who assisted behind the scenes so that the London Olympics could be such a great success. In my opinion, these were the true heroes of the London Olympics, dedicating hundreds of hours of hard work. Not only were they unpaid but they also had to fund their own travel from their home towns to London. Maroc : agrégation agricole, une opportunité de développement pour les petits agriculteurs Date : 27 août 2012 Source : Le Matin URL : L agrégation agricole vise à accompagner les paysans pour améliorer rationnellement leur mode de production et faciliter la commercialisation de leurs récoltes. Le Plan Maroc vert (PMV) a adopté l agrégation agricole comme mode d organisation privilégié pour la mise en place des projets dans le secteur agricole. Cette forme d organisation, qui vise à renforcer le tissu des acteurs en atténuant les impacts de la problématique foncière liée à la faible taille des exploitations agricoles, permet notamment de faciliter l accès à la technologie et aux intrants performants pour les petits et moyens agriculteurs dans le but d améliorer leur rendement. L agrégation agricole repose sur le regroupement volontaire des agriculteurs (agrégés) autour d un acteur (agrégateur), qui est, lui, chargé d organiser les paysans en vue d optimiser le processus de production, de valoriser et de commercialiser la production agricole. Cette agrégation peut prendre la forme de coopératives, de groupements d intérêt économique (GIE), etc. Pour permettre à ce secteur de jouer pleinement son rôle de développement local, une loi sur l agrégation agricole adoptée par le Parlement a été publiée dans sa version arabe au Bulletin officiel (B.O) du 9 août. Si les relations entre agrégés et agrégateurs sont garanties par contrat d agrégation agricole, l État doit veiller pour que ces agrégateurs ne se transforment pas en prédateurs. «Une agrégation juste et équitable vise à accompagner les petits et moyens producteurs à l instar de la coopérative agricole (Copag), modèle cité en référence par le Plan Maroc vert (PMV). En d autres termes, les producteurs ou les agrégés qui relèvent du deuxième pilier du PMV sont les propriétaires de leur coopérative qui est en même temps leur agrégateur. Par conséquent, les bénéfices sont répartis équitablement entre ceux et celles qui ont contribué à leur réalisation en fonction de l apport et l effort de chacun», a indiqué Ahmed Ait Haddout, président du Réseau marocain de l économie sociale et solidaire (REMESS). Par ailleurs, l agrégation agricole peut aussi être une des solutions pour contrer l exode rural des jeunes vers les villes. Ce phénomène social, qui a pris une grande ampleur ces dernières années, risque de menacer la sécurité 16

17 alimentaire nationale dans l avenir. Pour remédier à cette situation, l agrégation agricole est donc une opportunité pour tous les jeunes de s investir dans l agriculture, en leur permettant de disposer de terres à valoriser dans le cadre de location à long terme via une location emphytéotique. Ce mode d exploitation agricole permet à tout locataire d enregistrer la location à la conservation foncière, la déposer en caution afin d obtenir des crédits auprès des banques, etc. Sur ce registre, les terres collectives (soulalyates), qui sont nombreuses et non valorisées, peuvent trouver leur solution dans l agrégation agricole. La valorisation de ces terres permettrait aussi de lancer de nouvelles cultures à valeur ajoutée : arboriculture (olivier, caroubier, amandier, palmier dattier, etc.) et élevage extensif (camelin, autruche, lièvre, etc.). La région minière de Jrada, qui a été frappée par le chômage après la fermeture des mines, ou celles de Rachidia, Ouarzazate et Zagoura se prêtent à ce genre de projets. Si la loi sur l agrégation vise à réglementer le secteur, il n empêche que dès sa publication dans le B.O, certaines voix émettent des critiques contre son article 2. Ce dernier indique que la qualité d agrégé concerne «tout agriculteur, personne physique ou morale de droit public ou privé y compris les coopératives, les associations ou les groupements d intérêt économique, regroupé par l agrégateur pour la réalisation d un projet d agrégation agricole». Faux! «Si les coopératives et les groupements d intérêt économique peuvent être des agrégateurs, il n en est pas de même pour les associations, car ces dernières ne peuvent pas exercer des activités économiques au profit de ses membres et encore moins des actes commerciaux au bénéfice de tiers. En revanche, les syndicats professionnels, de par le dahir du 16 juillet 1957, peuvent commercialiser pour le compte de ses membres leurs produits en leurs noms», a précisé M. Ait Haddout. Et de conclure : «La loi sur l agrégation est une étape importante, mais il reste à élaborer une loi sur les coopératives selon une vraie démarche participative basée sur une large concertation avec tous les acteurs». Les avantages des regroupements Le projet d agrégation agricole vise l organisation de la production à travers notamment l encadrement technique des agriculteurs et la mutualisation des moyens de production et l accès aux intrants (engrais, pesticides, etc.). Il a pour objectif également la facilitation de l accès au financement et aux systèmes d assurance ainsi que l optimisation de l écoulement des produits agricoles vers les marchés de consommation, les unités de transformation agro-industrielles et les marchés d exportation. Autre avantage de l agrégation, l amélioration des conditions de mise en marché des produits agricoles via, entre autres, l organisation logistique et le développement des techniques d emballage, de stockage, de regroupement, de conditionnement, de transformation et de conservation En 2011, les exportations et les importations ont progressé dans le monde arabe Date : 28 août 2012 Source : Econostrum URL : MENA. Le volume en valeur des exportations et des importations du monde arabe a cru de 18,5 % en 2011 selon la Compagnie arabe pour la garantie des investissements et des crédits à l exportation (DHAMAN) qui rassemble l'ensemble des pays arabes du Moyen-Orient et d'afrique du Nord. Encouragées par le cours élevé des hydrocarbures, les exportations (1 021 mrds ) ont augmenté de 22,8 %. Les importations (755 mrds ) ont progressé de 13 %, en raison à la fois de la hausse du prix des matières premières et de la faiblesse de la production locale, en particulier dans les pays concernés par le Printemps arabe. En 2012, elles devraient croitre de 8,2 %. Conséquence du différentiel entre les exportations et les importations, la dette extérieure des pays arabes, ramenée à 674,4 mrds en 2011, contre 790,7 mrds en 2010, a diminué de 15%. Lire le rapport (en arabe). 17

18 Russian wheat export prices rise on Egypt's deal Date : 28 Augut 2012 Source : Reuters URL : Russia's wheat export prices could rise further after winning new business from Egypt, the world's largest wheat importer, adding pressure on to an already tight exportable surplus after damage to the crop from drought, grain analysts said on Monday. Egypt's General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) agreed to buy 60,000 tonnes of Russian wheat from Olam International at $319 per tonne with freight costs of $11.64 per tonne and 60,000 tonnes from Aston at $ per tonne with freight costs of $ "Russian origin remains most competitive in comparison with any other sources," Dmitry Rylko, the head of the Institute for Agricultural Market Studies (IKAR), said in a note. It was GASC's third international wheat purchase since the July 1 start of the 2012/13 fiscal year. The purchase was also GASC's third in two weeks as the world's top wheat importing nation moved to secure supplies on growing concern about weather-shortened crops in key exporting nations including Russia and Australia. Russia's government cut its 2012 grain crop forecast to 75 million tonnes and has tried to reassure markets there will be no repeat of August 2010, when it shocked markets with a snap decision to ban grain exports when the scale of losses from major drought became clear. This year, the government has indicated that protective tariffs could be an option, though only after the end of the calendar year. But traders and analysts widely expect limits to be imposed in some form, perhaps as early as November, after heavy exports in the early months of the season showed Russia could exhaust the million tonne exportable surplus sooner than January 1. "Egypt entered the market after last week's (global) price correction and, perhaps, after it made sure that Russia's export restrictions would not be imposed in the nearest future," SovEcon agriculture analysts said in a note. Egypt bought Russian wheat for October 1-10 shipment on a free on board (FOB) basis. On last week's Russia's wheat prices, IKAR estimated FOB level for 12.5-percent wheat at $314 per tonne, up from $310 per tonne, while the price for the new corn (maize) was quoted at $ per tonne. SovEcon said Black Sea FOB wheat prices were unchanged at $ per tonne last week, while corn prices in North Caucasus were quoted at 8,000-9,000 roubles ($ ) per tonne. US new-crop wheat tracked corn, climbing 0.68 percent to $8.14 a bushel on Monday by 0824 GMT. The average Russian prices for fourth-grade milling wheat in deep-water ports were stable last week at 9,600-9,800 roubles per tonne on a carriage-paid-to (CPT) basis, while prices in shallow-water ports reached 8,800-9,000 roubles per tonne, up 100 roubles, according to SovEcon. Russia's average domestic EXW (ex-silo) prices for third-grade milling wheat were unchanged at 8,300 roubles ($260) per tonne, while the fourth-grade prices were unchanged at 8,275 roubles per tonne, SovEcon added. Price growth in drought-damaged Urals and Siberia slowed down last week as prices reached overheated levels, SovEcon added. Wheat prices there rose by 100 roubles per tonne last week. For sunseeds, the price index for the new harvest was quoted at 15,500-16,000 roubles per tonne, IKAR said. SovEcon quoted it in a range of 14,000-15,500 roubles per tonne on CPT basis. Rapeseed prices strengthened further to 15,000-15,500 roubles per tonne from 15,000 roubles, according to IKAR. Domestic crude sunoil prices rose 500 roubles to 43,250 roubles per tonne, while the Black Sea export prices were quoted at $1,200 per tonne, SovEcon added. 18

19 French President Hollande backs UfM Secretariat in call for 'Mediterranean of projects' Date : 29 August 2012 Source : European Neighborhood Policy Information Centre URL : paign=french%20president%20hollande%20backs%20ufm%20secretariat%20in%20call%20for%20%27mediterranean%20of%20projects%2 French President François Hollande has said he wants to develop a "Mediterranean of projects", making the most of the expertise provided by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Secretariat. President Hollande was speaking on 27 August at the opening ceremony of the 20th Annual French Ambassadors Conference, which was attended by the Secretary General of the UfM, Fathallah Sijilmassi. My priority is to develop what I call a Mediterranean of projects," Hollande said in his opening speech. "It is to this end that I have asked the government to appoint an interministerial delegate to the Mediterranean. I want the expertise of the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean to be used at maximum, with the commitment of the EU and especially the Commission; we have to do it with the support of Europe." And he added: The Deauville Partnership, which is a good initiative, will also allow us to better assist developing countries in political transition. I would like to highlight the importance of the cooperation with the Maghreb countries, including the 5 +5 Group, which will help reinforce dialogue. During his visit to Paris, UfM Secretary General Sijilmassi also held talks with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. They discussed the progress of concrete cooperation projects promoted by the UfM Secretariat, namely the Desalination Facility for the Gaza Strip, the Trans-Maghreb Motorway and some University projects. Fabius backed the approach of the UfM and agreed on the need to strengthen the UfM s activity in coordination with EU policy in the region. Limiting climate change impact on water resources: EU project to hold training workshop in Amman Date : 30 août 2012 Source : ENPI URL : paign=limiting%20climate%20change%20impact%20on%20water%20resources%3a%20eu%20project%20to%20hold%20training%20workshop %20in%20Amman A training programme is being organised in Amman to help actors in the water sector across the southern Mediterranean to adapt to the negative impacts of climate change. The three-day workshop is part of the EUfunded project 'Sustainable Water Integrated Management Support Mechanism (SWIM SM)'. The training, to take place from 3 to 5 October in Amman, Jordan, is organised by the Global Water Partnership- Mediterranean (GWP-Med), a member of the SWIM-SM consortium, in cooperation with the EU's Horizon 2020 Capacity Building component. It will address the following specific objectives: - Raising awareness on the potential impact of climate change on water resources in the region, its socioeconomic and environmental consequences; - Increasing participants' understanding on the degree of vulnerability, particularly to increasing drought and flood events; - Making the case for adopting the 'no-regret actions' approach as the appropriate and immediate means for the water sector to adapt to climate change; - Introducing appropriate approaches for planning, strategising and developing no-regret actions measures, plans and policies, with a special focus on drought and flood management; 19

20 - Reviewing capacity, political commitments and measures needed for the creation of an enabling environment for the implementation of no-regret actions, including institutional, legislative and financial needs; - Identifying and discussing an appropriate approach and practices for mainstreaming no-regret actions into IWRM policy frameworks; - Identifying the optimal communication and public participation strategies to enhance the role of communities in designing and implementing no-regret water management measures. Sustainable Water Integrated Management (SWIM) is a Regional Technical Assistance Programme launched by the European Commission, with a total budget of approximately 22 million, to contribute to the extensive dissemination and effective implementation of sustainable water management policies and practices in the Southern Mediterranean Region. The Programme carries forward the results achieved by two earlier EC regional programmes, SMAP (I, II and III) and MEDA Water. SWIM consists of two major components, which are inter-related and complement each other: a Support Mechanism funded with a budget of 6.7 million and Demonstration Projects funded with a budget of 15 million. The Horizon 2020 initiative aims to improve the quality of life of more than 420 million citizens living in the 25 countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. It is an umbrella programme drawing together all the policies, strategies and action plans for enhancing environmental protection. Greece: Consumption down, prices up Date : 30 August 2012 Source : Ansamed URL : In spite of the economic crisis, basic foods and services prices are on the rise in Greece, compromising the livelihood of many families, whose income has shrunk drastically over the past two years. Eggs, sugar, vegetables, milk, coffee and legumes prices are all higher over last year, with peaks at 8% in some cases. In another peculiarity of internal Greek demand, while hundreds of clothing and shoe shops have gone under in the past two years, the prices of these products are equal to or higher than those of Even in cases where the prices fell slightly, the numbers were not what would be expected during such a long-lasting recession, now in its fifth consecutive year. The Greek economy contracted by 17.4% and consumption fell by 17.1% in the second quarter of 2012 against the second quarter of 2008, but prices rose 10% between July 2008 and July 2012, Kathimerini daily newspaper reported national statistics bureau Elstat as saying. This year, first-quarter private consumption equaled 31.8 billion euros, a 17.1% loss over the same period in 2008 (38.4 billion euros), while GDP contracted by 17.4% over the same five years, on the drop in consumption and investment. In the same period, the unemployed reached 1.1 million, or 23.1% of the country's labor force, Elstat reported. The price of eggs rose 7.95% in July over the same period last year, while sugar rose 6.04%, fresh milk by 3.46%, vegetables by 4.24%, fresh fruit by 1.89%, beef by 1.07% and bread by 0.88%, according to Elstat. These basic foods are not subject to VAT tax. A study by the European Commission's Agriculture Directorate confirms the irrationality of the Greek market. Although June 2012 prices of basic agricultural products used as raw materials in food production fell significantly over the same period last year, consumers paid more for the final products. For example, while soft wheat fell by 17.4%, durum wheat by 13%, and corn by 26.7%, bread and cereal prices rose by 1.4% on average. The rise in long-term consumer product prices coupled with loss of income caused Greek consumers to buy and spend less, bringing about a 5% drop in 2012 first quarter supermarket sales over the same period last year, Nielsen research data shows. Total sales in shops over 100 square meters in central Greece, the Peloponnese and the islands were equal to 4.15 billion euros in January-June 2012, against 4.37 billion euros in the same period last year. The average Greek family's shopping cart, containing a representative selection of products, 20

21 today contains 50 euros worth of goods against last year's 65 euros, as more and more consumers look for sales, bargains, discount brands, and generally try to spend less. Le nouveau schéma du démantèlement tarifaire Algérie-UE Il sera opérationnel à partir du 1er septembre Date : 30 août 2012 Source : Liberté Algérie URL : L Algérie a rétabli neuf contingents agricoles avec l'union européenne (UE), sur les 36 contingents agricoles et agroalimentaires gelés unilatéralement par l'algérie en 2010, pour soutenir essentiellement la filière lait, selon un document du ministère de l'agriculture et du Développement rural, cité par l APS. Le compromis obtenu sur le volet agricole en juillet 2011 a rétabli les contingents préférentiels pour trois positions tarifaires concernant les animaux vivants de l'espèce bovine reproducteurs de race pure, génisses pleines et vaches laitières. Le rétablissement de ces trois contingents a été motivé par la nouvelle politique de renouveau de l'économie agricole qui soutient le développement de la filière lait locale à travers notamment un grand effort d'importations de génisses pleines et de vaches laitières. Le rétablissement concerne, également, l orge dont les importations sont nécessaires pour satisfaire les besoins en alimentation animale. Les contingents rétablis portent aussi sur des produits comme le fromage à pâte molle non cuite ou pressée demi-cuite, les margarines non liquides et le sucre de canne ou de betterave. Pour les fromages importés, ils visent un marché de niche et n'entrent pas réellement en concurrence avec les produits locaux. Ces importations doivent même être considérées comme une incitation à la diversification de la production locale et à une amélioration constante de sa qualité, relève-t-on. Quant aux margarines non liquides, estime-t-on, les entreprises algériennes ont prouvé leur compétitivité et les importations restent peu importantes. Globalement l'accord conclu dernièrement prévoit l'annulation de 25 contingents tarifaires de produits agricoles accordés par l'algérie à l'ue, l'abrogation des préférences tarifaires de deux produits agroalimentaires et la modification de deux autres contingents agricoles. Quant au volet industriel, la révision du démantèlement tarifaire concerne deux listes de produits seulement (la deuxième et la troisième listes de l'accord), la première ayant été complètement démantelée dès le début de la mise en œuvre de l'accord en La demande algérienne concerne positions tarifaires originaires de l'ue. 82 positions tarifaires, de la deuxième liste de l accord vont bénéficier d'un rétablissement partiel de droits de douanes. Leur démantèlement tarifaire a été décalé de quatre ans jusqu'en Les principaux produits concernés dans cette catégorie sont les voitures et les pièces de rechange, les moteurs électriques, les transformateurs électriques, les groupes électrogènes, les piles et produits similaires, les chauffeeau à gaz, poste téléphonique et centraux de commutation, les câbles électriques nus et isolés. Dans la même liste, 185 autres lignes tarifaires bénéficieront d'un gel de droit de douane pour une période supplémentaire de deux ans ainsi que d'un autre délai de quatre ans pour être complètement démantelé en Il s'agit notamment des appareils de coupure, de disjoncteurs, de boîtiers d'encastrement, d'interrupteurs, de lampes, de grues et chariots élévateurs, d'appareils de réfrigération-congélation-cuisinières, lave-vaisselle, chauffe-eau et du petit électroménager. Pour les produits de la liste 3 de l accord d association, 174 lignes tarifaires bénéficieront d'un rétablissement partiel de droit de douanes et d'un délai supplémentaire de 3 ans pour son démantèlement, qui sera reporté à 2020 au lieu de Les produits concernés sont essentiellement les peintures et vernis, shampoings, articles de transport ou d'emballage en matière plastiques et carton, marbres céramiques, robinetterie et meuble en bois. Dans la même liste 617 lignes tarifaires seront concernées par un gel de droit de douane pour une période supplémentaire de 2012 à 2015 et d'un délai additionnel de 3 ans avant d'être totalement démantelée à 0% en 2020 au lieu de Les principaux produits qui vont faire l'objet de ce gel sont les cosmétiques, le papier, les tissus, les vêtements, les chaussures, les tapis, la vaisselle, les climatiseurs, ordinateurs et produits audio. Le nouveau schéma sera opérationnel à partir du 1er septembre

22 En Ile-de-France, le recul des terres agricoles alarme le monde paysan Date : 31 août 2012 Source : Le Nouvel Obs - AFP URL : Elles perdent du terrain chaque année au profit de la ville et des zones commerciales. En Ile-de-France, la disparition progressive des terres agricoles inquiète le monde paysan, qui s'alarme de la pression foncière liée à l'étalement urbain. Parcelles coupées en deux par des infrastructures routières, champs dévorés par les lotissements... "L'agglomération parisienne avance comme un rouleau compresseur. Ca fait des années que ça dure mais plus le temps passe, plus c'est inquiétant", soupire Damien Greffin, président de la Fédération départementale des syndicats d'exploitants agricoles (FDSEA) d'ile-de-france. Chaque année, la région perd ainsi entre et hectares de terres cultivables, au gré de la conjoncture économique. Et la tendance ne devrait pas s'inverser prochainement, à en juger par les projets en cours. "Chaque commune veut son pôle d'activité, chacun veut son centre commercial", regrette Damien Greffin. "On additionne les projets qui, au final, ne sont pas tous rentables. On ferait mieux de concentrer les efforts sur certains secteurs". Les élus ne sont toutefois pas seuls en cause. "Si nous avons des pressions si importantes, c'est aussi de la faute de la profession, qui est la première à vouloir des terres constructibles pour se faire ou se refaire une santé", pointe Jacques Porcher, de la Confédération paysanne. Quand une terre est constructible, le prix du mètre carré s'envole. Et pour nombre d'agriculteurs, notamment les retraités qui ont de petites pensions, il est tentant de poursuivre une stratégie spéculative... quitte à accroître le recul de la campagne. Exit les maraîchers Pour les jeunes agriculteurs, le phénomène n'est pas sans conséquence. "Aujourd'hui, il est impossible de trouver des terres libres. S'installer, quand on a pas de foncier, est devenu très difficile", constate Pierre Bot, secrétaire général des Jeunes Agriculteurs d'ile-de-france. Parmi les principaux concernés: les maraîchers. "En dix ans, l'ile-de-france a perdu 71% de ses exploitations maraîchères. En proche et moyenne couronne, elles ont quasiment disparu", souligne Julie Ruault, de l'association Terre de liens, qui aide les paysans à s'installer grâce à un réseau d'épargne citoyenne. Une situation paradoxale, alors que la demande de fruits et légumes de proximité est très élevée. "Les maraîchers qui s'installent n'ont aucun souci de débouchés. Il y a une très forte demande, notamment via les Amap" (Associations pour le maintien d'une agriculture paysanne, qui mettent en lien producteurs et consommateurs), assure la jeune femme. Conscients du problème, les pouvoirs publics ont posé des premiers jalons pour contenir l'étalement urbain, à l'image de la Région Ile-de-France qui a intégré en 2008 à son schéma directeur la notion de "fronts urbains intangibles". "Sur le papier, il y a une légère prise de conscience, mais sur le terrain, rien ne change. Il y a encore beaucoup de gaspillage de terres", regrette Damien Greffin. Dans le "triangle de Gonesse" (Val-d'Oise), près de 700 hectares sont ainsi menacés par des projets commerciaux, dont le futur complexe Europa City. Et sur le plateau de Saclay (Essonne), de nombreuses exploitations devraient être amputées, avec la création du "cluster scientifique" prévu par le Grand Paris. 22

23 "On n'est pas opposés à toute forme d'urbanisation. Mais dans tous ces projets d'aménagement, les terres agricoles sont des variables d'ajustement", estime Pierre Bot. "On crie +au Loup+ mais ça fait soixante ans que ça dure. J'ai peur que demain on se réveille trop tard". Matières premières: Lourde sera la facture Date : 31 août 2012 Source : L Economiste URL : Salée sera la facture de produits agricoles. Surtout pour les céréales, les graines d huile de table et le sucre dont le Maroc est net importateur. A en croire le dernier indice de l Organisation mondiale de l alimentation (FAO) les cours de ces produits restent toujours orientés vers la hausse. Dopés en cela par la sécheresse et les toutes récentes intempéries qui ont frappé les Etats-Unis, les inondations en Europe du Nord et la baisse des récoltes dans les pays de la mer Noire, aussi affectés par le manque de pluie. Sans oublier aussi l entrée en lice de la spéculation, notamment de fonds de pensions en mal de placements par ces temps de crise. Et la surenchère n a pas manqué d impacter le marché national des grains. Les prix des blés (tendre et dur) se sont d ores et déjà appréciés d environ 15 à 20% sur les halles aux céréales et souks ruraux, relèvent les professionnels. De 290 DH en moyenne, le prix du quintal du blé tendre est actuellement négocié aux alentours de 350 DH. Celui du blé dur a dépassé la barre de 380 DH au lieu de 350 il y a une décade. Mais c est l orge qui a enregistré la plus forte hausse: 500 DH le quintal contre 200 à 250 durant la campagne de commercialisation. Ceci, malgré le déploiement du plan anti-sécheresse qui avait prévu la distribution de tonnes d orge au prix de 200 DH/quintal tonnes d'orge importées Mais, les données de l Office national interprofessionnel des céréales et légumineuses font état d à peine le tiers du volume annoncé à l import soit tonnes. «De plus, flambée des cours international du maïs oblige, les fabricants de l alimentation du bétail destinée au secteur avicole ont dû se rabattre sur cette céréale», révèle un professionnel. Pour le moment, c est le monde rural qui fait les frais de cette surenchère aussi bien pour ce qui est du pain que pour l alimentation de son cheptel. Cette population ainsi que d importantes franges des quartiers populaires des villes n achètent pas le pain des boulangeries. Mais dès le mois d octobre, le compteur commencera à tourner pour le Trésor qui doit supporter en plus du manque à gagner au titre du gel des droits de douane et taxes, le soutien aux importations du blé et sucre. Car, pour revenir à l indice de la FAO, les cours des produits agricoles ont atteints des cotes plus qu alarmantes. Mis à part le riz, les cours de toutes les céréales ont augmenté. Les cours des blés (dur et tendre) affichent une hausse supérieure de 50% depuis la mi-juin, le maïs s est envolé de plus de 45% alors que le soja s est apprécié de 30% depuis début juin et de près de 60% depuis fin Des niveaux qui n'ont pas été atteints depuis Même les cours du sucre qui se caractérisaient par une stabilité sont devenus subitement volatiles. Le marché ayant été miné par la publication d un rapport de la principale organisation brésilienne du secteur faisant état d une hausse de 14% de la production. 23,5 milliards d'import en 2011 Les pluies intempestives qui se sont abattues sur le Brésil, premier exportateur mondial, avaient accentué les incertitudes qui pèsent sur sa récolte de canne à sucre. Les craintes liées au retard de la mousson en Inde et à la sécheresse en Australie ont aussi contribué à la flambée des cours dont le niveau s établit presque au double de celui de l année passée. Là aussi, il faut compter avec la spéculation qui reste toujours aux aguets. Derrière cette toile de fond, la facture alimentaire s annonce corsée. Rien qu au titre des céréales, sucre et oléagineuses, le montant acquitté l année passée s est chiffré à 23,5 milliards de DH selon les statistiques de l Office des changes. A elles seules, les céréales ont coûté plus de 17 milliards alors que le Maroc avait engrangé une récolte jugée satisfaisante : 85 millions de quintaux. Et le marché international affichait également des cours de loin en dessous du niveau actuel. 23

24 Fait nouveau aussi, les réserves extérieures se trouvent au plus bas niveau : moins de quatre mois d importation. Autant dire que le pays aura recours avant terme à la ligne de crédit de précaution accordée par le FMI. Maroc : La flambée du cours du blé alimente la rumeur sur la hausse du prix du pain Date : 31 août 2012 Auteur : Ristel Edimo Source : Yabiladi URL : Les prix des céréales sur les marchés internationaux grimpent dans des proportions alarmantes. Au niveau local, les prix suivent cette tendance haussière et l'on évoque, en coulisse, une possible hausse du prix du pain. Les indicateurs internationaux du marché des céréales n annoncent pas de bonnes nouvelles. L indice FAO des prix des céréales s'est établi en moyenne à 260 points en juillet, soit en hausse de 17% par rapport à juin, selon les données de l Organisation des nations unies pour l alimentation et l agriculture. Un niveau jamais atteint depuis 2008, où l indice était à de 274 points au mois d avril. Selon l ONU, les cours internationaux du blé ont augmenté de 19% en juillet. Pire, depuis la mi-juin, le cours du blé a grimpé de plus de 30%, le maïs s est envolé de 38%, tandis que l orge s est apprécié de 18%. Ces résultats s expliquent par la crise de production aux Etats Unis et en Russie les deux principaux producteurs de blé et de céréales au monde. Sur le marché national, la tendance est la même. Les prix des blés tendre et dur, notamment, se sont appréciés d'environ 15 à 20% sur les halles aux céréales et souks ruraux ces dix derniers jours. A titre d'exemple, le blé tendre est passé d'une moyenne de 290 DH la tonne à 350 DH, tandis que l'orge, initialement vendu à 250 DH, en moyenne, est passé à 500 DHS la tonne. Avec cette continuelle flambée des cours des céréales, la facture sera lourde pour le Maroc qui va devoir importer. La campagne agricole a dégagé, cette année, une récolte céréalière en baisse de 38%, par rapport à la précédente. En plus, le royaume n a reçu aucune offre de vente à son appel d offre à l importation de tonnes de blé tendre des Etats Unis, en dépit de l accord de libre-échange liant les deux pays. En 2011, la facture céréalière s est élevée à 17 milliards de dirhams, alors que le Maroc avait engrangé une récolte de 85 millions de quintaux, jugée plutôt satisfaisante. Cette année, les chiffres parlent d eux-mêmes. Dès le mois d octobre, le compteur commencera à tourner pour le Trésor. Il doit supporter en plus du manque à gagner dû au gel des droits de douane et des taxes, le soutien des importations du blé et sucre. Hausse du prix du pain? Au moment où la rumeur enfle sur la hausse du prix du pain, le gouvernement se veut rassurant, mais les professionnels sont inquiets. En plus de la flambée des cours du blé, ils doivent également faire face au «renchérissement des cours énergétiques, de la main d œuvre ainsi que l augmentation du revenu minimum et des coûts de transport suite à la hausse du carburant», comme l'expliquent, aux Echos quotidiens, Lahoussine Azaz, président de la Fédération nationale de boulangerie et pâtisserie. Une rencontre, prévue la semaine prochaine entre le ministre délégué chargé des Affaires générales et de la Gouvernance, Najib Boulif, et la fédération nationale de la boulangerie et pâtisserie du Maroc, devrait aboutir à l actualisation du cahier des charges signé le 27 octobre La question demeure : le gouvernement procèdera-t-il ou non à l augmentation du prix du pain? En cette période tendue où la cherté de la vie se fait de plus en plus ressentir, le gouvernement ne dispose pas toujours des fonds suffisants pour honorer ses engagements. Le pain étant un produit de première nécessité et subventionné, la caisse de compensation, déjà mise à mal, risque de ne pas supporter une pression supplémentaire. Même si les émeutes de 1981 ont laissé un mauvais souvenir au Maroc, comme le confiait 24

25 récemment Bouazza Kherrati, président de la Fédération marocaine des droits du consommateur, le climat contestataire demeure. Africa: FAO Warns of Food Shortages in Urban Settings Date : 31 August 2012 Source :All Africa URL : Africa's urban population is growing faster than that of any other region, but many of its cities are not keeping pace with the increasing demand for food that comes with that growth, says the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report released on Thursday. It says policymakers need to act now to ensure that African cities will be "green" enough to meet their nutrition and income needs in a sustainable manner. The Growing Greener Cities in Africa Report includes data from 31 countries across the African continent, and was released ahead of the sixth session of the World Urban Forum due on September 1 until 7 in Naples, Italy. "The challenge of achieving a "zero hunger" world - in which everyone is adequately nourished and all food systems are resilient - is as urgent in African cities as it is in rural areas," Modibo Traoré, FAO Assistant Director- General for Agriculture and Consumer Protection, said in the report. "African policymakers need to act now to steer urbanisation from its current, unsustainable path towards healthy, 'greener' cities that ensure food and nutrition security, decent work and income, and a clean environment for all their citizens". It is the first status report on African urban and peri-urban horticulture - the home, school, community and market gardens that produce fruits and vegetables in and around the continent's cities. It points out that many African countries have recorded strong, sustained economic growth over the past decade, leading to more urbanisation and raising hopes of a new era of shared prosperity. "But increasingly, urban areas also draw people in search of a way out of rural poverty, only to find little, if any improvement in their lives" it says. The report adds that more than half of all urban Africans live in slums, up to 200 million survive on less than $2 a day, and poor urban children are as likely to be chronically malnourished as poor rural children. But in Rwanda, Kigali is fighting back. The designs from the Kigali Conceptual Master Plan, a long-term framework for sustainable development of Rwanda's capital envisions a city set amid greenbelts and zones reserved for urban agriculture, and open spaces with community gardens. "Kigali city has a great master plan. It has won several international awards. We have a strong central government and local authorities are doing their best to carry out its implementation, against all odds,"lama Mugabo, an urban planner in Kigali told The New Times. "Kigali is one of the least developed cities but the fastest urban growing center on the continent. I'm very much interested in urban agriculture. I think that we would be better off if we can try to turn most vacant brown spaces into green fields and work with residents to growing food for the poor". The World Urban Forum was established by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing problems facing the world today- rapid urbanisation and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies. By the end of the current decade, the report says, 24 of the world's 30 fastest growing cities will be African. 25

26 It cites surveys showing that between 2010 and 2030, the urban population of sub-saharan Africa is projected to double, from about 300 to 600 million. The report urges national governments and city administrations to work together with growers, processors, suppliers, vendors and others to give urban and peri-urban agriculture the political, logistical and educational support necessary for sustainable development. FAO highlights the need to support low-income urban households to "grow their own", as a way of improving the quality of their diet, saving cash to spend on other needs, and earning income from the sale of surpluses. Grape growers fight to keep planting limits Date : 3 September 2012 Source : EURACTIV URL : Grape growers are lining up support from EU national governments and the European Parliament to protect limits on vine planting that are due to expire by 2016, a liberalisation move they claim will destroy one of Europe s premier industries. The planting debate is gaining momentum as a high-level group organised by Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Cioloş searches for a compromise and lawmakers weigh amendments to the EU s common market organisation, or CMO, that for years has allowed government intervention to support and stabilise grape growing. Backed by national governments in major wine producing countries, vintners are pressuring Parliament and national leaders to reverse a four-year-old decision to lift restrictions which, unlike production quotas, limit how many vines can be planted. Though the planting rules are due to expire in 2016, national governments can maintain restrictions for two additional years. Stéphane Le Foll, France s agriculture minister, said last week he had lined up the support of the German, Italian and Spanish governments to defend planting rights, EurActiv France reported. Agricultural organisations say ending planting restrictions could further weaken a sector that is already battling cheap imports, overproduction and declining demand for a glass of wine. Land under cultivation in the EU fell 12% from 2001 to 2011, International Organisation of Vine and Wine figures show. Rural exodus They also say those bucolic landscapes covered in vineyards have add-on effects tourism and rural preservation - that Europe can ill afford to lose. The debate is also full of emotion - the regional wine growers association, AREV, adopted a resolution in May defending planting rights, calling vine cultivation one of the key vectors of European civilisation. The day you take out vines you are going to have a massive rural exodus, said Daniela Ida Zandonà of the European Federation of Origin Wines (EFOW), one of the groups fighting to keep planting rights. Zandonà says 15 EU governments representing major wine growing regions as well as smaller producers like Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Bulgaria want to preserve limits. Vineyards are among the last areas of farming left to be liberalised after years of Commission efforts to erase protections for dairy and other farm products. The end of the planting restrictions stems from reforms in 2008 that also phased out sugar price supports. But support for extending planting rights is far from universal. Vintners in emerging wine producing countries want room for expansion. The bottling and distribution industries believe the restrictions are an anachronism in an 26

27 increasingly competitive global wine market, and see as counterproductive the wasteful practice of grubbing up, or paying growers to get out of the wine business. Exceptional and extraordinary José Ramón Fernández, secretary-general of the Comité Européen des entreprises vins (CEEV), is among those who wants the sun to set on planting rights. You don t have any such limitation on any other sector in agriculture in Europe it is exceptional and extraordinary, said Fernández, who added that an EU-wide restriction hurts European market development. CEEV instead prefers policies to improve coordination and development of Europe s supply chain, making it more efficient and responsive to market changes. This is not a regulation, it is a prohibition, said Fernández, who is participating in the Commission-backed highlevel group, adding we are open to consider solutions. The Commission s original justification for liberalisation blames surplus wine production in part on violations of the planting limits and claims that lifting restrictions would permit competitive producers to respond freely to market conditions. The EU needs to end limits at some point whether it is 2016 or beyond - under a European Court of Justice ruling saying the 1976 wine CMO envisioned a limited timescale for planting rights and other preferences. Searching for common ground Cioloş has urged both sides to find common ground. His high-level panel met in July and is due to meet again on 21 September in Sicily and is expected to make recommendations by year s end. As a result of the talks, EFOW supports some exemptions from planting limits for countries with emerging wine markets. We understand that there should be a rule for countries that want to develop their wine sector, that only makes sense, said Zandonà, whose organisation includes members from France, Italy, Hungary, Portugal and Spain. MEPs are due to consider changes to the CMO regulation as well as future shape of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) this autumn. Both sugar producers who face an end to prices supports starting in and vine growers are standing behind French MEP Michel Dantin (European People s Party), who wants to extend help for the sugar and vine sectors. At an agricultural committee hearing on 20 June, he warned that "rapid reduction of support would lead to closure of farms." Illegal pesticides threaten agriculture and fragile ecosystem Date : 3 September 2012 Source : Egypt Independent URL : The spread of counterfeit pesticides and fertilizers that contain dangerous toxic substances is one of the biggest dangers threatening agriculture in the country, and its delicate ecosystem. While the Agriculture Committee in the Shura Council, the lower house of Parliament, has warned of weak government supervision of the pesticides market and the expansion of its illegal outlets, banned pesticides are still used in large quantities. 27

28 The government has no control or supervision on the import or distribution of pesticides and fertilizers. We are obliged to deal with small pesticide and fertilizer outlets because the Agriculture Ministry doesn t help us by any means, says Reda Nassif, a farmer from Monufiya Governorate. Nassif says many factories produce counterfeit pesticides and fertilizers, carrying the name of famous companies with the same packaging design, to deceive naive farmers. But after analyzing their components, farmers realized they contain dangerous toxic chemicals that paralyze plants and increase the salinity of the soil. The owners of these factories make huge profits because they use very cheap materials to produce these pesticides and fertilizers, and then sell them at expensive prices, and that s how the business goes, Nassif says. All types of potassium fertilizers that exist in the Egyptian market, for example, are fake. Latest Agriculture Ministry reports put the total amount of pesticides imported last year at about 7 billion tons, with a total value of LE1 billion. This consumption exceeds that of the rest of the region. Nassif explains that major farming companies import pesticides and fertilizers in large quantities, then distribute them to small shops spread throughout villages nationwide. No restrictions are imposed on these imports, and because Egyptian farmers tend to be more attracted to imported products than local ones, they flock to buy any new product that enters the market, even without knowing its source. We heard recently about some Israeli pesticides that entered the Egyptian market, but because, in general, farmers fail to differentiate between pesticides coming from different sources and countries, they could never discover whether they used them without being aware [of it], Nassif says. He says he thinks it s a foreign scheme aiming to spread disease or destroy crops and plants to force Egyptians to import their crops, because who doesn t own his food doesn t own his dignity, Nassif bitterly adds. Osama al-tayeb, microbiology and immunology professor at 6th of October University, sees another dangerous aspect of the situation. Farmers started to replace the original, natural pest resistors with more advanced and modified products that are hazardous to crops and human health. Tayeb says over the past decades, farmers have used a natural poison Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt produced by bacteria to get rid of pests that attack their crops. It used to be produced by the National Research Centre and was distributed by Kafr El Zayat Pesticides and Chemicals Company, at very cheap prices. This natural pesticide was safe and could decompose in less than a week without leaving any toxic residues in soil or plants. But now, farmers have started to import genetically engineered seeds that can produce toxic materials by themselves in large quantities. These can cause environmental problems and health dangers, because they can change some genes inside the human body and be harmful to health, Tayeb says. He says that after the temic type of pesticide which kills worms in soil proved to be a very toxic substance causing birth defects and cancer, and after its import was banned, farmers started smuggling it in illegally because they had got so used to it. Although some farmers do not realise they are using genetically engineered products, Tayeb says he thinks the lack of awareness isn t the only reason behind the distribution of these products. Another is the strong desire to make higher profits. When farmers hear about products that can save their crops, they insist on buying them without asking whether they are legal. Facing this situation, which some experts call a pseudo black market and in which most traders don t know their products are illegal, the Agricultural Pesticide Committee, under the supervision of the Agriculture Ministry, launched an awareness campaign a few months ago to teach farmers which pesticides and fertilizers to use and which to avoid. But many experts think these campaigns won t achieve their goals because the committee doesn t know how to communicate at the farmers levels. 28

29 Natasha Arthur, marine biologist and environmental expert, says it s important for governments to work closely with agricultural organizations to make sure the public is not exposed to high levels of pesticides that result in adverse health effects. Pesticides have the capacity to persist in the soil and water for decades, affecting plant life and animal life, which in turn can affect humans and cause health problems like cancers, nerve damage and birth defects, Arthur says. Although it rarely rains in Cairo, she says, pesticides can end up in lakes and rivers through the air, wind and birds, poisoning them. Communities that rely on rivers for food are at risk of consuming the toxic active and inactive components of pesticides, as the bio-accumulate in big fish, Arthur says. Bio-accumulation is the accumulation of chemicals in the tissue of organisms. Fertilizers can also pollute the marine system and cause environmental disasters, particularly in a country like Egypt where farmers don t have drainage pipes to get rid of extra irrigation water and dump it in lakes and rivers. This can lead to a toxic bloom. When farmers use fertilizers for crops, or even areas such as golf courses, then rain, wind or the rest of the irrigation water carries fertilizer rich in nitrates and phosphates to the lakes and oceans. This provides an over supply of nutrients for the growth of algae, and the algae grow very quickly resulting in the death of fish and plant life in lakes. A similar occurrence happens in the ocean. Plants and animals die because of the quick overgrowth of algae and other plants, preventing sunlight from penetrating lakes and oceans and decreasing oxygen levels. Corals also die because they need sunlight and clean water to thrive, and because corals provide a habitat for most sea life, fertilizers in the ocean can kill many species along the food chain. Ahmed Droubi, biologist at Greenpeace an international environmental protection association that recently started working in Egypt says there is a monopoly in the pesticide and fertilizer market in Egypt. About seven big farming organizations dominate the whole market as they are the only importers who can manipulate prices as they like and create market need whenever they want, Droubi says. Therefore, small farmers resort to smuggling illegal pesticides and manufacturing fake fertilizers as they can buy them at cheaper prices. Droubi says the association plans to cooperate with government agriculture authorities to impose laws and regulations to protect farmers and consumers rights. It also plans to find solutions for problems related to pesticide misuse and the use of wastewater for irrigation, as well as other issues, such as corruption. We have some agricultural lands that exist a few meters away from the Nile, but irrigation water doesn t reach them, Droubi says. At the same time, fresh water can reach some golf courses and resorts that contain artificial lakes in deserts, and this is obviously unfair. While many experts say farmers don t trust the government and prefer not to buy from its outlets, Nassif says farmers would buy from them. We are sure the government will bring us good types of fertilizers and pesticides. That s why we beg the Agriculture Ministry and farming associations to start distributing pesticides and fertilizers through specific known outlets at reasonable prices, under government supervision, says Nassif. We resort to the black market because we have no other alternative. Some steps could be taken to overcome the problem, he says, such as setting up strict restrictions on imports and making an office in every village responsible for inspecting shops. 29

30 Unfortunately, the farmers union still exists as an entity but its role has always been marginalized, and poor farmers have no voice. They need someone to speak on their behalf and express their requests and complaints, Nassif says. We need to remember that Egypt is an agricultural country in the first place. EU: Debate on CAP reforms Date : 3 September 2012 Source : FreshPlaza URL : On Monday 3 September the European Parliament s Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development will convene to discuss the more than 7,000 amendments relating to CAP s reform. AGRI members will exchange views on 3 September on amendments to the Commission proposal related to direct payments to farmers after A total of 2292 amendments have been tabled, including 111 by the reporter, Luis Manuel Capoulas Santos. Other Committees are also to adopt opinions to this proposal. On 17 September the amendments submitted by Euro MPs concerning the Common Market Organizations will be on the agenda. After analysis of the amendments a vote will be taken on the final procedure. The Commission for Agriculture and Rural Development initially intended the vote for November, but due to the large amount of submitted proposals the vote is now postponed to December or early next year. FEPEX expects the Direct Payments proposals by Luis Manuel Capoulas, to receive priority treatment. FEPEX advocates the proposals, meant to counter-act false competition in the sector. In addition to this, FEPEX wants several other sectors, like flowers and potatoes, to fall under the proposed policy. According to FEPEX, there is no valid reason political, financial or otherwise to exempt those sectors from benefiting. The initial proposals to the CAP reforms were presented in October Agroindustrie Tunisie: Baisse des prix de l'huile d'olive Date : 3 septembre 2012 Source : La Presse de Tunisie URL : La baisse des prix préoccupe les professionnels - Malgré les performances réalisées par le secteur oléicole tunisien, certaines difficultés ont été enregistrées au cours des dernières années, ce qui a eu des impacts négatifs sur la production. Dans son dernier numéro, «L'investisseur agricole» édité par l'agence de promotion des investissements agricoles (Apia), les raisons de la dégradation du secteur ont été évoquées. Ainsi, la Tunisie qui compte 1,7 million d'hectares d'oliveraies où sont plantés plus de 70 millions d'oliviers -- dont 98% en pluvial -- est appelée à revoir sa situation en vue d'assurer le meilleur rendement des plantations. Plus de unités de transformation d'olives et de ses sous-produits (huileries) sont installées dans plusieurs régions. Leur tâche consiste à transformer chaque année en moyenne tonnes d'olives pour obtenir une huile de qualité reconnue et appréciée depuis des années non seulement en Tunisie mais aussi dans plusieurs pays du monde, y compris en Asie. Le secteur de l'olivier a contribué également à créer des emplois dans la mesure où le secteur fournit entre 20 et 40 millions de journées de travail par an. En fait, trois millions de personnes vivent directement ou indirectement de l'olivier. 30

31 Dans le domaine commercial, l'huile d'olive assure régulièrement des recettes en devises puisque les exportations annuelles moyennes se situent à 117 millions de tonnes, soit 45% des exportations dans la rubrique des exportations des produits agroalimentaires et 5% des recettes totales des exportations. La revue met en exergue quelques lacunes constatées dans le secteur comme, à titre d'exemple, les mouvements de contestation des agriculteurs qui se plaignent de la baisse du prix des olives à la production qui est de 300 millimes le kg. Cette baisse des prix est due notamment à la fermeture de plusieurs unités de transformation. Quant aux propriétaires, des huileries ils désapprouvent les quantités d'huile stockées, ce qui eu un impact sur les prix qui ont baissé jusqu'à 3,5 dinars le litre, ce qui profite bien au consommateur! D'où la proposition émise par les professionnels consistant à arrêter l'importation des autres huiles végétales en orientant la subvention - allouée à ces huiles - vers l'huile d'olive locale afin d'inciter les consommateurs tunisiens à acheter le produit national. Le ministère de l'agriculture est, par contre, pour l'existence des deux sortes d'huile sur le marché pour que le consommateur puisse acheter selon son pouvoir d'achat. Le ministère considère, toutefois, important de mettre en oeuvre trois mesures susceptibles de dynamiser le marché local : à savoir autoriser l'exportation de l'huile d'olive à partir du mois de mars au lieu du mois de mai dans le but de faciliter la commercialisation de la production déjà disponible, alléger la charge financière des exportateurs en sollicitant des banques de reporter les délais de remboursement. Une autre mesure importante à prendre a trait au rééchelonnement des dettes de l'office national de l'huile pour qu'il puisse continuer à acheter des quantités d'huile. Par ailleurs, la revue donne un exposé sur l'investissement agricole privé de catégories «B» et «C» agréés par les comités d'octroi d'avantages au premier trimestre 2012 qui ont atteint 62.1 MD contre 51.1 MD au cours de la même période de l'année précédente, ce qui représente une évolution de 21.5%. Une telle embellie est due non seulement au taux de croissance des projets qui est de 4.4%, mais aussi à l'importance des investissements agréés de neuf grands projets - d'un montant global de l'ordre de 12.6 MD - dans les secteurs de l'aquaculture dans le gouvernorat de Monastir, des volailles dans les gouvernorats de Sfax et de Nabeul et du maraîchage dans la région de Gafsa. L'évolution la plus importante du nombre de projets agréés est enregistrée dans le gouvernorat de Kairouan avec un taux de l'ordre de 257.7%. En deuxième position, figure le gouvernorat de Kasserine avec une évolution de 206.9%. Une occasion se présente pour dynamiser davantage l'investissement et le partenariat à la faveur de la 10e édition du Salon international de l'investissement agricole et de la technologie (SIAT'2012) qui aura lieu du 10 au 13 octobre prochain au Parc des Expositions du Kram. Cette manifestation biennale est placée cette année sous le thème «SIAT 2012 : au service de l'investissement et du partenariat â-». Une plate-forme sera mise à la disposition des promoteurs tunisiens et étrangers en vue de conclure des relations d'affaires. Italian organic food players seek out Russian opportunities Date : 3 September 2012 Source : AGI URL : italian_organic_food_players_seek_out_russian_opportunities With Russia relatively undeveloped as an organic food market, Italian producers at the 'Sana' organic trade fair - boasting the support of Bologna Fiere and the Emilia Romagna Regional Administration - have invited 15 Russian wholesalers to attend the SANA trade fair in Bologna, this coming September A long-standing showcase for organic producers, SANA was showcased at a Moscow sector seminar last May 16. Setting the precedent in Russia, the trade marketing event was described Bologna Fiere's International Markets Director Giorgio Contini as an outright success, boasting the interest of some seventy Russian leading organic wholesale and retail players. The seminar also ranked as an opportunity for organic foods producers from across Italy to sound the Russian market, showcase their products and seek clarification on export and GOST certification procedures. 31

32 With the global organic foods market growing at a variable rate of 10 to 20pc per annum and accounting for a 40bn euro turnover, according to latest statistics Russia still only accounts for a domestic organic industry turnover of close to 60m euro. However, according to the director of the Russian biodynamic farmers association Agrosophia, Andrey Khodus, "the demand potential for organic products in Russia is very high, especially in major cities - where the purchase power of the middle classes is on the rise, where consumers are increasingly aware of pollution issues and where - much as in the West - healthier lifestyles are increasingly fashionable." Interviewed on the subject by Forbes magazine, the founder of the organic distributor Vse Svoe, Vladimir Toporkov, said "up until five years ago, if you said organic people gave you a funny look," whereas today "supermarkets are starting to distribute organic labelled foods, which are pesticide, GM, growth hormone, stabiliser, preservative and additive-free." Khodus acknowledged, however, that high pricing and low production volumes are at odds with wholesale distribution. With organic foods priced double compared to standard agroindustry products, things may yet change for the Russian consumer: according to recent surveys 52pc of Muscovites are willing to spend more in return for quality certified foods. With Russian wholesalers dependent on imports for 80pc of their organic goods, industry analysts rank Russia as a potential future leader in the organic farming industry. In fact, adding to Russia's vast land reserves, according to Moscow statistics, Russian agriculture is among Europe's least reliant on pesticides. Higher domestic production would spell lower retail prices. Tunisie - L'augmentation des prix du lait et de la tomate reportée, les agriculteurs mécontents Date : 3 September 2012 Source : TPA URL : L'Union régionale de l'agriculture et de la pêche (URAP) de Jendouba a rendu public, lundi 3 septembre, un communiqué dans lequel, elle appelle les agriculteurs à un sit-in de protestation, mercredi 5 septembre, pour exprimer leur mécontentement contre "le manquement du gouvernement provisoire à ses promesses de majorer les prix du lait et de la tomate manufacturée". Des agriculteurs de la région ont fait part de leur mécontentement face à l'accumulation des préoccupations fondamentales qu'ils considèrent comme "des entraves à la production", soulignant que l'augmentation des prix des aliments pour bétail a conduit à un net recul des moyennes de production et l'aggravation de la situation des éleveurs, jusqu'au point de penser à délaisser le secteur, devant la longue attente de la majoration du prix du lait promise par le gouvernement. Ils ont, en outre, évoqué le besoin pressant de palier la pénurie des engrais chimiques DAP nécessaires à la réussite de la saison des cultures automnales. L'URAP de Jendouba a établi, depuis plus d'un mois, un accord avec le gouvernement provisoire pour décider la majoration du prix à la production du lait et de la tomate. Ministry exploring new portals for produce exports to Europe Date : 4 September 2012 Source : The Jordanian Times URL : The Ministry of Agriculture is exploring new portals for exporting local produce to east European countries as the Syria route has been suspended, according to a government official. Officials at the ministry are studying several scenarios for exporting fruits and vegetables to avoid an expected market glut during the agricultural season. 32

33 "Minister of Agriculture Ahmad Khattab held a meeting with farmers and exporters of fruits and vegetables on Sunday to find solutions and suitable alternatives for exporting their produce," Agriculture Ministry Spokesperson Nimer Haddadin said. Syria is Jordan's main gateway for exporting fruits and vegetables to Turkey and Europe, but all exports came to a complete halt in July due to the crisis and the unstable security conditions in Syria, Haddadin noted. According to agriculture ministry figures, in normal circumstances Jordan exports 180,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables to Syria, at a value of around JD40 million annually. Overland cargo movement between Jordan and Syria, however, has reached "zero", with barely a single truck leaving Jordan for Syria or vice versa due to the escalating violence. Between 300 and 400 freight trucks used to enter the Kingdom through Syria on a daily basis, according to official figures. The ministry is considering contacting its Iraqi counterpart for opening its market to Jordanian produce and activating the transit of local agricultural produce via Iraq to Turkey and Europe, Haddadin noted. The ministry and its partners will also look into exporting fruits and vegetables through the Port of Aqaba to European countries and coordinate with Syria to use its airspace to transport produce to Europe by air, the official said. En 2020, pourra-t-on encore vivre à Gaza? Date : 4 Septembre 2012 Source : Econostrum URL : Surexploitées, les nappes phréatiques de la bande de Gaza, qui ne dispose ni de fleuve ni de lac, pourraient devenir inutilisables dès 2016, selon un rapport de l Organisation des Nations unies (ONU), qui se demande s il sera encore possible de vivre à Gaza dans dix ans. Confrontées à la pollution et aux intrusions salines favorisées par leur surexploitation, les nappes d eau souterraine pourraient présenter des dommages irréversibles dès 2020, alors que l ONU prévoit une augmentation de la demande en eau potable de 60 %. Actuellement, près de 90 % de l eau consommée à Gaza ne correspond pas aux normes de l Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS). Le rapport établit d ailleurs un lien entre la mauvaise qualité de l eau et la recrudescence des gastroentérites ainsi que de certaines maladies respiratoires, cutanées ou oculaires (à Gaza, 26 % des maladies sont liées à l eau selon un rapport de l Unicef de 2010 ). Au problème de la qualité de l eau, s ajoute aussi celui de la disponibilité, la plupart des habitants de la bande de Gaza ne pouvant consommer plus de 90 litres d eau par jour, quand l OMS recommande un minimum de 100 litres. Suite au rapport, le ministre de l'autorité palestinienne en charge de l'eau, Shaddad Attili, a rappelé l urgence de la construction d une usine de désalinisation de l eau de mer, dont le coût avoisinerait les 400 M. Approuvé par les pays membre de l Union pour la Méditerranée, le projet recherche encore des financeurs. Italy: UN agencies highlight fears of repeat of world food crisis Date : 4 September 2012 Source :Africa Jet URL : Rome-based UN agencies -- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) -- have warned that the current situation in world 33

34 food markets, caused by sharp increases in maize, wheat and soybean prices, has raised fears of a repeat of the world food crisis. But the trio also suggested that swift, coordinated international action can stop that from happening. In a joint statement on the international food prices, the agencies said 'We need to act urgently to make sure that these price shocks do not turn into a catastrophe hurting tens of millions over the coming months.' The statement, entitled 'Tackling the root causes of high food prices and hunger', by José Graziano da Silva (of the FAO), Kanayo F. Nwanze (IFAD) and Ertharin Cousin (WFP), said 'Two interconnected problems must be tackled -- the immediate issue of some high food prices, which can impact heavily on food import-dependent countries and on the poorest people; and the long-term issue of how we produce, trade and consume food in an age of increasing population, demand and climate change.' They said 'In responding to those challenges, we are better placed today than five years ago. We have developed new policies and new instruments, like the United Nations High-Level Task Force on Global Food Security and AMIS, the G20's Agricultural Markets Information System, which improves transparency in global markets. 'We also have the AMIS-related Rapid Response Forum, set up to facilitate coordinated policy responses by the major world producers and traders of key cereals and soybeans in the event of market upheavals. 'We have learnt that not all are affected in the same way - the urban and rural poor and people in food importdependent countries are most vulnerable to international commodity price increases, when these are transmitted to local markets, because they spend the largest proportions of their incomes on food.' They said they had learnt that smallholder farmers, many of whom are also poor and food insecure, could be enabled to benefit from higher food prices and become part of the solution by reducing price spikes and improving overall food security. 'We have thus adopted a twin-track approach which supports long-term investments in agriculture, notably smallholder agriculture, while ensuring that safety-nets are in place to help poor food consumers and producers avoid hunger, asset losses and poverty traps in the short run,' the statement said. It said that many countries had their social protection systems, including safety nets - such as assistance for smallholder farmers, nutritional support to mothers and children, and school meals - to ensure that their poorest citizens have enough to eat; yet, these need to be expanded significantly in poorer countries. Safety nets that are affordable, predictable and transparent are an absolute must if we are to safeguard against recurring price shocks and crises, the UN agencies suggested, adding that 'Small-scale food producers also need to be better equipped to raise their productivity, increase their access to markets and reduce their exposure to risk. And, of course, people need decent jobs and incomes so that they can afford the food they need and escape from poverty.' There have been three international food price spikes in the last five years in which weather has been among the drivers of each. Droughts in some part of the world have impaired global grain production virtually every other year since Elsewhere, major floods have also caused severe damage to crops. Increased diversion of food stock for nonfood purposes and increased financial speculation are among the various drivers of increased price levels and volatility. They said 'Until we find the way to shock-proof and climate-proof our food system, the danger will remain. In the short term, this has costs, not only for those directly impacted, but also for the international community at large. 'For instance, the WFP estimates that every 10 per cent increase in the price of its food basket means it has to find an extra US$ 200 million a year for food assistance. 34

35 'We are vulnerable because even in a good year, global grain production is barely sufficient to meet growing demands for food, feed and fuel - this, in a world where there are 80 million extra mouths to be fed every year. We are at risk because only a handful of nations are large producers of staple food commodities, and when they are affected, so is everyone else.' They said the challenge and the opportunity are both to reduce and to spread that risk. 'And the most obvious way is to promote sustainable food production in poor, food-importing countries, where there is often huge potential to improve production. That would make more food available in local markets and provide jobs and income, especially in rural areas where 70 per cent of the world's poor live. 'We should also address the fact that, globally, one third of food produced is wasted or lost to spoilage, damage and other causes. The FAO, IFAD and the WFP are helping poor people to eat today while building their resilience and capacity to feed themselves tomorrow. 'But more needs to be done,' the agencies said. 'Lastly, we also need to review and adjust where applicable policies currently in place that encourage alternative uses of grains. For example, adjusting biofuel mandates when global markets come under pressure and food supplies are endangered has been recommended by a group of international organizations, including FAO, IFAD, the International Monetary Fund, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the UN Conference on Trade and Development, WFP, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization. That recommendation, made to the 2011 G20 summit in Paris, still stands today,' they said. 'In moving to prevent a possible deterioration of the situation, we need to remain vigilant and prepare for the worst in the short run, while working on sustainable solutions for the long haul. Not to do so would inevitably mean that the world's poorest and most vulnerable pay the highest price. Getting this right will help us respond to the 'Zero Hunger' challenge set by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of eradicating hunger from the globe,' the statement added. France mulls plan to soften blow from soaring grain Date : 4 September 2012 Source : Reuters URL : France is working on a wide action plan to lower the impact of soaring grain prices on consumers and farmers, mainly breeders, which should be unveiled by the president next week, an official said on Tuesday. Drought in the U.S. Midwest and the Black Sea regions have sent grain prices to record highs, fuelling a 6 percent surge in the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) July food price index. The plan should include food price talks between farmers and retailers and calls for banks to help farmers facing higher costs, chiefly breeders using grain-based feed, the farm minister's spokesman said. French President Francois Hollande is due to unveil the main lines of the action plan when he inaugurates the international livestock trade fair Space in Rennes, Brittany, next Tuesday. He should support the launch next week of a 'solidarity fund' of around 100 million euros by grain growers -- who have greatly benefited from the rise in prices after harvesting a bumper crop this year -- to help suffering breeders and promote the signature of long-term supply contracts between growers and breeders to smooth price moves, the spokesman said. Hollande should also reiterate France's readiness to trigger an emergency meeting of the Group of 20 leading economies if reports show new signs of a sharp drop in grain supplies that could lead to a new spike in prices. 35

36 The United Nations' food agencies on Tuesday called world leaders to take swift, coordinated action to ensure that food price shocks do not turn into a catastrophe that could hurt tens of millions of people in coming months. But in a conference call on rising food prices last week senior G20 officials and international bodies said they would wait for September's crop report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture before deciding whether to take joint action on the issue. Russia has become the main market for Spanish fruit and veg Date : 4 September 2012 Source : Fresh Plaza URL : The integration of Russia to the World Trade Organization (WTO) came into effect on Aug. 22 after 18 years of negotiations. Russia has become the main market for the export of fruit and vegetables from Spain. Exports of fruits and vegetables from Spain to Russia in 2011 stood at 243,027 tons, 47% more than in 2010, making Russia the first non-eu member market for Spanish fruit and vegetables. Spanish vegetable export to Russia in 2011 reached 35,276 tons compared to 23,877 tons in 2010, 48% more, due to increased exports of cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce. Fruit shipments totalled 207,751 tons, compared to 141,259 tons in 2010, 47% more. Peaches, nectarines and tangerines were the most imported fruit by Russia from Spain. In 2011 Russia accounted for 30% of total exports from Spain to countries outside the EU, which stood at 814,896 tons. For 2012 Russia still remains the main destination of Spanish fruit and vegetable exports, since in February shipments grew 50% compared to the same months of 2011, totalling 47,362 tons, according to the latest information updated by the Department of Customs and Excise Tax Agency, processed by FEPEX. After the final integration of Russia in the WTO, there is concern from FEPEX to establish an adequate policy to maintain the good performance of exports of fruits and vegetables. To to help maintain the momentum of Spanish exports of fruits and vegetables to Russia, FRUIT ATTRACTION, the international fair of fruits and vegetables that will be held in Madrid from the 24th to 26th of October 2012, has programmed in collaboration with ICEX, a program of international buyers, in which Russia will have special relevance. Malta : hydrologist seeks to mitigate flooding, recharge groundwater Date : 4 September 2012 Source : Malta Today URL : A research project led by a consortium of interested parties is seeking the possibility of creating a system by which rainwater runoff from rooftops of buildings is diverted into the ground. A second project, known as the GEO- INF system, seeks to meet the dual objectives of flood mitigation and groundwater charge. Hydrologist Marco Cremona, together with Solid Base Ltd, the University of Malta, the Malta Resources Authority and St Theresa College, have dedicated the past two years researching how this innovative idea could be implemented at minimum costs and requiring minimum space. The research will focus on deriving raw data on the permeability and water-filtration characteristics of geological formations, the development of a low-cost filtration - recharge system - and a methodology for the drilling of the cores. So far, the consortium has dedicated its efforts to determining the quality of runoff generated from roofs in different localities. "The idea is simple but with great 36

37 potential," Cremona said. "Rainwater is a free resource lacking two pollutants: salt and nitrate. This makes it the ideal resource to replenish ground water." Cremona described the system as compact, innovative, reliable and cost-effective. Overflow from the roofs would be collected, filtered and passed through the ground through a drilled hole. "It is unfortunate that water awareness has decreased over the years. The lack of water reservoirs and wells is also causing sewage to overflow. Obviously, this water would be too polluted to be reused as it would pose a danger for public health," he said. The project's methodology included comprehensive laboratory water analysis of runoff generated from five roofs. Then samples were gathered between January and April from three sites. One of the sites also happens to be Cremona's home in Mosta. Geologist Adrian Mifsud said that to assess the permeability of geological formations, separate tests were carried out. The tests were carried out on the lower globigerina limestone. The consortium is also focusing its tests on the centre and south of Malta - from Mosta downwards. "Moreover, the high density of dwellings and properties are built on the lower globigerina limestone formation," Mifsud said. The geology team also carried out an extensive site assessment study to select 15 drilling sites on the basis of geology, expected variance in permeability, accessibility for drilling rig and size of roof area. "A total of 15 'infiltration boreholes' have been drilled, detailed logs drawn up and in-situ permeability tests carried out in each," Mifsud added. The second party of the project constitutes the development of a computer model that computes the 'best fit' GEO-INF system for a given size of roof. This programme produces the optimal installation to suit the particular situation, such as satisfactory water-dissipating performance, lowest cost and smallest footprint. nbut one problem that this project might attract is popularity. Cremona conceded that government intervention would be required if households were to be convinced to make use of such a project. "Admittedly, this project is not for direct personal gain... it's for the benefit of society as a whole. At the end of the day, we all make use of groundwater and we all suffer when our roads flood," he said. Cremona said that ideally, this system would be utilised by schools, factories, hotels and other large buildings. "If implemented, this system could be an alternative to the lack of wells," he said. Climate threat to world's poor is underestimated: Oxfam Date : 4 September 2012 Source : Reuters URL : Climate change may pose a much more serious threat to the world's poor than existing research has suggested because of spikes in food prices as extreme weather becomes more common, Oxfam said on Wednesday. More frequent extreme weather events will create shortages, destabilize markets and precipitate price spikes on top of projected structural price rises of about 100 percent for staples such as maize over the next 20 years, the charity said in a report. Droughts in the U.S. Midwest and Russia this year have helped to propel prices for maize and soybeans to record highs and United Nations food agencies this week said that world leaders must take swift action to ensure that food-price shocks do not turn into a catastrophe that could hurt tens of millions of people. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization has estimated that the 2007/08 price spike contributed to an 8 percent rise in the number of undernourished people in Africa. "For vulnerable people, sudden and extreme price hikes can be more devastating than gradual long-term rises to which they may have more chance of adjusting," Oxfam said in a report. "Though the price spike and coping strategies may be short-term, the impacts are often felt across generations. An increase in malnutrition can cause stunting and reduce developmental potential in young children." 37

38 Oxfam added that existing research, which considers the gradual effects of climate change but not extreme weather, significantly underestimates the implications of changing weather patterns. The charity insisted there is an "urgent need for a full stress test of our fragile and dysfunctional food system" and called for a reversal of decades of underinvestment in small-scale sustainable and resilient agriculture, as well as urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "Climate change could lead to a permanent increase in yield variability and excessive food price volatility, however, which could leave many poor countries with potentially insuperable food security challenges," Oxfam said. Chile and Morocco sign cooperation agreement in view of free trade Date : 5 September 2012 Source : Green Med URL : The agreement was signed by ASOEX President Ronald Bown (pictured, right) and the President of Apefel Lahoucine Adardour (pictured, left), as reported by Eurofruit magazine, during a ceremony which was also attended by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Moroccan Ambassador of Chile in Morocco, as well as the Secretary general Apefel. ASOEX said that Morocco is an important platform for the expansion of Chilean companies in the Northern African markets, in particular for the complementarity of the supply season. Under the agreement, ASOEX and Apefel are committed to: exchange information on their respective markets; provide support for trade missions and exploratory visits, and share experiences in the technical and technological fields. After the ceremony, the Chilean Ambassador in Morocco Carlos Charme explained that this agreement represents an important step towards the conclusion of a free trade agreement between Chile and Morocco, whose initial negotiations have now begun. Tunisie - USA: Comment conquérir le marché américain de l'agroalimentaire Date : 5 septembre 2012 Source : Tunisien Agency Press URL : Un séminaire d'information visant à aider les entreprises tunisiennes à exporter des produits alimentaires sur le marché américain, s'est tenu lundi 3 septembre à la Maison de l'exportateur. Il a été organisé par le Centre de promotion des exportations (CEPEX), en collaboration avec l'association Nationale du commerce des aliments spécialisés aux Etats-Unis (NASFT) qui compte plus de membres dans 80 pays. Animé par deux experts de la NASFT, ce séminaire a porté sur la présentation du salon "Fancy Food Show" (FFS), un des plus grands salons annuels du commerce des aliments gastronomiques et des spécialités, aux USA, où les entreprises peuvent nouer des contacts et établir des partenariats pour aller sur le marché américain. A noter que les échanges commerciaux entre la Tunisie et les USA demeurent encore timides en comparaison avec d'autres marchés dont celui de l'union européenne, a précisé à la TAP, le chef de service chargé de foires au CEPEX, Anis Basti. "Le manque d'un accord de libre-échange entre la Tunisie et les USA, l'insuffisance de la 38

39 publicité et du marketing, l'éloignement géographique et la non maîtrise de la langue, sont autant de facteurs qui handicapent l'évolution des échanges entre les deux parties", estime-t-il. Signe positif cependant, "les exportation agroalimentaires tunisiennes vers les USA ont augmenté de 20% entre 2010 (100 millions de dinars) et 2011 (120 MDT). Il s'agit notamment de l'exportation de l'huile d'olive (3ème fournisseur des USA en la matière) et des dattes (2ème fournisseur)". D'autres filières nationales d'agroalimentaire disposant d'un potentiel important, peuvent conquérir le marché américain telles que la pâtisserie, les pâtes, a encore précisé le responsable du CEPEX. Egypt buys Black Sea wheat, seeks Russia export clarity Date : 6 September 2012 Source : The Daily Star URL : Egypt bought 475,000 tonnes of Black Sea origin wheat on Thursday, an unusually large purchase at a single tender which traders said was probably because it wanted to stock up in case Russia imposes any export restrictions. The General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC), the state buyer of the world's biggest wheat importer, bought Russian, Romanian and Ukrainian wheat, with 300,000 tonnes for Oct shipment and 175,000 tonnes for Nov shipment. The only other origin offered at the tender was from France, but GASC bought no wheat from there. Wheat futures on the Chicago Board of Trade extended gains on Thursday after GASC's purchase, jumping more nearly 1 percent after the announcement was made. Some traders suggested that the size of this order and a previous big order on Saturday, when it bought 355,000 tonnes of wheat from the same origins, alongside rising Black Sea prices, could prompt GASC to start buying European or U.S. wheat soon. GASC Vice Chairman Nomani Nomani told Reuters after the purchase that rising prices of Russian wheat would make other origins more price competitive and said he wanted more clarity about how much Russian wheat would be available for export. "The meeting point between the pricing of various origins is definitely getting closer, that I can say for sure," he said. "We can see that the Russian bids were much less for November shipment... That means that more purchases from France during that period will be very probable," he added. Traders had said at the start of the month that major importers would quickly buy up Russian wheat in coming weeks, wary of the drought-hit country's plans even after the key global supplier said it would not restrict grain exports. "It was striking that Egypt received offers for 300,000 tonnes of Russian wheat for shipment before the end of October and only 120,000 tonnes for shipment from November, when people are starting to expect Russian export restrictions," one German trader said. "I think Egypt and other importing countries want to get as much Russian wheat into their warehouses as possible before the Russians take any action to hold exports back which is perhaps why Egypt tendered again so quickly after its last purchase on Saturday," he said, adding that when Russia imposed a grain export ban in 2010 existing contracts were not met. 39

40 Russia's government, coping with a drought which has slashed grain yields by more than a quarter, said on Friday it would not restrict grain exports even if its exportable surplus was exhausted. GASC's Nomani gave the breakdown of Thursday's purchases as follows: He listed shipments for Oct as: - 60,000 tonnes of Russian wheat from Olam at $327.45/tonne and freight of $11.48/tonne. - 60,000 tonnes of Russian wheat from Glencore at $328.85/tonne and freight of $11.94/tonne. - 60,000 tonnes of Russian wheat from Toepfer at $328.85/tonne and freight of $11.97/tonne. - 60,000 tonnes of Russian wheat from Soyuz at $330.64/tonne and freight of $11.97/tonne. - 60,000 tonnes of Romanian wheat from Toepfer at $333/tonne and freight of $11.30/tonne. He listed the shipments for Nov as: - 55,000 tonnes of Ukraine wheat from Venus at $329.51/tonne and freight of $13.40/tonne. - 60,000 tonnes of Russian wheat from Glencore at $332.89/tonne and freight of $11.97/tonne. - 60,000 tonnes of Romanian wheat from Bunge at $336.33/tonne and freight of $11.25/tonne. During the 2011/12 fiscal year, GASC's purchases were dominated by Black Sea origin wheat. GASC purchased 3.24 million tonnes of Russian wheat, 180,000 tonnes of Romanian wheat, 360,000 tonnes of Ukrainian wheat, 60,000 tonnes of Russian, Ukraine or Kazakh wheat at the seller's option and 60,000 tonnes of Russian or Kazakh wheat at the seller's option during the 2011/12 fiscal year. It also bought 300,000 tonnes of French wheat and 300,000 tonnes of Argentine wheat as well as 530,000 tonnes of U.S. soft red winter wheat and 60,000 tonnes of Canadian wheat. Vers une PAC plus citoyenne? Date : 6 septembre 2012 Source : Novethic URL : Alors que la réforme de la politique agricole commune (PAC) européenne est en cours depuis plusieurs mois maintenant, plusieurs ONG et mouvements agricoles veulent mobiliser les citoyens sur la question. Il en va, disent-ils, de l'avenir de l'agriculture qu'ils veulent plus juste et plus écologique. Depuis fin août, 4 «caravanes» constituées de paysans et d'acteurs du monde rural ou de la société civile sont partis d Autriche, des Pays Bas, de France ou d Allemagne. Après des étapes constituées de conférences, manifestations et autres rencontres avec la population, elles se rejoindront le 19 septembre à Bruxelles pour une grande journée d échange et de réflexions sur la politique agricole commune européenne (PAC) et plus généralement sur l avenir de l agriculture et de l alimentation. Cette «good food march» se veut ni plus ni moins que «l action civile la plus importante et la plus vaste sur la réforme de la PAC». Ses organisateurs*? Des associations agricoles comme la Confédération paysanne, le mouvement inter-régional des AMAP, la FNAB, PAC 2013 ou Solidarités paysans mais aussi des ONG environnementales comme le WWF, la Fondation Nicolas Hulot pour la Nature et l homme (FNH) ou encore des organisations comme Attac, Artisans du monde ou Peuples solidaires en ce qui concerne la France. Donner l alerte «Cette marche est un cri d alarme!», lance Marc Dufumier, ingénieur agronome, professeur émérite en agriculture comparée et développement agricole à l'agroparitech et membre du comité de veille écologique de la Fondation Nicolas Hulot. Pour sensibiliser les citoyens au sujet, chaque arrêt de caravane va d ailleurs donner lieu à des échanges autour de pique-niques avec des paysans ou des conférences débats. «L agriculture doit être l affaire de tous car la question de l alimentation est indissociable de la politique agricole. Or, l agriculture que l on veut demain a peu de chance d être entendue par les décideurs si elle n est pas portée par la société», estime ainsi Philippe Collin, porte-parole de la Confédération paysanne. Et de citer l exemple des Allemands qui, 40

41 à l appel de plusieurs organisations environnementales, de consommateurs ou de syndicats agricoles, ont été plus de à manifester à Berlin le 21 janvier 2012 pour demander une réorientation de la politique agricole, vers plus de qualité, d environnement et de justice sociale. «Avec les problèmes posés par les pesticides, l affaire de la dioxine, le débat sur les OGM, etc, les citoyens européens prennent de plus en plus conscience de la relation entre les problèmes de l alimentation et le modèle de l agriculture productiviste», analyse Marc Dufumier. La réforme en cours sur la politique agricole commune risque cependant de n être qu une «réformette», estime l agronome. Car les mesures de «verdissement» palissent à vue d œil. (voir encadré) Une PAC vert pâle? En juin, le dernier conseil européen des ministres de l agriculture a fortement déçu les associations environnementales et les mouvements agricoles désireux d une PAC «plus verte et plus juste». Dans un communiqué, le réseau «PAC 2013» estime que les ministres de l Union européenne y ont «affaibli encore un peu plus le contenu environnemental de la Politique agricole commune (PAC)» sachant qu une majorité a refusé un fléchage minimal des dépenses de la politique de développement rural vers des mesures environnementales et climatiques. «Ce rejet est surprenant car la PAC actuelle contraint déjà les Etats membres à affecter au moins 25 % de cette politique à l environnement. (Cette) décision constitue donc une véritable régression», dénonçait PAC Les associations françaises se montrent d autant plus méfiantes que le ministre de l agriculture, Stéphane Le Foll, jusque là plutôt favorable à une PAC plus verte, s est opposé à la proposition de la Commission d allouer 25% des fonds vers les mesures agro-environnementales, l agriculture biologique et les zones soumises à des contraintes naturelles, alors que le pays affecte déjà plus de 50% des fonds à ces mesures. Un mois plus tard et après avoir reconnu une «erreur de communication», le ministère de l agriculture, de l agroalimentaire et de la forêt (MAAF), a cependant annoncé la mise en place d un comité de suivi de la réforme de la PAC pour discuter avec les acteurs concernés. Selon PAC 2013, ce comité sera composé des membres du conseil supérieur d orientation de l agriculture (CSO), élargi aux représentants des Régions ainsi qu à des organisations de la société civile. La première réunion est programmée le 7 septembre Pour l instant, seule la Commission a présenté ses propositions en octobre 2011 («Les négociations s engagent sur la PAC»). A charge désormais au Parlement et au Conseil européen (représentants des Etats membres) d en débattre et de trouver un accord. Une première, car jusqu à présent (avant le traité de Lisbonne) le Parlement, qui représente les 500 millions de citoyens européens, n avait qu un rôle consultatif. Une hérésie quand l on sait que la PAC constitue aujourd hui 40% du budget européen. «La PAC est le ciment de l Union européenne, un symbole de ce que l on veut faire de l Europe!», souligne Aurélie Trouvé, la co-présidente d Attac. Tractations européennes «L implication du Parlement nous donnait bon espoir sur une démocratisation de la réforme. Pour autant, on se rend compte que la commission agriculture est assez conservatrice et qu il existe des divergences extrêmement profondes entre les pays. Par ailleurs, les travaux des députés nous laissent un peu pantois : ceux-ci ont déposé plus de amendements et beaucoup sont d ailleurs identiques! Nous avons l impression que le Parlement s active à affaiblir la portée des propositions de la Commission en rendant les mesures les plus intéressantes optionnelles», s inquiète Samuel Féret, coordinateur du réseau PAC «Les petites avancées sur le verdissement de la PAC sont en train d être détricotées par les lobbies de l agro-industrie. Nous rentrons maintenant dans un rapport de force», renchérit Aurélie Trouvé. De fait, «pendant le débat public (organisé par la Commission européenne en 2010, ndlr) ceux qui se sont exprimés le plus fort étaient ceux qui voulaient changer la PAC. A l inverse, pendant les négociations, les plus présents sont ceux qui veulent autant que possible la maintenir telle quelle», déclarait Dacian Ciolos le commissaire européen à l agriculture et au développement rural, lors d un discours sur la société civile et l avenir de la PAC le 13 juillet dernier. A plusieurs reprises, le commissaire a expliqué que la PAC tirera sa légitimité de la société civile. C est sous son impulsion qu il y a deux ans, la Commission avait lancé un débat public pour alimenter ses propositions. Elle avait alors recueilli plus de suggestions venant des citoyens ou d acteurs du secteur qui «avaient bien été intégrées dans la communication de 2010 de la Commission qui servait de document d orientation. Cependant, après le travail des lobbies, elles étaient nettement moins présentes dans les propositions de 2011», regrette Samuel Féret. Qu en sera-t-il de la consultation lancée, depuis, par le Parlement? Cet été, celui-ci a proposé aux ressortissants des 27 pays de l Union un questionnaire intitulé «De l'agriculteur au consommateur, quelle politique agricole et alimentaire commune?». Pour y répondre «pas besoin de connaître les tenants et aboutissants de la politique 41

42 agricole commune de l'union ( ) Un peu de bon sens et de réflexion personnelle devrait suffire», indique d emblée le Parlement sur le ste. En effet! En une vingtaine de questions - parfois étrangement posées voire orientées -, l internaute était appelé à donner son avis sur les OGM («Les cultures devraient elles être génétiquement modifiées afin d éviter les maladies ou d accroître la production? OUI/NON»/ «Le nom de Monsanto a pour vous une connotation positive?négative?indifférente?pas familière?»), le changement climatique, les pesticides, les hormones, la variété de choix des produits, etc. Les réponses, puis la réunion d un panel de citoyens fin septembre, devraient permettre d «élaborer un document de travail dont il sera tenu compte dans le processus de prise de décision», assure le Parlement. A voir comment, car si les associations saluent l initiative dans l idée, sa traduction concrète les laissent sceptiques. Mais pour Samuel Féret, le processus législatif européen n est pas forcément le moment le plus évident pour que les citoyens trouvent leur place et ce processus n est qu une étape de la réforme. «Il faut se dire qu une fois l accord européen trouvé, de nombreuses décisions resteront à prendre pour les Etats et les collectivités locales. Dans ce cadre, les citoyens et la société civile auront à faire entendre leur voix». Une PAC vert pâle? En juin, le dernier conseil européen des ministres de l agriculture a fortement déçu les associations environnementales et les mouvements agricoles désireux d une PAC «plus verte et plus juste». Dans un communiqué, le réseau «PAC 2013» estime que les ministres de l Union européenne y ont «affaibli encore un peu plus le contenu environnemental de la Politique agricole commune (PAC)» sachant qu une majorité a refusé un fléchage minimal des dépenses de la politique de développement rural vers des mesures environnementales et climatiques. «Ce rejet est surprenant car la PAC actuelle contraint déjà les Etats membres à affecter au moins 25 % de cette politique à l environnement. (Cette) décision constitue donc une véritable régression», dénonçait PAC Les associations françaises se montrent d autant plus méfiantes que le ministre de l agriculture, Stéphane Le Foll, jusque là plutôt favorable à une PAC plus verte, s est opposé à la proposition de la Commission d allouer 25% des fonds vers les mesures agro-environnementales, l agriculture biologique et les zones soumises à des contraintes naturelles, alors que le pays affecte déjà plus de 50% des fonds à ces mesures. Un mois plus tard et après avoir reconnu une «erreur de communication», le ministère de l agriculture, de l agroalimentaire et de la forêt (MAAF), a cependant annoncé la mise en place d un comité de suivi de la réforme de la PAC pour discuter avec les acteurs concernés. Selon PAC 2013, ce comité sera composé des membres du conseil supérieur d orientation de l agriculture (CSO), élargi aux représentants des Régions ainsi qu à des organisations de la société civile. La première réunion est programmée le 7 septembre Productivité agricole en Tunisie: Prés de 64 millions de dinars investis Date : 6 septembre 2012 Source : Le Maghreb URL : Les régions du Nord et du Centre-Ouest de la Tunisie disposent d'importantes potentialités agricoles qui peuvent, une fois exploitées à bon escient, renforcer la production en divers produits tout en faisant travailler une partie de la population rurale. Une nouvelle dynamique peut donc être créée à la faveur d'une mise à contribution judicieuse des ressources naturelles. Encore faut-il qu'un financement suffisant soit mis à la disposition des parties intéressées afin de mettre en valeur les ressources du sol qui doit être préservé et protégé pour assurer une pérennité des activités agricoles. C'est dans ce cadre qu'a été signée une convention entre le gouvernement tunisien et la Banque islamique de développement récemment en vue d'exécuter un projet de développement agricole intégré dans les gouvernorats du Kef et de Kasserine qui ont souffert du déséquilibre régional au cours des dernières années. Le coût total de ce projet est de près de 64 millions de dinars tunisiens dont 50 (34.6 millions de dollars US) en tant que participation de la Banque islamique de développement avec des conditions favorables puisque le taux d'intérêt fixe est de 2.5% par an et une période de remboursement s'étalant sur 20 ans dont 5 de délai de grâce. Ce projet vise à dynamiser les activités économiques dans dix délégations dont six situées dans le gouvernorat du Kef et quatre dans celui de Kasserine. Il s'agit de développer la production agricole et d'améliorer la productivité tout en préservant les ressources naturelles. Un tel projet peut participer à la réalisation de la sécurité alimentaire et accroître le revenu des petits agriculteurs. La population rurale impliquée dans ce projet peut améliorer ses conditions de vie en faisant bénéficier les autres secteurs de nouvelles recettes 42

43 grâce à la commercialisation des produits agricoles collectés au cours de chaque campagne. Les agriculteurs seront appelés à fertiliser les terres pour pouvoir en tirer le meilleur profit après leur valorisation agricole. Un élément important fait partie des différentes composantes du projet, à savoir la facilitation de l'accès des agriculteurs aux marchés avec une consolidation de l'infrastructure de base. C'est que plusieurs petits agriculteurs trouvent des contraintes pour transporter leur production vers les lieux de consommation et particulièrement les marchés de gros. Ils sont contraints parfois d'écouler leurs produits sur place, quitte à réaliser des recettes modestes. Les pistes agricoles à aménager constituent l'une des conditions exigées pour faciliter le transport du lieu de production vers les points de consommation ou de commercialisation. A la faveur de ce projet, les associations regroupant les agriculteurs trouveront l'appui nécessaire de mener leurs activités dans des conditions favorables en rendant des services de qualité aux adhérents. La gestion du projet sera effectuée dans le cadre d'une unité unifiée pour mieux concentrer les efforts des différents participants qui auront droit à des services de conseil. Des objectifs qualitatifs et quantitatifs devraient être donc définis et tous les intrants seraient mis en place pour pouvoir les réaliser. Selon le dernier rapport d'oxfam Le changement climatique va faire flamber les prix alimentaires Comparé à 2010, le prix des aliments de base pourrait doubler dans les 20 prochaines années, prévient l'organisation Oxfam dans un rapport. En cause, le changement climatique et la multiplication des événements extrêmes qui l'accompagnent. En 2030, estime l'ong, le risque accru de sécheresse, semblable à celle qui sévit depuis juin notamment aux Etats-Unis - la plus grave depuis un demi-siècle - pourrait ainsi faire grimper le prix du maïs de "140% par rapport au prix moyen des denrées alimentaires" à cette date. "Cette hausse s'ajoutera à la hausse déjà inévitable des prix des denrées alimentaires envisagée avec le changement climatique", a insisté Clara Jamart, responsable des questions d'agriculture et d'alimentation d'oxfam. Oxfam juge que les effets du réchauffement sont "sous-estimés" car "les changements à évolution lente des températures moyennes et des schémas de précipitations", globalement défavorables à l'agriculture, se doubleront de "pertes de cultures causées par des événements météorologiques extrêmes, plus fréquents et plus intenses". En Afrique australe, "sécheresses et inondations pourraient augmenter de 120% le prix à la consommation du maïs et d'autres céréales secondaires", montre encore l'étude. Prix fort payé par les plus pauvres Les chercheurs ont modélisé les scénarios d'événements extrêmes sur l'afrique sub-saharienne et chacune des principales régions exportatrices du monde pour le riz, le maïs et le blé. Ils en concluent qu'en 2030, les prix du maïs augmenteront de 177% à l'exportation; ceux du blé de 120%; ceux du riz raffiné de 107%. Ce sont "les populations les plus pauvres qui paieront cette flambée au prix fort: quand un ménage français consacre en moyenne 15% de son budget à se nourrir, au Sahel cette part peut aller jusqu'à 50 ou 75%", relève Clara Jamart. Le Groupe intergouvernemental d'experts sur l'évolution du climat (GIEC, mandaté par l'onu) prévoit une augmentation des températures de 2,5 à 5 degrés d'ici la fin du siècle accompagnée "d'événements climatiques extrêmes sans précédent". Italy : Up 6% the consumption of organic foods Date : 7 September 2012 Source :Agricola Italiana Online URL : The Minister of Agricultural Food and Forestry Policies comments the Ismea data on the consumption of organic products in Italy, data published for the fair Sana 2012, from 8th to 11th September in Bologna, where the Ministry of Agriculture Food and Forestry Policies will be present in Hall 32, with an institutional stand. "Organic is a sector able of going against the tide and grow in times of crisis event in the national market. The 6% increase in consumption in the first half of 2012 shows that Italians choose more and more organic products. It is a sector that is worth 3 billion and has a still untapped potential for our agriculture. Three out of four families now buy organic products, it is a trend that is becoming more ingrained in the dietary habits of the Italians. This must be answered with a wider range of national products." 43

44 Declared Minister of Agricultural Food and Forestry Policies commenting Ismea data on the consumption of organic products in Italy, data published for the fair Sana 2012, held from 8th to 11th September in Bologna, where the Ministry of Agriculture Food and Forestry Policies will be present in Hall 32, with an institutional stand. According to Ismea data, in fact, organic products consumption continues to rise. Last year, purchases of Italian families in large-scale distribution were up 9%. And in the first half of 2012 the positive trend in place for over five years has continued, with an increase in organic spending of 6.1% compared to the first half of The analysis also points out that the consumption of organic products has grown at a stronger pace in the crisis years (+7.8% annual average) than before the recession of (+3%). The Italian organic consumption is worth, about 3 billion euro. With these numbers, our country is fourth in the European ranking, behind Germany, France and the United Kingdom, and sixth worldwide. Ismea also registers an increase in the number of families purchasing, estimating that in the last year, three out of four families have bought at least one organic product and that 70% of the expenditure is attributable to a more or less consolidated group of buyers. Plan Maroc Vert : la BAD accorde un prêt de 105 millions d'euro au Maroc Date : 7 septembre 2012 Source : Au Fait Maroc URL : La Banque africaine de développement (BAD) a accordé au Maroc un prêt de 105 millions d'euros (environ 1,2 milliard de dirhams), destiné au financement du programme d'appui au Plan Maroc vert (PMV). L'accord de prêt a été signé vendredi à Rabat par le ministre de l'economie et des finances, Nizar Baraka et la représentante résidente de la BAD au Maroc, Amani Abou Zeid. Le programme, qui s'inscrit dans le cadre de l'appui au Plan Maroc Vert, a pour objectif d'améliorer la production agricole et les conditions de vie des populations agricoles et rurales. Il vise également à préserver les ressources en eau de plus en plus rares. Ledit programme introduit des synergies intersectorielles en associant la dimension de l'économie d'énergie à celle de l'économie d'eau dans le secteur agricole et en intégrant des composantes telles que le conseil agricole, le développement des agropoles ou l'assurance agricole en vue d'accompagner la mise en?uvre du Plan Maroc Vert. M. Baraka et Mme Abou Zeid ont signé également une lettre d'accord du don de euros, octroyé par le Fonds pour les pays à revenu intermédiaire, pour le financement de la réalisation de l'étude sur la croissance économique et l'emploi au Maroc. Cette étude permettra d'avoir une meilleure visibilité des implications du schéma de croissance économique sur l'emploi et de proposer des options pour une promotion institutionnelle de l'emploi, ainsi qu'une meilleure intégration de la problématique de l'emploi dans les politiques publiques. S'exprimant lors de cette cérémonie, le ministre s'est félicité des relations de coopération entre le Maroc et la BAD, qualifiant le PMV de programme "très avancé". La signature de ces deux accords traduit la volonté du gouvernement de concrétiser ses priorités dans les domaines économique et social, a-t-il souligné. Pour sa part, Mme Abou Zeid a rappelé l'excellence des relations de coopération exemplaires entre le Royaume et la BAD qui datent de plus de 40 ans. "Le Maroc est le premier client de la BAD", a-t-elle indiqué, précisant que le portefeuille actif de la Banque au Maroc totalise des engagements nets de 22 milliards de dirhams. La coopération avec la BAD porte sur les domaines des infrastructures, des énergies renouvelables, des transports, de l'eau et de l'assainissement. Les autres engagements soutiennent les réformes publiques, le secteur privé et l'agriculture. 44

45 Formation : Le Maroc développe la recherche agricole avec l appui de l UE Date : 8 septembre 2012 Source : Le Matin URL : Cinq universités marocaines et deux instituts spécialisés accueilleront bientôt des projets de recherche, au nombre de 23, initiés dans le domaine de l agriculture. Un programme mené entre le Maroc et l UE. Le ministère de l Enseignement supérieur, de la recherche scientifique et de la formation des cadres a procédé, le 7 septembre dernier à Rabat, à la signature de plusieurs conventions pour le financement de 23 projets de recherche dans le domaine agricole, validés par des commissions spécialisées du Réseau méditerranéen de recherche agricole (dit ARIMNet) relevant de l Union européenne. Signées par le ministre de l Enseignement supérieur, de la recherche scientifique et de la formation des cadres, Lahcen Daoudi, et les présidents de plusieurs universités marocaines et instituts d enseignement supérieur, ces conventions prévoient, pour un budget de 71,06 millions DH, dont 10 millions DH apportés par le Maroc, la conduite de recherches dans des domaines aussi variés que la culture des pommes de terre et des agrumes, la lutte contre les parasites des oliviers, la production d huile d olive et l élevage bovin. En vertu de ces conventions, il s agit notamment de mener des travaux de recherche sur la rationalisation de l eau d irrigation pour faire face à la pénurie d eau, ainsi que sur la biodiversité dans le pourtour méditerranéen et la sécurité alimentaire. Ouverture sur le marché de l emploi Cinq universités marocaines et deux instituts spécialisés accueilleront ces projets de recherche, à savoir les universités Moulay Ismail de Meknès, Hassan II de Mohammedia, Ibn Zohr d Agadir, Abdelmalek Essaâdi de Tétouan et Cadi Ayyad de Marrakech, en plus de l Institut agronomique et vétérinaire Hassan II et l Institut national de la recherche agronomique (INRA). Lors de la cérémonie de signature, M. Daoudi a souligné qu audelà de sa vocation d éducation et de formation, l université marocaine est appelée à s engager activement dans la recherche scientifique, tous domaines confondus, et à s ouvrir sur le marché de l emploi et les investissements. À préciser que le réseau ARIMNet regroupe 12 pays de l Union européenne et de la Méditerranée et se donne pour mission de financer les projets communs de recherche portés par les chercheurs des pays partenaires. Objectif : renforcer la coordination scientifique des programmes de recherche agricole afin de relever les défis dans le domaine de l agriculture, notamment en ce qui concerne la sécurité alimentaire, la gestion des ressources naturelles et l atténuation des menaces résultant des changements climatiques. Repères Les conventions nouvellement signées sont étayées par un budget de 71,06 millions de DH, dont 10 millions de DH apportés par le Maroc. Le réseau ARIMNet regroupe 12 pays de l Union européenne et de la Méditerranée et se donne pour mission de financer les projets communs de recherche portés par les chercheurs des pays partenaires. Tunisie: Agriculture - Pourquoi le marché de gros est-il boudé? Date : 8 septembre 2012 Source : La presse de Tunisie URL : Considéré comme un endroit sûr et inviolable, le marché de gros de la ville de Kairouan est devenu l'endroit indésirable des agriculteurs de la région. Une partie de leur production est, en effet, volée par des intrus qui profitent de l'obscurité de la nuit pour s'emparer de leur production que les agriculteurs comptaient vendre le lendemain. Ce phénomène a atteint des proportions qui menacent la quiétude des fellahs et pourrait compromettre l'activité économique dans la région. De ce fait, beaucoup d'agriculteurs ayant vécu ce genre de problèmes ont vite trouvé la solution, à savoir vendre leurs produits dans les marchés de gros de plusieurs villes du Sahel dont les responsables veillent à la sécurité de la production mise à la vente. 45

46 Certains fellahs pensent qu'il existe une panoplie de solutions à ce genre de problèmes dont l'édification d'une haute clôture de protection, l'ouverture d'un bureau de l'union régionale des agriculteurs, la création d'une succursale bancaire pour faciliter les échanges entre vendeurs et acheteurs, outre le fait de renforcer l'effectif des agents de surveillance et surtout d'employer la manière forte pour empêcher les énergumènes qui s'emparent illicitement des biens des autres. L agriculture périurbaine soumise à l urbanisation? Le cas de Sétif Date : 8 septembre 2012 Source : Setif Info URL : La thématique du grappillage urbain au détriment des terres rurales et agricoles est rarement évoquée. Après une chute du taux d urbanisation des années 1970 aux années 1990, la croissance urbaine a connu une très nette reprise. Cette étude sur l agriculture périurbaine à Sétif souligne plusieurs problématiques de fond qui méritent d être soulevées. Les zones agricoles de Sétif sont touchées depuis des années par le phénomène d extension urbaine à ses périphéries. Cette dynamique s opère par un gain urbain sur la terre cultivable et comporte de nombreuses contraintes sociales inhérentes au processus. Par exemple, la proximité entre la ville et les productions a notamment stimulé la vandalisation des cultures notamment des pois chiches qui requiert la présence prolongée des agriculteurs pour surveiller leurs parcelles et mènent souvent à l abandon de ce type de production. D autres difficultés telles que la circulation routière ou le piétinement sont liées à la présence humaine accrue sur ces espaces. La pression urbaine pose également problème dans la mesure où les zones agricoles périurbaines sont considérées comme des «réserves foncières» de la politique urbaine. En d autres termes, l étalement de la ville ampute systématiquement, partiellement voire totalement, des exploitations agricoles. Il existe certes des procédures de ré-affection dans des fermes pilotes ou relocalisations vers d autres parcelles en ce qui concerne les terres louées à l Etat et des compensations financières jugées insuffisantes pour les terres privées. Mais ces mesures n annulent pas la dynamique d extension urbaine peu contrôlée qui contredit les efforts annoncés en faveur du secteur agraire. L auteur de cette étude insiste sur l existence d un taux de régression agricole (surfaces cultivées) plus élevé que celui de l urbanisation. L Algérie n est plus un grand pays agricole et peinera sérieusement à revigorer son secteur en l absence de solutions au problème du foncier agricole et d une maîtrise de la croissance urbaine qui s opère au détriment des terres cultivables alentours. Témoignage amer d un agriculteur de Sétif Cet agriculteur d une quarantaine d années que je nomme Hassan par volonté d anonymat tient absolument à livrer ses inquiétudes et impressions sur le quotidien d agriculteur sétifien «toutes ces terres que tu vois là à perte de vue ne sont pas du tout exploitées ou que très partiellement. Ici, nous avons un réel problème d eau tant dans nos maisons puisque nous n avons toujours pas l eau courante (il faut se lever tôt le matin remplir des bidons d eau pour toute la journée) que dans nos champs qu on peine à irriguer. L agriculture est abandonnée et délaissée par le ministère chargé de s en occuper. C est très difficile surtout avec cette chaleur estivale.» Hassan vit dans un quartier populaire de Sétif avec ses quatre enfants et sa femme sans emploi ; diplômé d agronomie il déplore que sa qualification d ingénieur ne soit nulle part reconnue et valorisée et qu il soit prisonnier d une situation financière extrêmement difficile et incertaine. «Ma fille entre à l université cette année, j ai une famille à nourrir et malheureusement je suis complètement endetté. A cause des grandes chaleurs et de l absence d eau pour irriguer, ma production a été très faible. En l absence de soutien des autorités et livré à moimême, j avais pourtant souscrit à une assurance pour me protéger en cas de contraintes climatiques mais contrairement à ce que l assureur m avait affirmé oralement, la clause ne semble pas figurer dans le contrat. Je me demande vraiment comment je vais m en sortir.» En plein mois de Ramadan alors qu une atmosphère de vie au ralenti planait sur la ville de Sétif, il se rendait chaque jour pour contempler avec désespoir ses terres non exploitées «qui appartiennent en réalité à l Etat». Regrettant d avoir quitté son précédent emploi et de se retrouver dans une telle précarité, Hassan est déterminé vers un objectif «redresser ma situation financière, 46

47 acheter un petit local pour que mon fils aîné ouvre une épicerie ou un commerce car il n a pas d avenir dans l agriculture, et je dois lui assurer un avenir.» Il insiste sur le manque de ressources en eau qui constitue un problème incontournable et bloquant toute perspective de meilleurs rendements et de développement agricole, il poursuit : «l eau c est la vie, sans eau on ne peut rien faire. Le problème d irrigation est primordial et on peut par exemple diviser Sétif en deux zones : la zone nord qui a relativement assez d eau avec des précipitations convenables et dédiée à l élevage bovin et la culture du blé ; et la zone sud beaucoup plus pauvre en eau et où l on trouve cultures céréalières et élevage ovin. Moi je suis dans la zone sud d où les difficultés que je rencontre.» Hassan tente d exposer le dilemme face auquel les agriculteurs sétifiens se trouvent «nous avons déjà creusé jusqu à 150m de profondeur pour les conduits d alimentation en eau et nous avons épuisé ces nappes phréatiques. Le ministère nous interdit formellement de creuser davantage mais en parallèle il ne propose aucune solution pour développer notre système d irrigation et permettre l approvisionnement en eau. Les paysans ne peuvent pas vivre et cultiver sans eau, alors l irrigation illégale se développe face à l inaction des responsables. On développe des forages ci et là sans autorisation et de façon anarchique mais la fraude est inévitable quand les autorités sont absentes et ne répondent pas aux besoins des gens du secteur.» Les appels de détresse des agriculteurs ont touché diverses régions au cours des dernières années tandis que les autorités ont continué de négliger la nécessité d une réforme structurelle, entre autre autour de la question foncière, de l irrigation mais également en termes d efficacité, gestion, recherche et obsolescence technique/technologique. Enfin, les entreprises de transformation alimentaire locales (produits laitiers etc.) demeurent encore trop rares pour certains produits de consommation courante. Il n est plus possible de penser l avenir de l Algérie et des générations futures sans s atteler au plus tôt à une véritable révolution agraire, au développement de l industrie agro-alimentaire locale et à la réduction de sa dépendance alimentaire qui semble être considérée, à tort, comme un sujet non prioritaire. Le développement de l agriculture s intègre dans un défi plus large : la diversification de l économie et la sortie de la mono-exportation (hydrocarbures représentent 98% des exportations). Egypt cotton exports start to unravel Date : 9 September 2012 Source : The National URL : Egypt's cotton, regarded as the best in the world and affectionately named "white gold", is one of the nation's prized exports. Famed for its long and extra-long fibres that can be spun into fine yarns to weave luxury fabrics, Egyptian cotton is rivalled only by America's Pima version. But a marked increase in the cost of farming the commodity, coupled with competition from cheaper threads from elsewhere and labour strikes in textile factories, has cut down to size the world-renowned luxury cotton producer. Revenues from cotton exports are now dwarfed by money earned from the export of fruit and vegetables. "In the 1970s, we used to grow cotton on 2 million feddans, now it has been reduced to 300,000 feddans," said Ali Hebeish, an Egyptian scientist specialising in textiles who has worked closely with the government on various cultivation projects. One feddan is equal to 4,200 square metres. "The main problem is with the farmers as the cost of producing cotton is increasing and the government needs to take a share in this matter." Although the government has tried to find ways to boost agricultural output with mega-projects aimed at reclaiming thousands of square kilometres of land from the desert, inconsistent policy has been a major hindrance. 47

48 This year, the government announced it would allocate 200 million Egyptian pounds (Dh120.89m) in subsidies to cotton farmers. But with simultaneous efforts to reduce subsidies and textile workers demanding higher wages, it is unclear how much difference this investment will make. Now production of the country's superior cotton is steadily being overtaken by other countries in Africa, including lesser-known producers such as Burkina Faso and Mali, according to data from the US department of agriculture. The Alexandria Cotton Exporters Association, Egypt's main cotton industry group, said last week the country shipped 90,327 tonnes of the fibre, valued at US$280 million (Dh1.02 billion), since the marketing year began in September. But by about this time last year, exports had already exceeded $455 million in value. The pattern of Chinese imports, which have come to dominate the market, have also played a role in declining demand for better-quality cotton. Beijing's policy of buying and hoarding large amounts of cotton in state reserves will influence the market during this year's and next year's seasons, the head of the world's biggest cotton trader said last month, Reuters reported. "Everything [in the cotton market] is dependent on the Chinese reserve policy," said Joe Nicosia, the president and chief executive of Allenberg Cotton Company. Even Egypt's textile sector does not rely on the locally produced cotton but imports cheaper short- and mediumstaple material to make low-cost garments. This has meant the value of ready-made garments, such as denim and other items that use coarser fibre, has surpassed cotton exports. That has been helped by the country's establishment of qualifying industrial zones in 2005, where products made in the zones are granted tariff-free access to US markets. Following the end of the Egyptian revolution and the departure of then president Hosni Mubarak last year, the "cost of manpower" has become another factor in weakening Egyptian exports, says Mr Hebeish. Workers at Egypt's largest cotton-spinning centre, Mahalla, for years have held a series of strikes protesting against low wages while the price of producing cotton increases. Those strikes have continued this year. Production céréalière en Algérie : cacophonie chez Benaïssa Date : 10 septembre 2012 Source : Le Matin (Algérie) URL : Le ministre de l'agriculture, Rachid Benaïssa, ce dimanche, sur les ondes de la radio nationale, a démenti ses pronostics sur la production céréalière de cette année 2012 et annoncé qu'il allait encore recourir à l'importation; le mois de juin dernier son département avait annoncé qu'il n allait pas recourir à l importation de blé dur et d orge en raison de bonnes prévisions de récolte. C'est une véritable cacophonie qui s'empare du ministère de l'agriculture et du développement rural. En effet, au mois de juin dernier, le directeur de l Office algérien interprofessionnel des céréales (OAIC), M. Noureddine Kehal avait annoncé que l Algérie n allait pas recourir à l importation de blé dur et d orge en raison de bonnes prévisions de récolte pour la campagne Une annonce faite "dans la précipitation", selon le ministre, Rachid Benaïssa, puisque la canicule et les annonces de flambée de blé sur les marchés internationaux ont poussé l OAIC à revoir cette décision en anticipant des achats à l international. Quelques jours plus tard, la même office se contredit en 48

49 affirmant que ses importations en blé tendre allaient se poursuivre en 2012 pour faire face à la demande nationale en précisant que les réserves dont dispose l'algérie suffisaient à peine pour une période de trois mois. Ce dimanche, intervenant sur les ondes de la radio nationale, le ministre de l Agriculture et du Développement Rural Rachid Benaïssa a revu les chiffres de la production céréalière à la baisse: "La production céréalière de l Algérie pour la campagne devrait se situer autour de 52 millions de quintaux (qx) contre 56 millions de qx prévus initialement. Début juin nous avons annoncé qu on ferait entre 56 et 58 millions de qx. Maintenant, on est en train de parler de 52 millions qx en raison de la canicule et également des incendies qui ont touché quelques parcelles de terre agricoles" Les raisons invoquées pour justifier cette baisse de production au niveau national, à savoir les incendies et la sécheresse, paraissent très aléatoires face au vrai problème touchant à la dilapidation des terres agricoles dilapidées par la maffia du foncier en toute impunité. Plusieurs affaires de détournement de terrains agricoles ont fait scandale et sont restées lettres mortes. L'agression des terres agricoles de l'ex-domaine socialiste Kherrab Abdelmadjid, au nord de la ville d'el Milia, a fait l'objet depuis 2006 de multiples correspondances adressées par la subdivision des services agricoles depuis 2006 aux différents organismes: "Aucune suite n'a été donnée à ces correspondances par le biais desquelles nous avons tenu à saisir l'apc et la daïra de toutes les étapes des constructions illicites qui sont venues agresser le tissu agricole de ces terres", a dénoncé à l'époque le subdivisionnaire des services agricoles. Sur sa table un volumineux dossier rappelle, en effet, qu'une vingtaine de correspondances, dont la première remonte au mois d'août 2006 et la dernière au 24 août 2010, ont été adressées aux services concernés sans que les auteurs de ces constructions ne soient inquiétés. D'autres affaires, celles des terres alluviales de l'ouest d'alger qui risquent de disparaître au profit de grands ensembles hôteliers, ou encore les terres agricoles soumises à des transactions illicites dans la wilaya de Boumerdès, sont également restées sans suite. Lors d'un colloque international organisé à Alger en 2008 sur le thème "La sécurité alimentaire et mondialisation : quelle stratégie pour le développement agricole en Algérie", des experts nationaux et étrangers se sont penchés sur la question. Certains chiffres avancés par les experts illustrent on ne peut mieux l'état de déliquescence atteint par un secteur stratégique laissé en jachère et abandonné au profit de la maffia du foncier: de 1958 à 2001, la surface agricole utile (SAU) a subi des pertes. En 1958, la superficie moyenne par exploitation était de 13 ha ; en 1973 elle chutait à 11,5 ha pour se situer autour de 8 ha actuellement alors que la population a triplé. En , l Algérie, grand importateur de céréales, avait réalisé une récolte d'à peine 45 millions de quintaux. En août dernier, l OAIC avait acheté tonnes (T) de blé dur pour couvrir les besoins du début de l année L OAIC est également sorti sur le marché en juin pour importer tonnes de blé tendre au prix de 286 dollars/t contre un prix actuel de 350 dollars/t. Pour l'actuel ministre de l'agriculture, M. Benaïssa, ces opérations d importation anticipées visaient à assurer la sécurité de l approvisionnement du pays. "Il ne s agit pas de question d humeur mais plutôt d actions stratégiques structurées", a-t-il précisé. Sur la sortie tardive de l Algérie sur les marchés internationaux qui a effectué des achats au moment fort d une flambée des prix, le ministre s est défendu expliquant que les annonces de hausse de prix doivent être d abord être étudiées pour "savoir si elles sont permanentes ou conjoncturelles." Ce qui fait du recours sans cesse croissant à l'importation de céréales une question de survie nationale très improbable. Lebanon : agriculture plan draws fire from farmers Date : 10 September 2012 Source :The Daily Star URL : The Agriculture Ministry voiced confidence over the weekend that its newly approved funding programs could overhaul Lebanon s agricultural sector, but the Farmers Association complained that the initiatives were mired in corruption. Minister Hussein Hajj Hasan, who spoke at a ceremony in Baalbek, said a LL25 billion program to subsidize sugar beets in the Bekaa is crucial to clamp down on illegal crops and to improve socio-economic conditions for farmers. 49

50 The program was endorsed last month as part of plan to provide cannabis farmers with alternative crops and persuade them to let go of the illegal crop. Another recently approved program, worth between LL28 and LL35 billion annually, would provide fodder subsidies for dairy cattle for over 200,000 farmers, Hajj Hasan added. The programs being implemented now were the same we purposed back in 2000, but no one had responded. Instead of reinforcing agriculture, [various Cabinets] dealt a blow to the sector, he said. These came after long years of deprivation and neglect, Hajj Hasan added, praising Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Finance Minister Mohammad Safadi for approving over LL150 billion annually for funding various agricultural programs. Hajj Hasan also said an Agricultural Disaster Fund was on track, adding that the fund would receive support from the government through honorary members who pay subscription fees and donations but do not receive any benefits. The reforms, however, were met with fierce opposition from the Farmers Association, which stepped up its criticism of the Agriculture Ministry, accusing it of money squandering and unevenly distributing funds. Antoine Howayek, head of the Lebanese Farmers Association, told The Daily Star that his group remains strongly opposed to the Agriculture Ministry s conduct. These are rightful [programs] unrightfully applied, he said, complaining that the disaster fund would serve as another outlet for corruption. Originally a law proposed in 2004 to create a publicly run agricultural insurance institute, the fund was watered down by Minister Hajj Hasan to a cooperative, Howayek said. Cooperatives have failed miserably in Lebanon and we do not have a single success story, he said, adding that Hajj Hasan intends to use the fund for his party s political ends. Instead of bringing together insurance companies, farmers and the government to create a professional institute, the minister wants a coop where very little transparency and accountability can happen, he said. Howayek s criticism goes beyond the disaster fund he accuses the ministry of unevenly distributing assistance to farmers based on sectarian and regional affiliations. A program to provide pesticides for olive plantations last year completely left out Koura, a major olive-producing area, and most assistance was given to areas where the minister s party [Hezbollah] is influential, he said. The same, he claimed, happened with chemical fertilizers and seedlings distributed to farmers last year. Thousands of seedlings were handed out to local parties for distribution in their areas, he said. Commenting on the dairy cattle fodder subsidies, Howayek said control of industrial milk powder imports would have eliminated farmers woes without the need to squander millions of dollars. The ministers failure to defend the Agricultural Calendar, which synchronizes when Arab countries could exchange produce based on local agricultural seasons, has cost farmers significant losses since the beginning of 2012, Howayek added. Imports from Arab countries now enter the country without the simplest tests for chemical residue and without any regulations, he said. Crucial steps to prop up the ailing sector were ignored by the ministry despite repeated calls, Howayek added, saying that proposals for the creation of an agricultural development bank and agriculture chambers were ignored after influential sides lobbied against them. Plan Maroc Vert : 150 MDH pour promouvoir la viticulture Date : 10 septembre 2012 Source : Le Matin URL : La viticulture va bénéficier à son tour des retombées du Plan Maroc Vert, portant sur la stratégie nationale dans le domaine de l agriculture. En effet, une enveloppe budgétaire de près de 150 millions de DH sera allouée dès le mois d octobre prochain à cette filière dans le cadre de ce plan stratégique. Et c est la région de Benslimane qui profitera en première de cette allocation budgétaire avec la mise en œuvre de plusieurs projets de développement du secteur viticole dans la région où plus de ha sont dédiés à la culture du raisin, soit 7% de la superficie qui y est réservée au plan national. C est ce qu a révélé dimanche le ministre de l Agriculture et de la pêche maritime, Aziz Akhannouch, lors de la cérémonie de clôture de la 7e édition du Moussem annuel du raisin organisée dans la commune de Cherrat (Benslimane). La promotion de la viticulture dans la province de Benslimane a déjà commencé, d après le ministre, avec l inauguration dernièrement des Écoles aux champs ou Farmer Field School (FFS). 50

51 Sur le plan national, la viticulture occupe une superficie de hectares avec une production annuelle de tonnes de raisin, dont tonnes de raisin de table et tonnes en vignoble de cuve, selon le ministère. Une bonne partie (71%) de la superficie dédiée à la production du raisin de table se concentre dans les régions de Doukala, Al Haouz, Benslimane, Rabat-Salé, Khémisset et Essaouira alors que le vignoble de cuve se situe principalement dans les régions d El Hajeb, Khémisset, Meknès, Gharb et Melouia, soit 80% de la superficie au niveau national. Le secteur génère près de 200 MDH Le secteur crée jours de travail et génère pas moins de 196 millions de DH. Il est à noter qu un moussem du raisin a été lancé en 2003 dans le but d inciter les producteurs à recourir aux nouvelles technologies pour améliorer la qualité et la productivité et faire face à la concurrence. Cette manifestation a pris de l ampleur depuis 2008, date de la création de l association «Rouad pour le développement de la filière viticole». Ce moussem vise à créer une dynamique de croissance autour de la filière viticole et de positionner la commune de Cherrat comme un des principaux sites de production du raisin au niveau national. Pour ce faire, les responsables de cette association comptent sur cette manifestation pour moderniser la filière, attirer des investisseurs et contribuer à la création des emplois pour la population locale. Toutefois, ils devraient d abord faire face à quelques difficultés qu affronte la filière. Il s agit notamment de la perte du terrain de cette culture, avec une diminution régulière de la superficie plantée en vignes. En effet, comme l avaient déjà relevé les promoteurs de cette culture au niveau de la région de Benslimane, les vignobles ont connu une contraction drastique ces dernières années, passant de hectares en 2002 à hectares en 2011, soit un recul de 8,7%. Pour y faire face, ceux-ci ne manquent pas d idées. Ainsi, ils militent pour les vignobles sous-serre et l introduction de cépages, une variété de vignes hautement productives, résistantes et précoces, ainsi que sur l extension des superficies irriguées. Et ce n est pas tout : on table également sur la modernisation de l itinéraire technique de production, de plantation et de commercialisation. UN warns of global food crisis, but is Egypt prepared? Date : 10 September 2012 Source : Al Ahram URL : As the United Nations issues warnings over soaring global food prices, Egypt may have more to worry about than most. A net food importer and the world's biggest consumer of foreign wheat, the Arab world's most populous country would be wise to keep an eye on consumer prices indices as well as its budget, say experts. In late August, three UN agencies made a joint statement suggesting the world could be on the brink of a repeat of the food crisis, citing "sharp increases" in the prices of maize, wheat and soybean caused by summer droughts and scorched crops across the globe. Global food prices soared a monthly 10 per cent in July, the World Bank said in August as it warned of the effect on domestic prices. "Africa and the Middle East are particularly vulnerable, but so are people in other countries where the prices of grains have gone up abruptly," the Bank said. Egypt has bitter experience of such events. Between 2007 and 2008, soaring global prices meant the country's food import bill nearly doubled. The government's allocation for food subsidies in the budget were revised upwards in the middle of the financial year, and inflation reached a record high of some 23 per cent. 51

52 A repeat is a worrying prospect for Egypt, but just how likely is it? According to some experts, Egypt is already starting to feel the effect from rises in global cereal prices. Hany Genena, head of research at Pharaohs Securities Brokerage, says one of the lesser-noted effects has been on the Egyptian poultry industry whose profit margins have been squeezed due to an increase in prices for grainbased fodder. Some domestic poultry producers have passed on the cost to consumers, Genena says, but have had to limit such moves due to competition from Brazil and Saudi Arabia. He says Egypt's poultry companies have reported declines in profits for the second quarter of 2012 as a result. Genena also casts doubt on the possibility of a shortterm surge in year-on-year inflation, saying food prices for the same period last year were also high. But he doesn't rule out a monthly rise in September if the current trend of rising international food prices continues. "There's a positive side and there's a negative one," said Genena, pointing to the relative stability of the local currency as a plus, but suggests the US-Israel crisis with Iran, which hits standard energy prices, could lead to an increase in biofuel production. Using crops for fuel would have an obvious effect on supplies for other uses, likely sending food costs soaring. A new focus on using crops for biofuels rather than food was one of the main causes of the crisis, Genena warns. Noamany Noamany, deputy head of the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC), Egypt's stateowned wheat buyer, believes things are under control. "We are covered for the coming six months and wheat prices are expected to dip," says Noamany, explaining that the GASC already has strategies to limit the effects of global price hikes. "First of all, in time of great price fluctuations we take advantage of the slides to purchase bigger quantities," he told Ahram Online. The General Authority for Supply Commodities made its biggest purchase of the year last week by buying tonnes of mainly Russian wheat. The shipments should arrive in Egypt between 11 and 20 October. Noamany is also optimistic that an increase in domestic wheat production means Egypt can gradually wean itself off imports. Egyptian is importing 1.1 million fewer tonnes in the financial year, with local agriculture filling the gap, he claims. "Egypt will only import 4.6 million tonnes [in ], which is the least it has imported in many years," Noamany says. In addition, Egypt's main source of wheat is Russia, says Noamany, not the United States where a summer of drought has affected spring wheat due to be harvested in September. Over the past decade, Russia has gradually replaced the United States as Egypt's main source of wheat, except in 2007/8 when Russian yields fell. Last year, Egypt imported 67.5 per cent of its wheat imports from Russia versus around 10 per cent from the United States. Its other sources are Ukraine, Argentina, France and Romania. "Russian wheat is $40 cheaper than American, that's already a plus," Noamany said proudly. GASC has a flexible budget and is able to spend more to secure the same quantities, should price hikes occur. Egypt's Ministry of Finance has not revealed the wheat price it is relying upon in the budget. However, allocations for total food subsidies have reached LE26.6 billion ($5.2bn), which include wheat, sugar, oil and rice. The budget also shows Egypt's bread subsidy -- which relies on wheat -- rising to LE16 billion, 50 per cent higher than in 2011/2012, and 60 per cent of total food subsidies. The data for staple foods may seem worrying. The prices of internationally traded maize and soybeans reached all-time peaks in July. Wheat prices have also soared to levels comparable to 2011 peaks, although still below their record highs. It's not all bad news. Last Thursday, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that global food prices had remained steady in August, following a 6 per cent jump in July. An overall FAO index of food prices averaged 213 points last month, the same level as in July. Egypt may have been spared the worst -- for now 52

53 Stéphane Le Foll n est pas convaincu par les OGM actuels Date : 11 septembre 2012 Source : Ouest France URL : Le ministre de l Agriculture Stéphane Le Foll demande un cadre législatif européen rénové qui permette une meilleure évaluation des risques et des bénéfices de chaque nouvelle variété modifiée. Quel est le sens de la visite de François Hollande au SPACE? Le Président de la République envoie un signal fort de soutien aux activités d élevage et d attachement à la diversité de l agriculture dans une situation particulièrement difficile en ce moment. Il suit avec attention le sujet de la hausse des cours des matières premières et en fonction de ce qu il me demandera je serai amené à mettre en œuvre les actions nécessaires. Le prix des céréales flambe à nouveau. Pourquoi le forum de réaction rapide n a-t-il pas été convoqué? Pour la première fois, la France a mobilisé le Système d Information sur les Marchés Agricoles (AMIS) et le Forum de réaction rapide, deux outils de coordination mis en place par le G20 pour faire face à la volatilité des prix. Nous présidons actuellement ces deux instances et, dès le 27 août, nous avons convoqué une visioconférence avec les USA, le Mexique, la FAO, et d autres organisations internationales. Je me suis entretenu jeudi avec José Graziano Da Silva, le Directeur Général de la FAO, de la situation sur les marchés internationaux des produits alimentaires de base. La situation s est pour le moment stabilisée. Nous attendons demain le rapport du Ministère américain de l Agriculture. La France est prête à convoquer le Forum de réaction rapide à tout moment si la situation l exigeait. Nous ferons le point fin septembre et j irai au comité de sécurité alimentaire mondiale de la FAO à Rome le 15 octobre. Les Etats-Unis ont mis en place un dispositif pour limiter la spéculation. Pourquoi l Europe est-elle à la traîne sur ce sujet? La France n est pas à la traîne. Je soutiens comme le gouvernement la proposition de Michel Barnier d avoir en Europe un dispositif équivalent et approprié, pour un contrôle beaucoup plus strict qui ne se limite pas aux marchés financiers mais permette de limiter la spéculation sur les matières premières agricoles. Les aides versées aux céréaliers ne devraient-elles pas être en partie redistribuées aux éleveurs quand les cours sont élevés? Il serait logique de verser des aides aux éleveurs lorsque le cours des céréales est élevé et des aides aux céréaliers lorsque le prix des céréales est bas. L organisation de l Europe et ses règles budgétaires ne le permettent pas. La question aujourd hui c est de maintenir l activité d élevage en France. La réforme de la PAC permettra d aborder le sujet de la juste répartition des aides découplées entre systèmes de production. Au-delà, je réfléchis à des dispositifs de solidarité pour faire face aux situations extrêmes comme celles que nous vivons aujourd hui. Le fonds de solidarité entre éleveurs et céréaliers doté de 100 millions d euros qui vient d être créé suite à mes échanges avec les professionnels va dans ce sens. Le prix élevé des céréales souligne une nouvelle fois la fragilité des éleveurs européens très dépendants des cours mondiaux pour l alimentation du bétail. Pourquoi ne pas lancer un programme de soutien à des cultures qui prendraient le relais du soja brésilien? La réduction du déficit en matière de protéines végétales est une priorité pour moi. La commission européenne réfléchit aux moyens adaptés d encourager une relance de ces productions. L intérêt pour l alimentation animale se double d un intérêt environnemental : enrichissement en azote et couverture des sols, absence de fertilisation Je plaide depuis toujours pour une réforme qui intègre le changement de modèles de production et, dans les rotations de culture, la production de protéines végétales. 53

54 Après avoir suscité beaucoup d espoirs, le Grenelle de l environnement s est heurté à de vives résistances d une partie du monde agricole. La France en fait-elle trop pour l environnement? Et comment concilier environnement et compétitivité? Ne faut-il pas sortir d une logique trop bureaucratique mais aussi trop liée au seul cadre de l exploitation individuelle? Il faut produire mais produire autrement : de manière plus performante économiquement et écologiquement. Le Grenelle était une belle ambition mais a suscité beaucoup de déceptions. Il faut redonner une méthode et s appuyer sur ce qui a été fait de positif pour développer des démarches innovantes favorables à l environnement. Utiliser moins d engrais, moins de produits phytosanitaires, moins d eau et moins d énergie pour une activité est à la fois plus durable écologiquement et plus rentable économiquement. Je vais encourager ces démarches et accélérer leur diffusion : formation et pédagogie sont indispensables mais aussi création d une dynamique collective. Un site dédié du Ministère de l Agriculture sera consacré au partage et à la valorisation de ces nouvelles pratiques, entre autres initiatives. Nous devons sortir d une logique de correction des effets négatifs des modèles passés pour nous tourner vers de nouveaux modèles. Pour ce faire, il ne faut plus raisonner à la seule échelle de l exploitation : la conversion à un nouveau modèle de production doit être portée sur un mode plus collectif avec les Groupements d intérêt économiques et environnementaux que je souhaite inscrire dans la loi d avenir pour l agriculture que je présenterai au Parlement l an prochain. Quel bilan tirez-vous de la contractualisation mise en place par votre prédécesseur. Le sujet continue à ne pas faire l unanimité dans les différents syndicats Sur la base du rapport sur la contractualisation qui m a été remis mi juillet, les organisations professionnelles agricoles se sont appropriées une analyse très factuelle sur les freins et les voies d amélioration. J ai recherché avant tout une concertation la plus large possible et des réponses opérationnelles. L unanimité sur ce type de sujet est difficile à trouver, ce qui compte désormais c est que nous puissions améliorer le système des contrats au bénéfice du plus grand nombre et en particulier à celui des producteurs. Les contrats ont précédé l organisation des producteurs nous devons rattraper ce retard rapidement. La Commission européenne est favorable aux OGM. Les consommateurs y semblent opposés. Quelle est votre position? Je maintiendrai le moratoire sur les OGM car pour l heure les OGM présents sur le marché avec une caractéristique «pesticide» ou de tolérance à un herbicide ne peuvent me convaincre de leur utilité et inquiètent par leurs effets sur l environnement. Ce n est que sur la base d une analyse bénéfices-risques clairement positive pour la société que les citoyens et les consommateurs pourront accepter ou non des plantes modifiées génétiquement. Il est difficile de dire si la Commission européenne est favorable ou non aux OGM, elle est surtout contrainte par une réglementation inadaptée qui lui impose de proposer des autorisations, il faut un cadre législatif européen rénové qui permette une meilleure évaluation des risques et des bénéfices de chaque nouvelle variété modifiée. Seriez-vous prêt à autoriser des plantes OGM résistantes à la sécheresse? Je suis convaincu que la recherche génétique doit être réorientée vers des objectifs plus qualitatifs comme les techniques de production les plus appropriées pour résister au choc hydrique. Je dis simplement attention au cadre dans lequel se font les recherches sur les OGM : les résultats de ces recherches doivent permettre d avoir une vision de toutes les conséquences qu aurait la mise en place sur le terrain de telles variétés. Vous avez visité récemment une exploitation agricole pratiquant l agroforesterie. Qu est ce que ce type de pratique peut apporter à l agriculture? L agroforesterie est l association, sur une même parcelle, de productions agricoles végétales ou animales et d arbres, selon une combinaison bénéfique pour chacune d elle. La présence d arbres est bénéfique à l environnement en luttant contre l érosion des sols, en participant à la préservation de la biodiversité, à l amélioration de la qualité des eaux sans nuire aux impératifs économiques des exploitations. La valorisation de la biomasse ligneuse (bois d œuvre ou bois-énergie) représente un complément de revenu pour l exploitant. Pour toutes ces raisons, il faut encourager l essor de l agroforesterie, notamment dans le cadre de la future PAC. 54

55 L épandage aérien de pesticides rencontre de nombreuses oppositions. Faut-il les interdire? La règle c est l interdiction de l épandage, la dérogation est une exception et doit le rester. Dans la pratique les critères conduisant aux dérogations vont être clarifiés pour aller vers plus de fermeté mais aussi plus d homogénéité sur le territoire. Parallèlement et pour pouvoir à terme en finir avec l épandage aérien il faut travailler pour développer les alternatives qui font défaut dans certaines cultures. Là encore, c est une question de changement de modèle et de transition vers de nouvelles pratiques. Quels enseignements tirez-vous de la crise Doux? Aujourd hui je comprends la colère et l inquiétude des salariés. La priorité est à la mobilisation pour l accompagnement et le reclassement des salariés. Le gouvernement a été soucieux depuis le début non seulement des conséquences économiques de ce dossier mais aussi de la détresse des salariés et éleveurs du groupe. Le gouvernement a été guidé par deux impératifs. L impératif social en améliorant à chaque fois les offres de reprise et l impératif économique et industriel pour vérifier que les choix soient solides et porteurs d avenir. Notre rôle n était pas de se substituer aux acteurs économiques et repreneurs potentiels. Par ailleurs, avec Guillaume Garot, j ai souhaité que les salariés soient accompagnés et écoutés. Au-delà de l urgence de la situation nous devrons collectivement nous interroger plus profondément sur les causes de cette crise et tirer tous les enseignements utiles pour l avenir. Nous allons réfléchir à l avenir de la filière volailles pour qu elle retrouve les conditions d une meilleure adaptation au marché et d une meilleure valorisation de son potentiel qui est réel et dont il ne faut pas douter. La crise Doux doit nourrir également une réflexion plus globale sur l accompagnement des PME et notamment des entreprises familiales quand elles grandissent très vite. Recueilli par Patrice MOYON. Mario Monti backs UfM in call for stronger Euro-Mediterranean cooperation Date : 11 September 2012 Source : EU Neighbourhood Info URL : paign=mario%20monti%20backs%20ufm%20in%20call%20for%20stronger%20euro-mediterranean%20cooperation Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti has given his backing to the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), issuing a call for strengthened Euro-Mediterranean cooperation as a driver for economic stability. In a speech at the opening of the Fiera del Levante in Bari, Monti said: Italy is committed to support the Union for the Mediterranean. Its existing structure constitutes an added-value that will bring immediate benefits, leverage the small and medium-sized enterprises sector and increase the confidence in the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation. The Italian Prime Minister said the Mediterranean region was at the heart of his country's external action: Given the transformation processes after the Arab Spring, we are currently engaged in reviewing our relations with the southern countries, and fully support the development of freedom, democracy, prosperity and growth in the entire region. Bringing the two shores of the Mediterranean together will also create opportunities to generate economic stability." He added: Italy is strongly committed to reinforce the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation through its participation in forums for dialogue, like the Dialogue 5 +5, with five Northern countries (Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and Malta) and five Southern countries (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Mauritania), which constitutes an effective and structured sectorial collaboration that intends to be an engine for the integration process of the whole area." 55

56 Morsy drops farmers debts Date : 11 September 2012 Source : The Daily News (Egypt) URL : Addressing his audience of fellaheen (farmers), President Mohamed Morsy echoed former President Gamal Abdel Nasser, saying I m one of you in terms of roots and upbringing. In his speech on Tuesday commemorating farmers day, Morsy praised Egypt s fellaheen, stating that Egypt s farmers were the first to rebel against tyranny 4,000 years ago. Presidential spokesman, Yasser Ali said earlier yesterday that the president is keen to join Egyptian farmers in celebrating their farmers day. Ali indicated that recent decisions including forgiving farmers debts and buying crops at prices that almost reach international ones are reflective of the government s efforts to alleviate the hardship inflicted upon Egypt s destitute fellaheen. The president announced that all fellaheen debts which are less than EGP 10,000 will be forgiven, and he urged the Bank of Development and Agricultural Credit (BDAC) to swiftly implement his decision. Currently we re studying the dossiers of farmers whose debts exceed EGP 10,000, Morsy stated. Though, he added in colloquial Egyptian that whoever defaults next year shall repay the old debts. During his campaign and after he took office Morsy pledged to drop farmers debts, which amount to EGP 1.9 billion, split between investment debts totalling EGP 520 million, and agricultural debt totalling EGP 400 million. In his speech Morsy also stated that the yields of wheat has increased by 1.5 million tonnes, while rice yields amounted to eight million tonnes at EGP 2000 per tonne for slim grains and EGP 2050 per tonne for wide grains. These prices are less than the international prices for rice, which stood at EGP per tonne. Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Salah Abdel Momen reportedly stated that the government will buy rice from farmers at international prices to support farmers. Egypt s rural population was reported to number million in They represent up to half of Egypt s workforce. They also represent a vital electoral bloc capable of deciding any elections turnout. EU proposal would limit use of crop-based biofuels Date : 11 September 2012 Source :Euractiv - Reuters URL : The European Union plans to impose a limit on the use of crop-based biofuels over fears they are less climatefriendly than initially thought and compete with food production, according to draft EU legislation. The new rules, which will need the approval of EU governments and lawmakers, represent a major shift in Europe's much-criticised biofuel policy and a tacit admission by policymakers that the EU's 2020 biofuel target was flawed from the outset. The plans also include a promise to end all public subsidies for crop-based biofuels after the current legislation expires in 2020, effectively ensuring the decline of a European sector now estimated to be worth 17 billion a year. 56

57 "The [European] Commission is of the view that in the period after 2020, biofuels should only be subsidised if they lead to substantial greenhouse gas savings... and are not produced from crops used for food and feed," the draft said. The policy u-turn comes after EU scientific studies cast doubt on the emissions savings from crop-based fuels, and following a poor harvest in key grain growing regions that pushed up prices and revived fears of food shortages. Under the proposals, the use of biofuels made from crops such as rapeseed and wheat would be limited to 5% of total energy consumption in the EU transport sector in Crop-based fuel consumption currently accounts for about 4.5% of total EU transport fuel demand, according to the latest national figures for 2011, ensuring that there will be little room to increase current production volumes. The 10% target Such a limit will throw into doubt the EU's binding target to source 10% of road transport fuels from renewable sources by the end of the decade, the vast majority of which was expected to come from crop-based biofuels. To make up the shortfall, Brussels wants to increase the share of advanced non-land using biofuels made from household waste and algae in the EU's 10% target. "It is appropriate to encourage greater production of such advanced biofuels as these are currently not commercially available in large quantities, in part due to competition for public subsidies with now established food crop based biofuels," the draft says. The Commission has proposed that the use of such advanced fuels should be quadruple-counted within the EU's 10% target, in an attempt to at least meet it on paper. But with commercial production volumes expected to remain low up to 2020, it is doubtful whether the goal can be met. Biodiesel blow The proposals are contained in long-awaited EU plans to address the indirect land use change (ILUC) impact of biofuels, a subject that has split officials, biofuel producers and scientists, delaying legislative proposal for almost two years. ILUC is a theory that states that by diverting food crops into fuel tanks, biofuel production increases overall global demand for agricultural land. If farmers meet that extra demand by cutting down rainforest and draining peatland, it results in millions of tonnes of additional carbon emissions. The draft law includes new ILUC emissions values for the three major crop types used to produce biofuels: cereals, sugars and oilseeds. These values must be included when calculating emissions savings from biofuels under an EU fuel quality law designed to encourage fuel suppliers to cut emissions from road transport fuels by 6% by While low values for ethanol made from cereals and sugars are expected to have little market impact, a much higher value for oilseeds is likely to exclude most biodiesel made from rapeseed, soybeans and palm oil from counting towards the fuel suppliers' targets. The Commission says its proposal will protect existing investments until 2020, but biodiesel producers fear that by removing any incentive for fuel companies to use biodiesel, it will put the future of the entire sector in doubt. Three years after the EU made biofuels a central plank of its policy to promote renewable energies in transport, the Commission's current proposal threatens an industry that arose as a response to its policies, supports 50,000 jobs and would have provided the next generation of biofuel technologies, said Jean-Philippe Puig, chief executive of Sofiproteol, which owns the EU's largest biodiesel producer. 57

58 Conservationists cautious Environmental campaigners welcomed the proposal to limit the use of crop-based fuels, but said the plans should have gone further. The good news is that this proposal, if adopted, would stop further expansion of current types of unsustainable biofuels, which is an important step. But the bad news is that it fails to do anything about the current volumes of these fuels, said Nusa Urbancic, clean fuels campaigner for Transport and Environment. If confirmed, the rules are expected to boost European consumption of ethanol, which currently accounts for just over 20% of the EU biofuel market, compared with biodiesel's 78% share. But with diesel cars accounting for about 60% of Europe's fleet and rising, it is unlikely that increased ethanol consumption will be able to completely offset the likely decline in biodiesel consumption. The International Council on Clean Transportation has predicted that any emissions savings from the EU's biofuel policy are likely to come from ethanol, while crop-based biodiesel has a worse carbon footprint than normal diesel. Céréales : une très bonne récolte française favorable à l'exportation (FranceAgriMer) Date : 12 September 2012 Source : La France Agricole URL : html La France prévoit une excellente récolte de céréales pour la campagne tout juste achevée, qui va lui permettre d'accroître ses exportations de blé, avec des prix confortables en raison des problèmes climatiques affectant ses principaux concurrents internationaux. Avec 68 millions de tonnes, la production escomptée fait mieux que l'an dernier (63,1 Mt) et même dépasse la moyenne des cinq dernières années, selon FranceAgriMer. «On attendait une récolte médiocre et on est proche du record», a indiqué Michel Ferret, chef du service des marchés et des études de FranceAgriMer lors de la présentation des prévisions de l'organisme à La Rochelle. La récolte de blé tendre, utilisé en meunerie, est estimée à 36,1 Mt (contre 34 Mt en 2011). Elle est de surcroît de bonne tenue puisque plus de la moitié de cette production est classée en catégorie E (excellente) et 1, et 36 % en catégorie 2, malgré une «grande hétérogénéité» des qualités de la production, selon le service des statistiques de l'organisme. Pour le maïs, avec une récolte à venir évaluée à 16,4 Mt, la France prévoit d'en réserver 6,6 Mt à ses voisins européens, le reste étant absorbé par les besoins des éleveurs français. «Le climat chaud de l'automne, le gel de février et les pluies de juin-juillet laissaient craindre le pire mais a été corrigé par le redressement des rendements», a rappelé Rémi Haquin, président du conseil spécialisé des céréales de FranceAgriMer. Un résultat d'autant mieux venu que les producteurs de blé de la mer Noire, Kazakhstan et Ukraine en tête, connaissent de graves difficultés dues au gel et à la sécheresse. Sans parler de la production de maïs américain, passée sous la barre des 300 Mt pour la première fois depuis 2007 ainsi que le soja et tous les oléagineux, en raison de la pire sécheresse de ces soixante dernières années. Ces aléas climatiques contribuent à maintenir des prix élevés sur le marché mondial des céréales. 58

59 La France, premier exportateur européen, prévoit de livrer près de 18 Mt de blé à l'exportation, soit tonnes de plus que l'an dernier. Neuf millions de tonnes seront destinés à des pays tiers hors Union européenne. Elle pourra donc répondre sans difficulté à ses clients réguliers que sont l'algérie, le Maroc et les autres pays d'afrique du Nord, alors que dans le reste de l'europe les récoltes sont mauvaises, en Espagne et au Royaume- Uni en particulier. «On va bénéficier du malheur des autres», a admis M. Ferret. S'agissant de l'orge, avec des prévisions de récolte de 11,5 Mt, la France prévoit de conserver pour son usage 2,2 Mt essentiellement des orges fourragères pour les animaux (1,5 Mt) et d'exporter 5,5 Mt surtout vers l'europe. Hors UE (1,3 Mt), l'orge fourragère part en priorité vers l'arabie Saoudite, grosse consommatrice pour ses chameaux, tandis que l'orge de brasserie et le malt ont conquis des parts de marché en Chine, devenue premier brasseur du monde, a rappelé M. Ferret. En revanche, ces statistiques satisfaisantes pour les céréaliers ne devraient pas apporter de répit aux éleveurs français : «La hausse des prix restera sévère», a estimé Michel Ferret, car les prix sont largement dépendants des mouvements hors frontières. «On a une récolte record, donc théoriquement les prix devraient baisser. Mais ce niveau de production ne correspond pas à la situation mondiale : nos prix restent en prise sur le marché mondial qui, lui, est très tendu», a ajouté M. Ferret. Catania: start of a great event for the made in Italy in the Russian market Date : 12 September 2012 Source : Agricoltura Online URL : "Today we jump start a prestigious event to whom we entrust an important task, that is to bring to the attention of the Russian people the Italian system, its production, its ability to produce quality in almost all sectors" declared the Minister of Agricultural Food and Forestry Policies at the inauguration, held the 12 September in Moscow, of 'Exhibitaly: Italian excellence in Moscow promotion program of the Made in Italy leading sectors - design, fashion, food and other - which will take place until the 6th of January, in the former chocolate Factory 'Krasny Oktyabr'. "We believe - the Minister, who inaugurated the event on behalf of the Italian government, added- that our production can be of great interest to Russian consumers, and that it can have great success on this very important market. Trade between Russia and Italy has, in fact, very significant potential and over the past decade it has grown considerably." "We hope that our trade, as well as a cultural exchanges, increase. I wish that all those who visit this event - the Minister concluded- appreciate its content and I hope that the events organized for the forthcoming months will allow everyone to remember what Italy has to offer not only in terms of production, but also in terms of culture and friendship." Jordan- Supply shortfall sends vegetable prices soaring Date : 12 September 2012 Source : FAO URL : Rising demand and a shortfall in supply is causing vegetable prices to rise, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Tuesday. 59

60 The prices of vegetables such as tomatoes, zucchini, beans, cauliflower and lemons have increased after high temperatures caused the Kingdom's agricultural output to decline this summer, Nimer Haddadin, the ministry's spokesperson, told The Jordan Times. The shortage is also due to the rotation from summer crops to winter crops, as the Kingdom enters orweh tishrineyeh: the period between September and the end of the year during which farmers plant winter vegetables in the Jordan Valley. Vegetables cultivated during this period include cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants and zucchini. In addition, the prices rose because there is an increase in demand on vegetables in light of the presence of more than 200,000 Syrian refugees in the country, said Haddadin. According to the ministry, the 4,888 tonnes of vegetables were supplied to Amman's Central Market during the first 10 days of September compared to 5,115 tonnes during the same period last year. Tomato, cucumber, potato and zucchini prices rose by about 2530 per cent over the past few weeks, according to vendors. The farmers increased their prices because the production of vegetables is low. Two weeks ago, I used to sell potatoes for JD0.4 per kilo but today I sell them for JD0.65 per kilo, Ahmad Fattah, a produce vendor in downtown Amman, told The Jordan Times on Tuesday. People are not buying vegetables in large quantities. Some of my clients used to buy four or five kilos of tomatoes at a time, but now they buy one or two kilos maximum, he said. Another produce vendor, who identified himself as Mansour, said the prices of some vegetables had risen by 25 per cent in the past two weeks. Prices of carrots, cucumbers, cabbages and other items are higher than two weeks ago because of low supply, he said. Approximately 360,000 dunums in the Jordan Valley are cultivated and irrigated. The Kingdom's agriculture relies mainly on rainwater, but only 1.1 per cent of its total area receives an average of millimetres of rain, according to the Ministry of Water and Irrigation. Around 91 per cent of Jordan's total area of 97,000 square kilometres is situated in arid areas with an annual rainfall average of millimetres, while 2.9 per cent of the country's land is categorised as semiarid. Jordan: "new opportunities for production of quality fresh produce" Date : 12 September 2012 Source : Fresh Plaza URL : Jordan is a small country where fruit and vegetable production is concentrated in the Jordan Valley, in the region of Mafraq (area in the north, on the border with Syria), and in some smaller niches in the south: in the valley of Arabia, and near Aqaba. The agricultural area, considering the vast desert areas, does not reach 1% of the whole national land area and agricultural production represents in the statistics only 3% of GDP. However, the enlarged agricultural activities, including processing industries, accounts for approximately 30% of GDP, with about 25,000 companies that are producing for the market. Nevertheless, the production structure is quite pulverized, with an average farm area of 2-3 ha. Among the vegetable productions, Jordan excels in the production of fresh tomato, pepper, cucumber, eggplant, zucchini, watermelon, melon and herbs (mint, sage). Another important crop is okra, used mainly for the domestic 60

61 market and some ethnic niches in Europe (e.g. the people of Indian and Pakistani origin present in the UK). Among the fruit production, a part from dates (the cultivar Medjool is particularly important due to its large fruits) and citrus, peaches, apricots, grapes and pomegranates are important produces. Prickly pear, mango and guava are other typical equatorial crops, that find space in Jordan. The particular feature of Jordan is the possibility to produce out of season: the Jordan Valley is in fact a natural greenhouse with temperatures that in winter usually do not fall below C, and with enough light to get an excellent quality in tunnel productions. The season in this region begins in September and the first harvest takes place in January. So in a period of time prior to all the productions of the Mediterranean basin. In the case of peaches, can be interesting the late production, with cultivars that ripen in late September and early October. Export to Europe is limited in quantity and species: export is limited mainly to peppers, cucumbers, dates. Export is higher towards the Gulf countries, Syria, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The activity of processing is not highly developed. There are however some interesting industries for the production of jams and other processed products. The Italian industry of machinery and equipment is present in Jordan particularly in olive processing (oil production). However, Italian packaging and grading systems are also present. These technologies, along with those of post-harvest (cold storage, storage systems, calibration systems) may find interest from Jordanians operators. Italy is considered a leader in this area and so it is in a privileged position in relation to the Jordanian market, although recently Turkey sees growth in its market place. Italy, in general, is among the top exporters to Jordan and has surpassed Germany last year. The Twinning project, funded by the European Union, is conducted by a consortium of Italy and Poland. The Italian partner is the MiPAAF, while the Polish partner is represented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Other institutional partners are also involved: the Plant Protection Service of the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions, and the Foundation Minoprio. For Poland, are involved the Inspectorate for Plant Health and Seed Certification, and the Institute of Horticulture. Lebanon can boost Arab-EU trade ties Date : 13 September 2012 Source : The Daily Star URL : Lebanon can play a bigger role in strengthening Arab-European economic integration, experts said at a Beirut forum Wednesday. Lebanese bankers and financial experts, speaking at the Euro-Arab Economic Forum: Partnership for Better Economic Complementarity conference, said the promotion of Arab-European economic ties is key to tackle challenges facing the MENA region. Philippe De Fontaine Vive, vice president of the European Investment Bank, said the bank would soon initiate a program to fund Lebanese small and medium enterprises as well as renewable energy projects through soft loans. Lebanon is an oasis of stability and is one of the most effective [in attracting] investments, he added. He also called on Gulf Cooperation Council states to boost investments and cooperate with the EU in finding solutions to chronic unemployment that is wreaking political and economic havoc across the region. Meanwhile, Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh highlighted the resilience of the Lebanese economy over the past years as it avoided the turmoil that swept several Arab countries. Salameh forecast over 2 percent economic growth in

62 The economic conditions in Lebanon are acceptable if compared to other Arab Mediterranean countries because of high liquidity in its banking sector, and what is now the highest ratio of foreign reserves in the Central Bank s history, he said. Salameh called on European countries to increase support for Lebanon, which has never failed to respect financial commitments. For his part, head of the General Union of Arab Chambers of Commerce Adnan Kassar called in his opening remarks for developing more robust EU-Arab links. We hope that the challenging and risky developments facing the Arab world and the restructuring phase in the European Union [paves way for] fostering cooperation, he said. Kassar called for a more fair and even partnership between the EU and the region, urging the reassessment of already-existing economic and trade agreements to further benefit stakeholders in light of political and economic developments in both regions. Economy Minister Nicolas Nahas, who spoke on behalf of Prime Minister Najib Mikati, said the forum reflected Lebanon s leading role as a meeting point for the Arab world and Europe and [its position] as a hub for debate on strengthening relations with Europe on all levels. Nahas argued that deeper economic integration would help generate an added economic value for both the EU and the Arab World, urging European countries to open up their markets and remove technical barriers preventing the flow of Arab agricultural and industrial products to the union. Calling on European states to boost investment in the region, Nahas said Europe should play a bigger role in job creation in the MENA region, which in turn reinforces security and stability on both sides of the Mediterranean. Angelina Eichhorst, head of the EU delegation to Lebanon, called on governments to take bold steps toward liberalizing regional economies while banking on strong relations with Europe to achieve an economic Arab Spring. Lebanon has a special place in the region because of dynamic and educated human resources that [are] the backbone of the economy and will remain so even if gas and oil are found on the Lebanese cost, she added. Head of the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon Nabil Itani said Lebanon had managed to boost foreign direct investments by 15 percent on average between 2006 and He said IDAL would continue to support and give incentives to investors, particularly EU firms investing in Lebanon s growing information technology, telecommunications, and tourism and industrial sectors. In two panels held Wednesday, experts from from the United Nations and an array of private companies discussed ways to strengthen links between the two regions. In a first session, moderated by Nahas, experts discussed ways to develop a new Euro-Arab partnership that could help spur growth. Abdullah al-dardari, director of economic development and globalization at ESCWA, argued that already-existing bilateral free trade agreements have not yielded significant economic growth for the Arab region particularly in terms of trade flow, FDI and GDP growth. Measures to liberalize trade in manufactured products are well-defined and adhere to fixed timetables, Dardari said, adding that measures to boost agricultural trade were less clear and had no specific schedule. The EU has not offered significant new concessions to Arab Mediterranean countries in terms of market access for their agricultural exports, he said. 62

63 However, he added that the EU benefits from the duty-free export of manufactured agricultural products to Arab markets. Markis Massi, a partner at Boston Consulting Group, presented a study commissioned for the EIB. The study argued that Gulf countries should use sovereign wealth funds to shore the economies of Arab Mediterranean countries. While sovereign funds have lower appetite for states undergoing political transitions, Massi said the collaboration of private investors with development banks and funds can lower geopolitical risks with such investments. Over 500 Arab and European officials as well as businesspersons attended the event, which was co-organized by the Beirut-based GUCC and the EIB. Italy, crops collapsed for boiling hot summer: -35% for tomatoes Date : 13 September 2012 Source :Green Med URL : The agricultural production in Italy has collapsed this year with drops going of -13% for apples, -22% for pears and even -35% for tomatoes. Grapes registered only -5%. These are the estimates of the agricultural association Coldiretti. This association underlines that the boiling hot and dry summer has also burned 30% of the national crop of corn and up to 40% of soy. The negative consequences of the unfavourable climate conditions this summer involved direct and indirect damages for about 3 millions euros to the Italian agriculture, with effects also on the economical situation and employment. The fall in some crops risk indeed - Coldiretti continues - to leave without a job many of the 200,000 young workers employed in fruit and vegetables harvesting. The risk is also that the Country s dependence on foreign Countries will rise, with imports already representing 30% of Italy s food supplies. Coldiretti concludes by reiterating the importance for Italy to defend its own agricultural resources. Barroso says EU ready to provide Egypt 500 million in financial aid if IMF deal agreed Date : 13 September 2012 Source :EU Neighbourhood Information Center URL : paign=barroso%20says%20eu%20ready%20to%20provide%20egypt%20%e2%82%ac500%20million%20in%20financial%20aid%20if%20imf %20deal%20agreed Egypt can count on the European Union, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso told visiting Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi in Brussels today, saying the EU was ready to provide hundreds of millions of euros in further financial assistance once Egyptian negotiations with the IMF conclude. "We are ready to offer Macro Financial Assistance worth 500 million provided that the agreement that Egypt is currently negotiating with the IMF materializes," Barroso said, adding: "the EU is also ready to consider a budget support operation of million in support of an agreed Economic Recovery Plan." 63

64 The EU has already made available 449 million to Egypt for the years to support several sectors in the country. This year for example, the EU will disburse 130 million for projects related with job creation, youth employability, and technical and vocational training. Barroso announced that an EU-Egypt Task Force was being put together involving EU Institutions, Member States and other international financial institutions. "We are ready to hold this Task Force on 14/15 November," he said. "I am convinced that we can use this event as a catalyst for EU collective support, and also to restore investors' confidence in Egypt." The Task Force was also at the centre of discussions between President Morsi and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton, who said: "The Task Force will host a tourism and business summit. It will illustrate the new Egypt's decision to have Europe as its main partner as well as Europe's renewed engagement with Egypt. Our objective is to bring the EU and the new democratic Egypt as close together as possible through cooperation in all sectors. This means political support but also economic support to tourism, job creation and investment, and the transfer of technology between industries and universities: a true political and economic partnership. Solving these challenges will bring about political and economic stability." EC President Barroso also said the EU was ready to start preparations for future negotiations of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with Egypt. He added it was also essential to focus on citizens: "In this respect, I reaffirmed to President Morsi our willingness to initiate a dialogue towards a Mobility Partnership with Egypt and I called for the resumption of our sectoral dialogues from trade to education, to human rights, to scientific cooperation, which have been conducted based on our 2004 Association Agreement." Barroso said President Morsi's decision to visit Brussels on his first trip to Europe was testimony of the country's engagement with its European partners: "We are extremely pleased with the reassurances given today by President Morsi regarding Egypt's unwavering commitment to Democracy and the Rule of Law and to the defence of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms for all Egyptian's irrespective of their gender or creed, the dignity of each human being." The EC President added: "We have discussed this in very open terms with President Morsi, and I believe in his sincerity about that principle of human dignity and respect for every human life. And we have agreed upon it. In fact the respect for minorities, women's rights, and inter-faith dialogue are essential for the future and stability of the country." Barroso said Egypt was "an indispensable partner for the promotion of peace and stability in the region and in the Arab World" and congratulated President Morsi s recent declarations on Syria and his wish to become more involved in the resolution of the crisis. "We also had the opportunity to mention the important role of Egypt in the Middle East Peace Process. I think it is so important that these changes in the Arab world are successful and the case of Egypt, because of the importance of this country is indeed determining for the way the Arab world can succeed in its message of peace and commitment to democracy." Mohamed Morsi also met the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, who underlined the EU's commitment to support the transition. "Egypt is facing the challenge of building a better and democratic future for its people, of responding to the calls that placed Tahrir Square at the centre of world attention," said Van Rompuy. "This is the responsibility President Morsi is faced with and I want to wish him and all the Egyptian people the greatest success. In this historic endeavour the EU will stand by their side as a friend, a neighbour, a partner." President Morsi invited President Van Rompuy to visit Egypt, an invitation "that I receive and accept with pleasure" said the President of the European Council. 64

65 Tunisie: Marzouki veut booster l'édification économique du Maghreb arabe Date : 14 septembre 2012 Source : Web Manager Centre URL : «Il est temps de booster l'édification économique du Maghreb arabe, région qui regorge de ressources naturelles et humaines en plus d'un positionnement stratégique, l'habilitant à jouer un rôle de premier plan dans la réalisation des équilibres régionaux et mondiaux». C'est Moncef Marzouki, le président de la République, qui s'exprimait ainsi à l'ouverture d'un workshop, organisé en collaboration avec la Banque africaine de développement (BAD), sur «l'intégration économique régionale et son rôle dans la libéralisation du potentiel du Maghreb arabe». A l'instar des économistes, Marzouki a indiqué que le coût du non Maghreb coûte 2 points du PIB maghrébin. Il a fait état de l'existence, aujourd'hui, de ce qu'il a appelé "un nouveau souffle" qui anime la classe dirigeante maghrébine, d'autant que tous les dirigeants souhaitent accélérer l'édification de l'union du Maghreb arabe(uma)». Le dirigeant tunisien a souligné que «les dirigeants des cinq pays maghrébins ont convenu cette année de réactiver les différentes structures de l'union et de se réunir en Tunisie, avant fin 2012, pour relancer un projet qui a connu un grand retard de réalisation». Il estime que la consolidation de la coopération régionale, la promotion de l'intégration économique du Maghreb arabe, la réalisation de projets mixtes en plus de la mise en réseau des ressources humaines, sont autant de pistes à suivre, à l'avenir, pour résoudre les problèmes du chômage, de la pauvreté, de l'immigration, de la sécurité alimentaire, de l'énergie, de l'eau et de la désertification. Selon lui, la situation économique mondiale actuelle, plus particulièrement les difficultés que l'europe connaît, est de nature à inciter à la consolidation de la coopération maghrébine pour stimuler les investissements, améliorer la productivité, consolider les niveaux de croissance économique et renforcer la résilience de la région face aux chocs exogènes. Dans son allocution, M. Marzouki recommande de mettre en place un plan d'action visant le cadrage des domaines de partenariat, le parachèvement des travaux d'aménagement de l'autoroute maghrébine, la consolidation du transport maritime et aérien, en plus du développement des grands projets mixtes dans les secteurs des énergies renouvelables. Mais aussi de mettre au point une stratégie cohérente pour la réalisation de l'autosuffisance maghrébine et la promotion du tourisme, et de mettre sur les rails le projet de la banque maghrébine pour l'investissement et le commerce extérieur. A farmers eco-network for tourism Date : 16 September 2012 Source : Times of Malta URL : Keeping the land green is an added benefit we get from farmers as they grow fresh local products for our dinner plates. Farming is no nine-to-five job. Some farmers encourage their children to become doctors and lawyers instead. It is easier to go to university and get a job than to make a success as a farmer in Malta. It was not an easy start when pre-accession negotiations for Malta s agricultural package began. Before 2002, statistics on agriculture were few and far between, which hindered efforts to argue the case for EU funding. Farmers many of them in their 50s and 60s found the concept of keeping records and filling in forms difficult. The amount of paperwork they had to plough through just to receive the Less Favoured Area measure payment of 25 per tumolo was crushing. 65

66 Help is now at hand with a customer care centre set up at Ta Qali by the Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs, designed to help farmers make better use of EU funding more easily. However, availability of funds for rural development and farmers this time around is expected to be less than for the previous two terms. Since Malta became a member state there are today more countries tugging at the European Commission s purse strings for agricultural funding. The Common Agricultural Policy aims to preserve the environment while ensuring an adequate, secure food supply and a fair standard of living for farmers. But the EU budget is expected to lean more toward balanced territorial development as money is spread more thinly across member states. So far we have been very successful in tapping rural development funds although we did not always manage to absorb the allocated budget. Malta s insular nature together with an aging farming population made a strong case during negotiations for the first rural development programme. As we move towards the next seven-year funding term, the Commission is expected to question why we are asking for more when the agricultural aid package has not been fully absorbed. Can agri-tourism exist in harmony with eco-tourism or do they occasionally clash? They do overlap, for example when nature walks are designed to include a stop at a farm to taste some local products. Creating economic benefits while respecting the environment is a double plus for everyone. If it weren t for farming we would have concrete blocks from Marsascala to Mellieħa, muses Jeanette Borg of Merill Eco Tours. Borg is a Mediterranean agro-systems management graduate who has turned her past experience in securing funds, and fostering tomorrow s young farmers, toward running an eco- and agri- tourism business. At 16, Borg studied for a diploma in agricultural science and then landed a ministry job. The department of rural development turned out to be the best place to learn about cross-cutting themes that link agriculture to the environment. Farmers have never had it easy. Even until very recently, at graduation time, agriculture students were looked down upon and called names, including drop-out by students of other professions. All that turned around with an initiative to hold an open weekend to showcase students work at the Agribusiness Institute of the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology. Now agricultural science students are holding their heads high. It was at the first such event in 2010 that Borg became aware of an untapped desire on the part of the public to know more about farming and caring for the land that produces our food. Directly involved in securing pre- and post-accession Common Agricultural Policy funds, Borg developed a particular brand of determination which proved useful for scaling the walls of both local and EU bureaucracy. It was a learning curve, wading through the administrative part of funding in order for available funding to be absorbed. Despite having to pass through a solid wall of bureaucracy, efforts to persist with measures to protect rubble walls paid off. No longer handcuffed by institutional frameworks, she challenges clients who sign up for a rural experience, whether it be a guided country walk or local product sampling, to go the holistic road: Will they be leaving anything to the farmer who is keeping the countryside green? Ms Borg makes sure that the farmers get something back for all the work they put in during a farm or nature experience. The farmers, our only stewards of the landscape, are more likely to put up higher walls to keep people out, and may not behave very co-operatively toward EU-funded initiatives, if they feel they are not duly recognised for all their hard work. This is the philosophy behind the business plan. When you speak to the farmer he has his own world. Unless you try to understand his world he will never understand yours, reflects Borg. Curtailing a rural tourism event when it takes place in a hunting zone during open the season may be inevitable: You have to respect boundaries. We change the itinerary as there are some points that are pretty hot during the hunting season but we don t go there. 66

67 Egypt to lift ban on rice exports Date : 16 September 2012 Source : Reuters URL : Egypt will resume exports of rice in October, lifting a ban imposed since 2008 to protect the domestic market, daily newspaper al-borsa cited the agriculture minister as saying. Egypt, once a major medium-grain rice exporter, banned rice exports in March 2008 and renewed the policy repeatedly to head off local market shortages and cap prices. It last renewed the ban in October. "The government has agreed to resume rice exports at the beginning of October. This is after local production rose enough to be able to cover market needs. The availability of a surplus for exports does not affect local prices," Minister Salah Abdel Momen told al-borsa. Abdel Momen added that the decision to lift the ban will allow Egyptian farmers to benefit from rising global rice prices but that, if local prices increase in a way that harms local consumers, the ban may be enforced again. Soaring food prices in 2008 caused riots in a number of countries, including Egypt, and droughts in the United States and Black Sea bread baskets have this year sent prices of other grains sharply higher. In 2007, Egypt exported 1.25 million tonnes of rice and provided around 35 percent of the medium-grain rice sold on the world market that year. Others, such as Russia, have grabbed Egypt's share since. The government started procuring rice directly from local farmers in October 2011 in order to build reserves. The move was intended to smooth out the exaggerated price movements that were offered during tenders for local rice. Egypt needs around 1.1 million tonnes of rice a year for its subsidy programme - around a third of its total consumption of 3.34 million tonnes. As Russia Joins WTO, Better Prospects for European Olive Oil Date : 16 September 2012 Source : The Olive Oil Times URL : Recently, the Russian Federation became the 156th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The WTO s Agriculture Agreement specifies that the members of the organization agree to improve market access and reduce trade-distorting subsidies, which translates into lifting tariffs for imported goods and simplifying procedures; the import tariff for olive oil will drop to 7.8 percent from its current 10 percent. Theoretically, olive oil and other agricultural products will have better chances to enter the vast Russian market. European Union s (EU) trade commissioner wasted no time celebrating the event and said, As a consequence of the WTO accession, Russia will amongst others lower its import duties, limit its export duties, grant greater market access for EU services providers and facilitate rules and procedures in many areas affecting bilateral economic relations. In general, a WTO accession means that the economy will become open, globalized and modernized, and furthermore that local enterprises will face serious competition from abroad on a wide range of products. In the case of olive oil, exporters based in the EU do not have to compete with any locals since olive oil is only imported and they can have a serious advantage over opponents from elsewhere: The EU is the biggest trading partner of Russia, hence there are already open channels of communication and collaboration. In 2008, Russian olive oil imports amounted to just 18,000 tons; palm oil was top among vegetable oils with 692,000 tons, followed by coconut oil with 192,000 tons. For one thing, Russia cannot be seen as a virgin market regarding olive oil since more than 100 brands of olive oil are already available in supermarkets and deli shops. But with a population of about 140 million, and given the huge quantities of vegetable oils consumed, there is space for more olive oil if it the aim is to replace the other vegetable oils and become the consumers choice. And while the per capita income declined seriously in 2009 to $8,616 due to the global financial crisis, it has since then 67

68 started to rapidly increase again to $13,089 in 2011, according to the World Bank. Simply put, there is more purchasing power available to Russian consumers to go after more expensive and healthier vegetable oils, like olive oil. The simplification of processes and procedures can be the opportunity for stronger promotion of olive oil from the EU. What this simplification means is that the country must make huge leaps forward to deregulate its business environment and hopefully improve the 120th position it currently holds in the Doing Business index, which does not sound very promising to firms from abroad. So, having in mind that Russia and the EU already have tight trading bonds and that the tariffs will be reduced and the procedures will be simplified and rationalized to expel the country s rigid bureaucracy, it seems that European olive oil exporters should turn their heads east. This, of course, if they are not put off by the high degree of existent corruption. Algérie : Renforcer les stocks de blé Date : 17 September 2012 Source :Oxford Business Group URL : En Algérie, un certain nombre de mesures ont été prises afin d améliorer les capacités de production céréalière du pays et ainsi répondre à la demande nationale en blé et réduire la facture des importations alimentaires. Toutefois, la situation actuelle du marché, marqué par une production en baisse en Afrique du Nord et des prix mondiaux à la hausse, a renforcé la dépendance du pays face à l importation de blé sur le court terme. En début d année, la production algérienne de céréales semblait être sur la bonne voie. La production du pays varie entre 2 millions et 6 millions de tonnes, en fonction de la pluviosité ; selon les estimations du Ministère de l Agriculture, la récolte totale de céréales pourrait atteindre 5,8 millions de tonnes en 2012, par rapport à une production de 4,2 millions de tonnes en 2011 où les conditions climatiques avaient été particulièrement mauvaises. L Algérie va cependant rester dépendante des importations sur le moyen terme pour pouvoir répondre à une demande nationale en céréales estimée à environ 7 millions de tonnes par an. La demande en blé meunier est estimée à elle seule à tonnes par mois. Conformément aux résultats du secteur agricole, la valeur des importations de céréales a enregistré une baisse de 23% au premier semestre 2012 par rapport à la même période en 2011, passant de 1,66 milliard d euros à 1,27 milliard d euros. Sur la même période, les importations de blé ont chuté de 33% pour atteindre 1,01 milliard de dollars. Le gouvernement a annoncé en juin que la production nationale de blé dur suffirait à faire face à la demande jusqu à la fin de l année. Mais les perspectives se sont assombries depuis. L Office Algérien Interprofessionnel des Céréales (OAIC) a confirmé en août que la récolte de blé dur n avait pas atteint les niveaux attendus, à quoi s ajoutent des difficultés logistiques qui n ont pas été précisées- dans la collecte de la récolte de blé dur. L OAIC a par conséquent dû aller à l encontre de ses objectifs politiques en achetant, dans la semaine du 13 août, tonnes de blé dur à 329 euros la tonne, majoritairement en provenance du Canada et des USA. Ces dernières semaines, l Algérie a également effectué d importants achats de blé meunier afin de compenser à la fois une production nationale insuffisante et une baisse mondiale des stocks de blé en La sévère sécheresse qu ont subi les Etats-Unis et les conditions climatiques particulièrement sèches dans d autres pays producteurs, comme la Russie, ont soulevé des inquiétudes quant à l importance des stocks de blé dans le monde et entrainé une flambée des prix avec des importateurs qui tentent d augmenter leurs stocks. Le 16 août, l OAIC a acheté tonnes de blé meunier à 273 euros la tonne, les prix variant selon la période de livraison et les volumes vendus. Il s agit là du troisième d appel d offres d envergure en l espace de trois 68

69 semaines pour tirer profit d une baisse momentanée des prix mondiaux. Une grande partie de ce blé devrait venir de France, où les prévisions 2012 de faible récolte ne se sont pas avérées. L office des céréales a également acheté tonnes de blé meunier à 279 euros la tonne, ainsi que plus de tonnes la dernière semaine de juillet. A eux trois, ces achats devraient permettre à l Algérie de répondre à sa demande en blé meunier au mois de septembre et pendant la première moitié du mois d octobre. Depuis toujours, la culture céréalière algérienne a été limitée par une pluviosité irrégulière et un système d irrigation peu développé. Si le pays va rester un importateur net de céréales sur le moyen terme, le gouvernement cherche à augmenter la production locale au moyen de programmes de mécanisation et d irrigation. La production céréalière affiche déjà une augmentation, passant de 800 kilos par hectare dans les années 1980 à environ 1800 kilos par hectare en 2012 ; grâce à de meilleures infrastructures et techniques agricoles, le gouvernement espère stimuler la production de céréales et atteindre l objectif annoncé de 4000 kilos par hectare. La stratégie agricole nationale vise à augmenter la surface irriguée des terres cultivées en céréales et à les faire passer de 1,1 million d hectares à 1,6 million d hectares d ici Selon un récent rapport du Bureau National d Etudes pour le Développement Rural (BNEDER), 1,2 million d hectares de surface agricole se verront irrigués dans le cadre d un nouveau programme national. BNEDER chiffre ce programme, s il se concrétise, à un coût de 1,48 milliard d euros ; la Banque de l Agriculture et du Développement Rural a annoncé qu elle était prête à contribuer au financement du projet. L OAIC aurait également investi la somme de 98,95 millions d euros au cours des trois dernières années afin de stimuler les stocks d équipement et de soutenir la mécanisation du secteur agricole. Selon un communiqué de l agence nationale de presse daté de juillet, l OAIC a acquis un total de 1250 moissonneuses-batteuses, 350 tracteurs et plus de 1000 semoirs, ce qui devrait contribuer à développer l accès à l équipement pour les petites et moyennes exploitations et, à terme, stimuler la production nationale. La volatilité des prix entrainée par le déclin de la production de blé à l échelle mondiale a accentué l importance de réduire la dépendance aux importations de céréales. Si l Algérie doit encore faire face à des défis climatiques particuliers, d importantes améliorations du secteur agricole sont toutefois possibles. Les initiatives visant à un développement de la mécanisation et de l irrigation qui ont vu le jour récemment devraient contribuer, à moyen terme, à optimiser le potentiel agricole de l Algérie. Lebanon to discuss elimination of Turkish import duties on bananas Date : 18 September 2012 Source : The Daily Star URL : Lebanon will seek to have Turkish customs lifted on its banana exports, Agriculture Minister Hussein Hajj Hasan said Monday, reiterating that the conflict in Syria was behind the export crisis. The problem facing the marketing of Lebanese bananas is due the incidents in Syria, the country s major export market, Hajj Hassan told a news conference. The minister said the government was working through diplomatic channels to have customs duties Turkey places on the produce eliminated. I hope Prime Minister Najib Mikati would discuss opening the Turkish market to banana exports during his talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he added, noting that the produce has been unable to compete in the Iraqi market. Lebanon produces 87,500 tons of bananas a year, according to estimates by the U.N. s Food and Agriculture Organization, with over half the produce intended for export to Syria. 69

70 Some reports indicate that at percent, Turkish tariffs on banana imports are the highest in the world. The FAO estimates that Turkey produces 210,178 tons of bananas year. But demand for the produce has fallen sharply as the Syrian crisis persists. Regarding the citrus produce, Hajj Hasan said it was spared most of the problems that arose earlier this year with the exception of the Valencia variety a fruit primarily grown for orange juice production. We are working at both short-term solutions [for the Valencia oranges] and at long-term solutions that include swapping with new varieties and improving quality, he said. Exporters, Hajj Hasan added, have been forced to tap the Iraqi and Gulf markets as the state expands export support programs through the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon. The Agriculture Ministry is also ready to support and help develop packaging centers, and we have already started to help agricultural cooperatives, he said, adding that many markets are open to Lebanon but high production costs hamper competitiveness. Head of IDAL Nabil Itani echoed Hajj Hasan s views, saying the authority would increase support for Valencia orange producers if export markets respond positively. We urge exporters to enter new markets, and we are ready to cooperate on all levels, he added. Meanwhile, MP Strida Geagea and Prime Minister Najib Mikati discussed ways to help apple farmers export their surplus of the fruit, a Lebanese Forces statement said Monday. The prime minister and MP Geagea agreed on the need to assist farmers in exporting their produce and [Mikati] promised he would look into the subject and make the necessary contacts with relevant Arab states on this matter, the statement added. It said the Bsharri MP spoke to Mikati in a telephone conversation to discuss recent calls by LF leader Samir Geagea over the need for the Cabinet to take the necessary steps to help farmers export their apples, given that it is the state s responsibility to assist farmers in Mount Lebanon and the north, both of which produce the highest quality of apples in Lebanon. Italy: 32.4% of farms gone in the last 10 years Date : 18 September 2012 Source : Fresh Plaza URL : Over the past decade 32.4% of the farms in Italy have disappeared, with 1.6 million survivors who cultivate 2.5% less of land, due to the decrease of utilized agricultural area at only 12,9 million hectares (43.8% of the national territory). That is what emerges from an analysis of Istat census data Istat of Italian agriculture done by Coldiretti, a growers association. As Coldiretti underlines, while there was an increase in the average company size, there is an erosion of fertile land due not only to the subtraction for industrial, residential, civil and infrastructure but also to the abandonment of marginal areas, not able to ensure sufficient income to maintain agricultural activities. This is demonstrated by the fact that over the last 20 years the forest area increased by about 20% but that owned by farms just halved. 300,000 hectares of land have been abandoned due to the effect of closing farms. 70

71 Lebanon seeks to open new markets for apple exports Date : 19 September 2012 Source : The Daily star URL : Lebanon has secured access for apple exports to the Iraqi, Libyan and Egyptian markets, officials said Tuesday, adding that clamping down on pesticide residue and quality packaging were key to opening new markets. The Agriculture Ministry is now offering free tests on chemical residue and is giving a health certificate for exporters, Minister Hussein Hajj Hasan said in a news conference. Hajj Hasan said the government was keen to tap the Libyan and Iraqi markets in addition to Egypt, which imports most of Lebanon s apple exports. Energy and Water Minister Gebran Bassil, who also spoke at the news conference, said Lebanon needed to build more water dams, adding that irrigated agricultural land had fallen from 70 percent to 50 percent. Head of the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon Nabil Itani said the quality of Lebanese products has risen sharply. Only 1 to 1.5 percent of shipped Lebanese agricultural produce is turned down and those rejected are because of cooling or packaging requirements, he said. Itani urged exporters to tap new markets, including Russia and Iraq, both of which are promising markets for Lebanese agricultural goods. Iraqi, Egyptian and Libyan officials, who also attended the meeting, vowed to step up trade ties with Lebanon. We had a spectacular success with regard to the opening of the Egyptian market to Lebanese apples and only a handful of shipments were rejected out of 2000, said Saad Sheikh, the Egyptian trade attaché in Lebanon. Ahmad Alsheikhi, who represented Libyan importers at the event, said the recent opening of a maritime trade route between the two countries was important to boosting bilateral trade. Transportation was a major barrier but we recently managed to overcome it after the direct route between Beirut and Benghazi, which has three to four trips a month, was opened, he said. Italy, first semester 2012: steady export, total value +27.1% Date : 19 September 2012 Source : Green Med URL : The final balance of the first six months of 2012 is quite positive. There has been a slight increase in the fruit and vegetables export flows against a decrease in value. The total value is of about 395 million euros,+27.1% compared to the same period From January to June, Italy has exported 1 million 970,000 tons of fruit and vegetables (+0.5%). Exports reached a value of 1 billion 824 millions of euros (-4.4%). The flows of vegetables (+0.4%), fresh fruit (+4.4%) and nuts (+4.9%) are growing; the flows of citrus are instead decreasing (-11.1%). All sections have a negative value, with the exception of the nuts that registered an increase of 21.9%. Concerning imports, Italy has imported 1 million 740,000 tons of fruit and vegetables (-3.6) for a value of 1 million 430,000 euros (-13.4%). Among the single sections, volumes are increasing only for citrus (+27.8%); as for the others, the trend is negative: vegetables (-0.1%), fresh fruit (-17.6%), nuts (-18.5%) and exotic fruit (-8.7%). Negative value too for all the sections with the exception of citrus (+21.4%). 71

72 Hunger economics: Do rising food prices mean trouble ahead? Date : 20 September 2012 Source : Egypt Independent URL : Ali Mazen, a day laborer from Fayoum, barely makes enough in Cairo to buy food for his family back home. He can t imagine how he would cope if basic food prices were to rise. The money I make now barely covers my own expenses. I wait for weeks to gather enough money to go home, he tells Egypt Independent. I don t know what to tell my children anymore. But Mazen and others like him could face a steep rise in prices if the current economic problems worsen. Economists warn that a food crisis could take place within months if several domestic and international factors don t improve significantly. Egypt is in a precarious situation, being heavily dependent on food imports. Former Agriculture Minister Amin Abaza, in a speech before the Food Security Conference in 2010, said Egypt imports 40 percent of its total food and 60 percent of its wheat. The 2012 World Bank Global Monitoring Report warned that North African and Middle Eastern countries were seriously behind on their Millennium Development Goals of providing affordable and nutritious food to the poor. People in the region remain susceptible to international food price fluctuations due to governments reliance on food imports, the report says. Progress toward halving the proportion of people who suffer from hunger is significantly lagging in the Middle East and North Africa, the bank says. In times of high food prices, the double burden of malnutrition and chronic disease increases, and obesity and undernutrition may coexist within the same household and the same person. One of the indicators of an imminent food crisis is the devaluation that seems to be in the country s near future. Having burned through its foreign reserves to keep the currency s value high at a rate that cannot be sustainable for more than a few months longer, the government has little choice but to devalue or keep racking up debt. Depreciation, most experts say, is more likely and because of higher import prices, that would probably cause inflation across the board. But the government also needs the foreign currency to purchase the country s badly needed food imports, and they are enough to last just a few months. Foreign reserves stood at US$15.1 billion in August after currency injections from neighbors Qatar and Saudi Arabia, according to the Central Bank of Egypt. With the drop in tourism and investments, the bare monthly minimum required to cover Egypt s needs are $2 billion a month, says Alexandre Starker, a governance adviser and economic consultant who specializes in Egypt. He says that if Egypt keeps spending the reserves at the current rate, consumers could wake up to skyrocketing food prices in a few months. These problems could be compounded by a shortage in US and Russian corn production; the decrease in supply within the coming months is likely to push prices for all global grains higher, including wheat of which Egypt is the world s largest importer. A planned decrease of 22 percent in energy subsidies marked in the 2012/13 budget could also raise prices of most consumer goods, including food. On a macroeconomic level, a rise in energy prices would deter foreign investments, says Starker. Further, production capacities would decrease because of factories inability to accommodate increasing costs. The consequences could be serious unemployment and possible social unrest, he says. In 1973, after the global increase in commodity prices, the subsidy system became a fixture of Egyptian policy a measure to keep social and political stability. Leaders have tried to lift it in the past, but with little success. In 1977, riots ensued after former President Anwar Sadat attempted to eliminate flour, rice and cooking oil subsidies. It is also internationally recognized that cheap bread for Egyptians means more regional stability. Saudi Arabia and Qatar contributed to Egypt s World Food Program fund this year, and the US sent food aid until It remains to be seen whether Egypt s new leaders will adhere to the same cheap-bread-no-matter-the-cost policies. Purchasing power If a food crisis does happen, it seems many consumers could end up losing doubly. Food prices will increase while their income is decreasing. According to a December 2011 report issued by the Information and Decision Support Center, Egyptians spend an average of 44 percent of their total income on food-related items. 72

73 Amid rising prices, factories could increase layoffs in an attempt to reduce expenses. Unemployment would lead to reduced income per family, further straining their ability to obtain food. In addition, data released by the Central Bank of Egypt shows that, nationwide, total savings have dropped by nearly a third since last year. Many people have essentially been dipping into their savings to make it through the past 20 months of unrest. When those savings run out, an even greater number of people will be struggling to put food on the table. The conditions are ripe for a full-on food crisis, which would be a political disaster for the current government. But if leaders remain unable to provide for the dearth of resources, the government will either have to pass on the higher prices to its citizens, or it will bear the cost itself, while risking running down its foreign reserves and worsening its own balance of payments. Hungry Yemen Some experts warn that Egypt could go the way of Yemen, which has been in the grip of a food crisis for more than two years. Yemenis also revolted against their leader last year, ending Ali Abdullah Saleh s 33-year-reign, which many said was plagued with suppression, economic turmoil, inequality and corruption. His regime left behind a population, like Egypt s, of which half lives on less than $2 a day. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the number of food-insecure Yemenis has doubled over the past two years. This translates to roughly 10 million nationals, or 44.5 percent of the population, of whom 5 million need immediate assistance. Yemen has also been in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, which approved a $370 million loan in April. But the IMF money does not guarantee relief from soaring food prices. Anti-IMF groups say the fund s economic free-market policies and ideology will breed more poverty and raise prices, as they say they did under former President Hosni Mubarak. In recent years, food price volatility has been in part attributed to food commodity speculators who bet on the price of wheat or other foodstuffs in the near future. Traders have become increasingly active and bold in recent years, speculating over the weather and crop yields. The practice is hardest on poor and developing countries that rely on a stable market price for foodstuffs. Proof is in the policies No matter what measures are taken, experts say the government will likely have to deal with increases in food prices in the coming months but how much these increases will impact the poor will depend on the competence and safety net of the government s overall economic policy. So far, it seems that President Mohamed Morsy s government still has many hungry bellies to fill before it proves itself capable of keeping food affordable. Om Shahenda, a domestic worker who lives with her three daughters, is unimpressed by the new government s actions so far to help her feed her family. Widowed and in her late 50s, she says she can no longer keep up with rising prices. At times, I have no money at all at home, she says. On a recent occasion, I had to the sell the last bag of sugar to a nearby coffee shop to afford transportation to a house I work at. She s not hopeful that leaders actions will be able to change her situation any time soon. Where is Morsy now? Collecting money from the world money that we never see, she says. Italy-Lebanon: Joint Business Council founded in Beirut Date : 20 September 2012 Source :ANSAmed URL : Beirut_ html Lebanese entrepreneurs on Thursday founded the Beirut side of the Italian-Lebanese Joint Business Council (JBC), which will favor bilateral business partnerships. 73

74 The JBC was set up in July by the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture and the Milan-Promos Chamber of Commerce, under the auspices of Italian Ambassador Giuseppe Morabito. Lebanese Industry Minister Vreij Sabounjian, who is also the owner of Vresso, a food service equipment company, as well as Mohammed Choucair, president of the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Chamber of Commerce, and Morabito were present at the meeting. The new organism will function as a permanent platform for debate, as a think tank making economic policy recommendations, and as a forum to promote business opportunities and reinforce commercial relations between Italy and Lebanon. As the second exporter to Lebanon, Italy wants to keep an even trade balance and generally stay open to that country, the ambassador said. ''I am convinced that together, Italian and Lebanese entrepreneurs can reinforce each others' presence on other markets, particularly in Africa and the Middle East'', Morabito said. Cioloş promotes ties between farmers, consumers in CAP reform Date : 20 September 2012 Source : EUractiv URL : Dacian Cioloş, EU commissioner responsible for agriculture and rural development, assured environmental groups on Wednesday (19 September) that their voices were being heard as negotiations on the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform were entering a decisive stage. At a conference at the European Parliament organised by the groups Slow Food and ARC2020, the Romanian Commissioner was presented with requests for the CAP including supports for family farms, reinvestments of public money into public goods and a rejection of food speculation. The CAP, which is the EU's largest budget programme, is currently being debated by decision-makers in Brussels, including, for the first time, the European Parliament. The conference was the first joint public event held between the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on the future CAP. Cioloş told the audience that their involvement in reforming the CAP is important, and that he from the start of the negotiations had wished a very public consultation. "The CAP reform will be a result of give and take, a compromise. We are in a very diverse society, but this compromise should not be developed behind closed doors. It should be transparent," Cioloş said. Consumers and farmers should have good relations The Commissioner stressed that it will be important to re-establish good links between farmers and the mainstream society. In the past these links were natural, but now things have changed and people living in cities have no relations to the farmers, Cioloş said. There is currently opposition between the interests of consumers and farmers, and both groups must do what they can to get these relations back, he said. "When the farmers change the farming process, they should let society know because it has an impact not only on the products, but also on the soil. We must restore the mutual confidence between farmers and the rest of society," the Commissioner said, adding that consumers actually have a lot of power when they buy food products whether they decide to go for the cheapest price or a sustainable product. 74

75 The chair of the Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, Paolo De Castro, said the CAP debate so far had been "tense". "Agricultural policies are in a very important challenge. The theme of food security has become an important priority. We need to use the resources in a very sustainable way. We have to find a balance between the economic aspects and the environment," De Castro stated. Protestors want better food from CAP reform In Brussels, farmers and consumers from more than 20 European countries took part in the final day of the Good Food March organised by a string of environmental groups to protest the current CAP proposals by the Commission. Some 100 protestors chanted "Good food, good farming" as the march ended in front of the Parliament. One of the protestors, Annemiek Schravesande, held a sign that read "No factory farms" and was dressed as the Muppet Show's Miss Piggy. "Why am I Miss Piggy? Because as a pig, I like to have a lot of space when I roll in the mud," she joked. "I want this policy to focus on environment and animal-friendly agriculture. I hope today that the politicians will listen, but I don't know if they are going to act. At this moment, the policies are more about short term interests. With the financial crisis I think it's going to be hard to get the politicians to invest in long term solutions," Schravesande told EurActiv. Adrian Bebb, a food campaigner from the NGO Friends of the Earth Europe, said the protest march delivered the message by consumers and farmers that the CAP reform is not going in the right direction. "We are still going to end up with an agriculture policy which is going to destroy nature, the environment, jobs and rural communities. We want to say to the European institutions that enough is enough," Bebb told EurActiv. "Our message is that we want good food and good farming," Bebb said. The food campaigner added that his organisation would like to see a bigger support for small farming, and that farmers should get better support for rotating their crops and for growing feed crops in the CAP reform. OECD agriculture official urges end to biofuel mandates Date : 20 September 2012 Source : EUractiv URL : Biofuel mandates like those in the European Union and Unites States should be abolished to ease pressure on food prices, a top Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development official said yesterday (19 September). Meanwhile, industrialists condemned the European Commission's proposal to limit biofuels, calling it "a masterpiece of irresponsible policymaking". Carmel Cahill, senior counsellor in the OECD s Trade and Agriculture directorate, said the demand for biofuel is a leading factor in tighter markets for the main commodity crops, including wheat and maize, which are also used to produce fuel. In the long term we think mandates are really a bad policy, Cahill told journalists, referring to both EU and US programmes aimed boosting alternatives to fossil fuels. She also said growing populations and income in emerging economies were a main factor in food price rises. The impact of biofuels on food prices, Cahill said, has been very big, because what we ve seen is that under the influence of policy-driven mandates, the demand for biofuels rose very, very fast over a relatively short period, so the supply capacities have had trouble keeping up. 75

76 The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reported that maize prices in July soared 23%, wheat was up 19% and sugar 12% compared to June. Prices were mostly unchanged in August. Commission vows 5% limits on biofuel Cahill s comments on biofuels came two days after EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard and Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger vowed to limit crop-based biofuels to 5% of total energy consumption. "It is wrong to believe that we are pushing food-based biofuels. In our upcoming proposal for new legislation, we do exactly the contrary: we limit them to the current consumption level, that is 5% up to 2020," the commissioners said in a joint statement. Europe s leading ethanol, biodiesel and farming groups called the commissioners proposal a masterpiece of irresponsible policymaking. No more than 3 years after the EU s commitment to reducing [greenhouse gas] emissions, enhancing energy independence and to create sustainable growth and jobs the Commission effectively wipes out a nascent industry that arose as a response to the European climate and energy policy, the groups said in a joint statement. The same industry that made considerable efforts to comply with the most stringent global sustainability criteria imposed upon it as a result of the biofuel policy. Farm support declining Cahill spoke in Brussels as the OECD released a report on agricultural policy. The report shows that while farm support schemes and trade barriers remain, they have been on the gradual decline in both the EU and leading farm producers since the 1980s - and especially in the past decade. In the EU, direct payments to growers account for 20% of gross farm income in 2011, well below Norway (60%), Japan (51%) and Iceland (47%), but marginally above the OECD average 19% - and is likely to to shrink with EU institutions under the gun to cut the bloc s budget. The 182 billion in support to producers in the 34 OECD countries last year was a record low. Launched in 1962, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a system of EU agricultural subsidies and programmes that marks one of the biggest single spending items for the EU. Discussions on the future CAP are on hold pending agreement on the EU s budget, known as the multi-annual financial framework or MFF. Earlier plans for spending billion on agriculture of which billion would fund direct payments to farmers under Pillar 1 of the CAP now seem uncertain. Sofoclis Aletraris, the Cypriot agriculture minister whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, says there is likely to be little headway on specifics in the CAP including proposals to make farming more environmentally friendly until the EU s long-term budget needs are decided. A lot of members of the European Parliament, or even some member states in the Council, do not want to commit themselves unless the MFF is completed, Aletraris told EurActiv in an interview. The Parliament made it quite clear that we shall not proceed and agree on anything unless we know the outcome of the MFF discussions. Algérie : la demande nationale en céréales est estimée à près de 7 millions de tonnes/an Date : 20 septembre 2012 Source :El Moudjahid URL : Dans le cadre de la politique du renouveau agricole et rural, un certain nombre de mesures ont été prises pour améliorer les capacités de production céréalière du pays et réduire, ainsi, la facture des importations alimentaires. Toutefois, la situation actuelle du marché, caractérisée par une production en baisse en Afrique du Nord et des prix mondiaux à la hausse, a renforcé la dépendance du pays à l importation de blé sur le court terme. Selon les estimations du ministère de l Agriculture, la récolte céréalière pourrait atteindre 5,8 millions de tonnes en 2012, soit plus importante par rapport la production de 2011 (4,2 millions de tonnes). En dépit de cette performance, il est attendu que l Algérie restera dépendante des importations sur le moyen terme pour pouvoir répondre à une demande nationale en céréales estimée à près de 7 millions de tonnes par an. Le rapport d Oxford Business Group souligne que la valeur des importations de céréales a enregistré une 76

77 baisse de 23% au premier semestre 2012 par rapport à la même période en 2011, passant de 1,66 milliard d euros à 1,27 milliard d euros. Sur la même période, les importations de blé ont chuté de 33% pour atteindre 1,01 milliard de dollars. L Office Algérien Interprofessionnel des Céréales (OAIC) qui a confirmé en août que la récolte de blé dur n avait pas atteint les niveaux attendus a dû aller à «l encontre de ses objectifs politiques» en achetant tonnes de blé dur, majoritairement en provenance du Canada et des USA. «Ces dernières semaines, l Algérie a également effectué d importants achats de blé meunier afin de compenser à la fois une production nationale insuffisante et une baisse mondiale des stocks de blé en 2012», note le rapport. La sévère sécheresse qu ont subi les Etats-Unis et les conditions climatiques particulièrement sèches dans d autres pays producteurs, comme la Russie, ont suscité des appréhensions quant à l importance des stocks de blé dans le monde et entraîné, par conséquent, une flambée des prix du fait que des importateurs ont eu recours à l augmentation de leurs stocks. Aussi, le 16 août, l OAIC a acheté tonnes de blé meunier à 273 euros la tonne. Il s agit là du troisième d appel d offres d envergure en l espace de trois semaines pour tirer profit d une baisse momentanée des prix mondiaux, indique le rapport. Une grande partie de ce blé devrait provenir de France, où les prévisions L office avait également acheté tonnes de blé meunier à 279 euros la tonne, ainsi que plus de tonnes la dernière semaine de juillet. Ces quantités devraient permettre à l Algérie de répondre à la de mande exprimée en blé meunier pour le mois de septembre et pendant la première moitié du mois d octobre. La céréaliculture algérienne, faut-il le souligner reste fortement corrélée à une pluviosité irrégulière et un système d irrigation peu développé d où les actions de développement de la mécanisation et d irrigation à point. Les efforts ont prouvé leur efficacité d autant plus que la production céréalière a enregistré une progression notable passant de 800 kilos par hectare dans les années /80 à environ 1800 kilos par hectare en 2012, l objectif annoncé étant d atteindre 4000 kilos par hectare. Il s agira également d étendre la surface irriguée pour la céréaliculture de 1,1 million d hectares actuellement à 1,6 million d hectares d ici Un récent rapport du Bureau national d études pour le développement rural (BNEDER) précise qu une superficie agricole de 1,2 million d hectares sera irriguée dans le cadre d un nouveau programme national d un montant de 1,48 milliard d euros. Dans le cadre du déploiement de la filière, l OAIC a acquis un total de 1250 moissonneuses-batteuses, 350 tracteurs et plus de semoirs, ce qui devrait contribuer à développer la mécanisation au niveau des petites et moyennes exploitations et, à terme, stimuler la production nationale. Spain, promotional campaign for lemons in EU and Russia? Date : 20 September 2012 Source :GreenMed URL : The professional agricultural association Asaja thinks it s fundamental that the EU and the Ministry of Spanish Agriculture cooperate in the realization of a promotional campaign for the Murcian lemon in Central Europe and Russia s markets. The general secretary of Asaja Murcia, Alfonso Gálvez (pictured), explained: Our region s lemons need a powerful promotional and marketing campaign, that could allow us to share its magnificent qualities and benefits for the health, in Central Europe and especially in the Russian market, where the use of this citrus is growing. According to Gálvez, "it s vital to increase of at least 40% the consumption of the Murcian lemon in Countries like Germany, France, UK, Holland and Belgium". The ambitious promotional campaign - that should last for at least 5 years - will allow, thanks to in-store tastings and promotions in specialized magazines and in the main European tv networks, to better place the Murcian lemon on these markets. Moreover, Asaja s manager underlined that with this campaign, we must consolidate the distribution channels of the Murcian lemon and better organize its trade in international large-retail chains. Finally, Gálvez Caravaca concluded: During a second phase we should increase the promotion of our lemons on the American market, where there are good potentialities and possibilities for this product. 77

78 La justice européenne au secours des agriculteurs grecs Date : 21 septembre 2012 Auteur : Jean-Sébastien Lefevre Source : EUractiv URL : En décembre 2011, la Commission européenne a qualifié d'aides d'etat illégales, les sommes perçues par les exploitations agricoles grecques contre les dommages résultant de mauvaises conditions climatiques en 2008 et Elle réclame depuis 425 millions d'euros. Pas la priorité Mais l'exécutif européen va devoir patienter avant de revoir éventuellement son argent. Dans une ordonnance du 20 septembre 2012, le président du Tribunal de l'union européenne "fait droit à la demande en référé présentée par la Grèce" de suspendre l'exécution de la sanction d'ici la décision finale de la cour. Athènes a en effet déposé en parallèle un recours en annulation complète de l'amende. Pour justifier son choix, la justice européenne met en avant la situation économique désastreuse du pays et le fait que la Grèce a plus important à faire pour le moment. "L'Etat [grec] entend légitimement concentrer, à court et à moyen terme, ses ressources sur l'instauration d'une administration fiscale performante capable, notamment, d'identifier et de poursuivre l'évasion fiscale". Pas d'effets Le Tribunal va même plus loin en estimant qu'aller réclamer environ 500 euros aux bénéficiaires de l'aide "nécessiterait l'intervention massive des agents" publics en raison des réticences des exploitants à payer en ces temps difficiles et cela pourrait même "déclencher des manifestations susceptibles de dégénérer en violences". "Il convient de reconnaître la priorité des intérêts invoqués par cet État membre consistant, d une part, à préserver la paix sociale et à prévenir les troubles sociaux et, d autre part, à pouvoir concentrer les capacités de son administration fiscale sur les missions qu elle considère comme primordiales pour le pays", résume le communiqué. Les chiffres avancés par la Commission sont aussi largement minimisés. Le président du tribunal écrit que l'impact financier des paiements litigieux sur la concurrence semble "substantiellement inférieur" et que leur effet n'affecte pas la concurrence. G20/Vers un G20 agricole à Rome mi-octobre autour des stocks alimentaires Date : 21 septembre 2012 Source : Romandie URL : Les ministres de l'agriculture des 20 économies les plus puissantes de la planète devraient se retrouver pour un G20 agricole mi-octobre en marge du sommet alimentaire de la FAO à Rome, selon des sources françaises vendredi. La France plaide et espère toujours la convocation du Forum de réaction rapide (FRR) instauré en 2011 par le sommet du G20 à Cannes pour coordonner la réponse internationale aux menaces de crise alimentaire, selon des sources diplomates et agricoles. "La France le souhaite" a confié une source ministérielle: "Aujourd'hui on est sur une crête mais il existe toujours une hausse des prix des céréales, même si elle est moins importante que ce qu'on pouvait craindre en août" en raison de la sécheresse sévère qui a frappé les Etats-Unis, a estimé cette source sous couvert d'anonymat. 78

79 Mais pour l'heure, il devrait "plutôt s'agir d'un G20 agricole pour profiter de la présence des ministres de l'agriculture" à Rome où ils prendront part à la Journée de l'alimentation le 16 octobre, selon la même source, estimant qu'il revient à l'organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture (FAO) de s'exprimer sur le sujet. "Mais de toutes façons il y aura des mesures à prendre en octobre", ajoute-t-elle. La France préside jusqu'au 2 octobre le Système (permanent) d'information sur les marchés agricoles (AMIS) également créé par le G20 de Cannes et à laquelle est rattaché le FRR. Les Etats-Unis prendront ensuite le relais pour une période de douze mois. L'AMIS a pour mission d'améliorer la transparence et l'information sur les marchés agricoles de quatre cultures majeures pour la sécurité alimentaire, que sont le blé, le riz, le maïs et le soja. Le FRR, plus "politique" que l'amis, se veut "un lieu de concertation", d'anticipation et de riposte aux crises et se réunit au moins une fois par an. La nécessité, a estimé une source française est la constitution de réserves stratégiques, surtout pour les pays les plus vulnérables où "les pertes de nourriture se font surtout en début de chaîne, faute de capacités de stockage adéquates", contrairement aux pays développés où le gâchis se fait plus en aval, au niveau consommateur essentiellement. Ce qu'il faut dans les pays en développement c'est développer des petites unités de stockage près des lieux de production, pour éviter ces pertes. La FAO "soutient pleinement" cette idée", avait indiqué le patron de cette agence de l'onu, José Graziano da Silva, à l'issue de son entretien lundi avec le président français François Hollande. Tunisie-Turquie : Signature d'une convention de coopération agricole Date : 21 septembre 2012 Source : Espace Manager URL : L'Agence de Promotion des Investissements Agricoles (APIA) et la Confédération des Hommes d'affaires et des Industriels de Turquie (TUSKON), ont signé, récemment, une convention visant l'impulsion de la coopération et la gestion des investissements agricoles. Dans un communiqué publié, vendredi 21 septembre, le ministère de l'agriculture, rappelle qu'au cours de la visite du ministre de l'agriculture effectuée en Turquie, du 16 au 20 septembre 2012, il a été convenu de créer un projet de partenariat entre l'office des Terres Domaniales (OTD) et un groupement turque spécialisé dans la production des semences de pommes de terre. Pour la Tunisie, ce projet vise à garantir son autosuffisance en semences de pommes de terre, pendant deux saisons. Au cours de la visite, la partie tunisienne a rencontré des investisseurs turcs spécialisés dans la production et la transformation des produits agricoles et les équipements agricoles. Les investisseurs turcs ont exprimé leur volonté d'investir en Tunisie et de participer au salon international de l'investissement Agricole et de la Technologie (SIAT) qui se tiendra du 10 au 13 octobre 2012 en Tunisie. 79

80 Ukraine's farm barons stoke fears of agriculture monopolies Date : 21 September 2012 Author : Andreas Stein and Benedikt von Imhoff Source : Europe Online Magazine URL : Ukraine s so-called "agricultural barons" want to change that and, if successful, will create a near monopoly on the country s food production. Financially-troubled Ukraine has placed big hopes on increasing income from the agricultural sector. Valued at about 13 billion dollars, the industry makes up about one-fifth of the country s exports, making it a "locomotive of the national export industry," said Oleksy Lissitya, president of the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club in Kiev. The country s agricultural conditions are excellent: some 32 million hectares of arable land are available, more than twice as much as in Germany. A large part of the land is black earth - a highly productive soil of which Ukraine possesses about a third of the entire world s supply. But Ukraine s last harvest produced only 47 million tonnes of grain, Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov said, a figure well below the German production. Ukrainian Oleg Bakhmatyuk, 37, is called the "Tsar of the Fields." The chicken baron s company, Avangard, produces six billion eggs a year, making it the second largest egg producer in the world. Bakhmatyuk s operations are set to expand by more than 25 million chickens thanks to a government loan guarantee from Germany, which will allow Avangard to build several giant poultry plants. Avangard s large-scale food production is representative of the shift taking place in Ukraine s agricultural sector. Already in some food-related industries major agro-corporations are responsible for more than 70 per cent of gross production, Lissitsya said. Bakhmatyuk leases 430,000 hectares of arable land. Together with his friend Dmitry Firtash, a magnate specialising in fertilizers and energy, Bakhmatyuk wants to control the entire food production chain, from feed production to the supermarket product. A major obstacle for corporations looking to increase their market share is that Ukrainian law says farmers may only lease arable land, not buy it. One critic of the law is Andry Verevsksy. Along with being a major player in the vegetable oil business, the 38- year-old s company, Kernal, controls the largest quantity of grain silos in country. Another baron is Yury Kossyuk, 44, a trained food processing technician, who is the undisputed market leader in poultry meats. His company, Mironovsky Khliboprodukt, processes 3.6 million chickens daily. Kossyuk and Verevsksy s modern, highly technical agroholdings threaten the traditional image of Ukrainian agriculture - the small self-sufficient family farm. The close linkage between major agro-concerns and the national government leadership is, more than anything else, an issue worrying industry experts. "Small market players can be forced out, or interfered with," said Dietrich Treis, a German working as an agricultural adviser in Kiev. In the meantime, a free trade agreement with the European Union is a top priority for Kiev. One benefit of deal is that competition with the expensive EU market would give incentives to improve production in Ukraine, said Treis. 80

81 Yet even as a return to the old ways is unlikely, the agricultural sector is not growing as fast as it could. Due to political pressure from President Viktor Yanukovych against his rival, jailed former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, Brussels has delayed ratification of a trade agreement that would give Ukrainian products wider access to EU markets. Turkey aims to be one of top 10 economies in 2023 Date : 22 September 2012 Source : The Saudi Gazette URL : Turkey is one of the fastest growing emerging markets in the world with impressive economic growth rates, expanding by 8.5 percent in 2011 ahead of IMF expectations of 7.5 percent. Over the last decade, its GDP per capital tripled, reaching $772 billion in 2011, up from $231 billion in As part of its Vision for 2023, the country aims to be one of the top 10 economies in the world, to achieve a gross domestic product of $2 trillion, increase annual Turkish exports to $500 billion and achieve a foreign trade volume of $1 trillion. Turkey is aiming high, but its goals are obtainable. The country s geographical location makes it a natural bridge between the East to West and North to South axes, providing easy - cost efficient access to businesses around the world. Its young, dynamic and growing workforce also continues to be a key contributor which, according to the 2009 World Bank numbers, is the 5th largest among the European countries. And more recently, the World Bank stamped its belief in the Vision by awarding the country with $6.5 billion of financial support, said Tim Reid, Regional Head of Commercial Banking for HSBC UAE and North Africa (MENA) during his welcome address at the HSBC MENA / Turkey Forum recently. Resulting actions have strongly attracted foreign trade to its already large domestic market. Foreign direct investment totaled $15.9 billion in 2011, up from $9 billion the year before. The MENA region now accounts for 18 percent of this. Vice versa, Turkey s exports reached $135 billion by the end of 2011 of which the MENA region now accounts for approximately a fourth. Key sectors of interest for MENA investors include tourism and energy. Turkey is currently the 6th most popular destination to visit in the world with the UAE s Jumeirah Group, the Rotana Hotels and Viceroy, as well as Saudi Arabia s My Tuana have already announced investments. Through the liberalization of its market and geographical location, Turkey is also strongly positioned as an energy transit hub. With MENA accounting for two thirds of the world s discovered crude oil reserves, Turkey is on a clear path to anchor its partnership with the region. Construction and contracting is also one of Turkey s strongest international sectors consistently exceeded annual targets over the last decade. In the MENA region, several of the large Turkish contracting companies already have extensive involvement in Libya. Aside from the UAE market, we continue to see widespread interest and activity through bids for lead positions on projects in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman. Turkey has an extremely strong long-term story, said Reid. The combination of strong fundamentals and good demographics should see Turkey maintain a very respectable pace of growth throughout the forecast horizon. Gathering business leaders, the Forum is the third leg of its series, held as part of its Global Connections campaign. Trade flows between MENA and the emerging markets is a key theme of HSBC s Global Connections story in the region. 81

82 According to the HSBC Global Research World in 2050 report, economies we currently call emerging are going to power global growth over the next four decades. As a result, in October 2011 HSBC held its first forum on discussing international trade between UAE and India. Speaking about Turkey s economic growth, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to the United Arab Emirates Vural Altay said I would like to encourage Emirati and Arab brothers and investors to further boost their engagement in the highly lucrative Turkish market. Turkey offers rich opportunities for MENA companies in the areas of agriculture and food, energy, tourism, real estate, finance, healthcare and many others. My message to the MENA business community, in particular to the UAE business community is to utilize the vast opportunities that the Turkish economy offers needless to say to the benefit of both sides. And if we can do that I am sure that our relationship and togetherness will reach higher levels, he added. Maroc - Suspension des droits de douane sur le blé tendre à partir du 1er octobre 2012 Date : 22 septembre 2012 Source : Maghreb Emergent URL : Le gouvernement marocain a adopté jeudi 20 septembre, un décret instaurant la suspension des droits de douane sur le blé tendre à partir du 1er octobre Cette décision annoncée par le Ministère de l Agriculture et de la Pêche Maritime survient après l extension de la période de collecte au mois de septembre afin de permettre aux agriculteurs d écouler leur production dans des conditions favorables. La suspension des droits de douanes sur l importation du blé tendre survient dans une conjoncture mondiale caractérisée par la flambée des cours mondiaux des céréales. Les importations de blé tendre à partir du mois prochain devront être utilisées durant les derniers mois de 2012 en grande partie pour coupage avec la production nationale et serviront à maintenir le stock en blé à un niveau confortable. En accompagnement à cette mesure, l Etat mettra en place un système de restitution forfaitaire à l importation à compter du début du mois prochain également. Cette restitution porte sur la différence entre le prix d achat du blé à l international et le prix ciblé par le gouvernement afin de maintenir le prix de la farine au même niveau. How to grow a rooftop garden and wring pollution's neck Date : 23 September 2012 Author : Louise Sarant Source : Egypt Independent URL : Egypt s capital spreads cement tentacles over what used to be extremely viable agricultural land, replacing it with rickety brick towers. North and south, east and west, as far as the eye can see, Cairo is an immensity of grey, dotted with millions of satellite dishes planted on derelict rooftops that compete for space with three-legged chairs, dust-layered plastic bags and koshary containers. But a quiet revolution is on the way to turn these derelict roofs into vegetable gardens, blooming with arugula, tomatoes, herbs and more. Osama al-beheiry, a professor at the Faculty of Agriculture at Ain Shams University, and Aurelia Weintz from Nawaya, a social enterprise focused on providing a platform for agriculture extension and community, are both specialists on and developers of rooftop gardens. 82

83 They believe that rooftop gardening and small-scale agriculture is the best way for Cairo to keep from drowning in pollution, while cooling off buildings and providing a secondary source of revenue for families and an input of healthy organic vegetables. Both specialists explain to Egypt Independent how to start a rooftop garden, step by step. No matter how large the rooftop or the balcony, both experts recommend starting small and gradually expanding, based on the gardener s experience. You can grow vegetables on one square meter only, explains Beheiry, who has launched an awareness campaign funded by the government to develop micro gardens on the rooftops of 75 schools. No matter how big your rooftop is, make sure that the garden won t cover over 60 percent of the space, in order to be able to nurture your plants comfortably, he recommends. To grow leafy crops, you need a container 10 centimeters deep. For tomatoes and cantaloupes, the container should be around 25 centimeters deep. Just like Beheiry, Weintz is convinced that the best way to do it is to start small. Get 10 containers and start experimenting, and in all cases, keep in mind that this garden should be a source of joy, not worry, she says. Containers for this type of micro garden can range from plastic bags, plastic bottles, crates, buckets, barrels, tires and clay pots. One can order clay pots from any plant nursery in Cairo and sustain the local economy, according to Weintz. These nurseries are also the best location to purchase seedlings of whatever plant you want to grow. For those who are tempted to start from scratch with seeds, they can be found in the neighborhood called Bab al- Khalq, squeezed between Al-Azhar Park and Darb al-ahmar. You can find all sorts of seeds there, from flowers to vegetables, but those are all imported from Europe, says Beheiry. As Weintz points out, it is almost impossible to find organic seeds native to Egypt on the domestic market. A native seed or plant is one that has been growing in a specific place for a very long time and that has not been brought from abroad. As such, it has the capacity to withhold the particular environment s traits, be it soil, temperature, or even pests. Because of industrialized agriculture and its monoculture, seeds have become standardized, and native seeds, which don t produce the perfect looking fruit or vegetable like the standardized seed, are gradually disappearing, Weintz explains. The imported seeds that flood the market are foreign to their new environment and thus weaker, that s the reason why they need to be sprayed with pesticides and fertilizers to survive and grow. Native seeds, which are almost impossible to purchase because of their rarity, can still be found in remote farms where the farmers have continued growing the same seeds for generations. But these farmers do not realize how precious these seeds are, unfortunately, says Weintz. Bab al-khalq, apart from Dutch, German and French seeds, also sells garden tools like spades, hand forks, trowels, hoses, and watering cans, drip irrigation systems, and small water pumps, according to Beheiry. This is also where one can find peat moss, an accumulation of partially decayed mosses that grow in wet places. Peat moss, sold LE180 for 100 kilograms in Bab al-khalq, is a fundamental component of rooftop gardening. It has the ability to retain moisture in the soil when it is dry and prevent excess water from killing roots when it is wet. When mixed with sand, it makes good soil for potted plants and vegetables, although it cannot replace the quality, efficiency or sustainability of homemade compost, according to Aurelia. I admit that making compost rather than buying ready-to-use soil and nutrients can be a bit of a burden, she says, but what is amazing about compost is that it provides good-quality soil, as well as a natural fertilizer. The normal decomposition process to make compost usually takes about a month. When compost is ready, it has to be mixed with sand and a bit of the old soil to lower the presence of nitrogen. There is also another type of compost that is handier for rooftop gardens (as it does not exhale unpleasant scents) called the Bokashi bin. This Japanese fermentation technique uses a mixture of bacteria, fungi and yeast to safely compost the kitchen food scraps including meat, fish and vegetable waste. 83

84 Some vegetables are easier to grow and nurture than others. Leafy crops like lettuce, arugula and spinach are the easiest crops for beginners. Experts say they are very easy to handle and grow in large amounts. According to Beheiry, A single square meter of lettuce can produce up to a hundred bunches in three weeks. What s also important to keep in mind is that these are the crops that suffer the most from the abuse of fertilizers like pesticides and fungicides, so growing them at home makes them safer to eat. For plants that require a bit more experience and a green thumb, like the tomato, Aurelia recommends buying tomato seedlings first, and then collecting their seeds to try growing them from scratch. Tending to a rooftop or balcony garden is not very time consuming, but nurturing should be done daily. You need to work in your garden 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening, and always water your plants at night so the pots can retain the humidity for longer. Weintz insists on using a mulch such as rice straw to line the tops of the containers and provide a very efficient barrier to evaporation. Many farms want to get rid of their rice straw, so you can buy it very cheap and contribute to a healthy environment. Indeed, every year in the fall, Egyptian farmers burn rice straw and create a huge cloud of pollution that hovers over Cairo for weeks. If these gardens multiply enough, as the trend indicates, they will bring about many benefits for city dwellers. The plants absorb carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and create oxygen. According to Beheiry, one and a half square meters of uncut grass provides enough oxygen for a human for a year. He adds that a rooftop garden cuts down on electricity bills by cooling the building through providing shade and natural insulation, which reduces the use of air conditioners. In order to train budding gardeners, Weintz s NGO, Nawaya, organizes the Easy Urban Kitchen Garden Workshop to learn the basics of how to become an urban farmer and set up an edible rooftop garden. The team shows how to retrofit an existing rooftop design, set up a barrel garden and make compost in urban areas. They plan to hold another workshop on the subject as soon as a suitable rooftop is found. South Africa seeks better access to EU for agriculture Date : 23 September 2012 Source : The Sunday Times URL : South Africa is unlikely to sign an economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the European Union, the country's main trading partner, unless market access for agricultural products is significantly increased. Under the existing trade and development corporation agreement (TDCA), about 95% of agricultural exports from the EU enter SA duty free, while only about 70% of SA's shipments to the EU enjoy the same duty-free market access, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said. Overall, SA enjoys 95% duty- and quota-free access to the EU. "We need to secure some material benefit to South African businesses over what we have now," Davies said. SA is negotiating the agreement as one grouping of Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, and a common trade agreement is seen as important for regional integration. While SA has increased its focus on building relations with other developing countries, particularly China, the EU remains its biggest trading partner, with 26% of exports going to the EU. SA's economic fortunes remain closely tied with those of the EU. A recent study by the Industrial Development Corporation found a 5% increase in exports to the EU correlates with jobs increasing by Davies said the EU is demanding further market access despite SA's "significant concessions" on geographical indications, the names used on certain products that originate in specific geographical locations. Products can, for example, only be labelled champagne if produced in France. 84

85 While SA already has rules in place over the labelling of certain wines and spirits, it is offering to impose similar rules on 250 products in total, including cheeses, speciality beers and certain meat products, said Xavier Carim, deputy director-general of international trade and economic development. The offer will not affect existing registered trademarks, he said. A deepening of the trade agreement could potentially add many jobs to the local economy. Because SA already benefits from the TDCA, it does not have the same incentive to sign the EPA as countries like Botswana and Namibia, which require the new deal in order to continue shipping products to the EU on favourable terms. This has hampered negotiations, an EU official said this week. Jill Atwood-Palm, general manager of the SA Fruit and Vegetable Canners' Export Council, said more favourable access to the EU market can increase jobs in rural areas. Currently about 85% of all canned fruit production is exported, with half going to the EU. However, exports attract duties of up to 20%, while EU shipments of canned fruit and vegetables enter SA duty free, she said. "A competitor like Chile enjoys duty- and quota-free access to the EU. We want a level playing field," she said. The duty-free access to EU imports, coupled with the relatively strong rand, has led to an increase in imports to SA, eroding the market share of local producers, she said. Davies said while negotiations have been dragging on for several years a deal is still likely. "There's more flexibility on the side of the EU on some of these demands, which were put initially in an extremely rigid and unbending way. That represents progress, which will carry over and benefit whatever outcome we have, whether we're in or out of the EPA process as SA," he said. Malta Enterprise delegations to explore business prospects in Tunisia and Algeria Date : 23 September 2012 Source : The Malta Independent URL : Malta Enterprise is currently receiving applications from enterprises interested in forming part of two separate business delegations that shall be visiting Tunisia and Algeria back to back between 28 November and 5 December, with the scope of exploring business opportunities and strengthening commercial ties with the two neighbouring countries. The business delegation to Tunisia follows up on the most recent Session of the Maltese-Tunisian Joint Commission which was held in Tunis in the first week of September, when the two sides amongst others reiterated their commitment to intensify trade relations, encourage partnerships and investments, and to extend their support to SMEs. Both Malta and Tunisia agreed that trade exchanges and investment opportunities remain below the real potential offered in their respective markets and thus agreed on a range of initiatives to boost business between the two countries, among which is the organisation of the business delegation to Tunis between November 28 and December 1, The business delegation shall be the fourth to visit Tunisia since the Arab Spring, which led to radical changes in the country and its business environment. Tunisia s diverse economy comprises of not only traditional sectors such as agriculture, mining, manufacturing, petroleum products and tourism, but also relatively new sectors such as ICT which played a crucial role in the revolution. During the business delegation, participants will have the opportunity to participate in the Business and Technology Convention being organised by the Tunisian Agency for the Promotion of Industry and Innovation 85

86 APII and which shall be focusing on a number of sectors including automotives, electrical and electronics, ICT, mechanical engineering, aeronautics, pharmaceuticals, plastics and agro-food. The Convention will provide an opportunity for networking and establishing of contacts with Tunisian companies. While in Tunis, Malta Enterprise is also envisaged to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the APII with a view to stepping up cooperation between the two organisations and initiating an exchange programme of expertise and good practices in the promotion and development of SMEs and innovation. Malta Enterprise will then proceed straight to Algeria with the second business delegation, which shall be held between December 1 and 5, 2012 and which shall also comprise business fora, one-to-one meetings and networking events. Algeria s territory, which is the largest in Africa and the tenth largest in the world, is rich in natural resources such as oil and gas, which account for around 90% of its exports and 30% of its GDP. The country is however seeking to diversify its economy particularly through the attraction of foreign and domestic investment to reduce its dependency on this industry. Despite the proximity with both countries, Malta s trade flows with Tunisia and Algeria are relatively on the low side and there is room for further growth. In the past year, Malta exported 22.3 million worth of goods to Tunisia - mostly mineral fuels and oils or their products, ships and floating structures, and plastics or articles thereof - while on the other hand it imported a wide range of goods with a global value of 1.9 million. During the same period, trade with Algeria was even lower, with Malta importing 3.6 million worth of goods, which were almost entirely made up of mineral fuels and oils, and exporting a mere 0.4 million worth of goods to the country. Businesses may participate in either one of the business delegations, or both. Malta Enterprise shall assist the business delegation participants in the setting up of meetings through its contacts with business support organisations in both countries. A representative of each participating business may also benefit from financial support to cover part of the travel costs and a per diem allowance. The business delegations are being organised with the support of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, the General Retailers and Traders Union, and the Gozo Business Chamber. G20: la Russie veut une doctrine de sécurité alimentaire globale Date : 22 septembre 2012 Source : Romandie URL : La Russie proposera aux pays du G20 de mettre en place une doctrine de sécurité alimentaire globale, a déclaré samedi à Sotchi le vice-ministre russe de l'agriculture Ilya Chestakov. "Notre ministère envisage de proposer à nos collègues d'élaborer une doctrine commune de sécurité alimentaire globale", a fait savoir M.Chestakov. Selon lui, la Russie compte présenter cette initiative dans le cadre du premier Forum de réaction rapide (FRR) des pays membres du G20 prévu en octobre prochain et destiné à coordonner la réponse internationale aux menaces de crise alimentaire. L'idée de convoquer un tel forum a été avancée en 2011 par le sommet du G20 à Cannes. Toujours d'après le vice-ministre russe, la doctrine en question devrait établir les priorités, refléter les risques et définir les mécanismes de réaction, comme par exemple la mise en place d'une réserve internationale de céréales. 86

87 Une reconstitution des stocks de blé qui coûtera cher à l Algérie Date : 23 septembre 2012 Source :El Watan URL : L Algérie devrait encore, cette année, rester largement dépendante des marchés internationaux pour son approvisionnement en blé. Malgré les chiffres plutôt optimistes affichés par le centre de l informatique et des statistiques relevant des douanes algériennes, les perspectives semblent s assombrir. La valeur des importations de céréales a enregistré une baisse de 23% au premier semestre 2012 par rapport à la même période en 2011, passant de 1,66 milliard d euros à 1,27 milliard d euros. Sur la même période, les importations de blé ont chuté de 33% pour atteindre 1,01 milliard de dollars. Cependant, l Office algérien interprofessionnel des céréales OAIC, a récemment dû revoir ses objectifs politiques et reconstituer ses stocks dans la mesure où les récoltes attendues ainsi que les réserves actuelles ne suffiraient pas à couvrir la demande jusqu à la fin de l année, comme cela avait été prévu. Le fait est que la canicule et les incendies ayant émaillé l été 2012 ont poussé le ministère de l Agriculture et du développement rural à revoir ses prévisions de récoltes de 58 à 56 millions de quintaux. Du coup, l Office s est vu obligé de réviser sa copie et d annoncer que les importations en blé tendre allaient se poursuivre en 2012 pour faire face à la demande nationale estimée à 70 millions de quintaux. Selon les chiffres du cabinet de consulting britannique Oxford Business Group, la demande en blé meunier est estimée à elle seule à tonnes par mois. Le ministre Benaïssa a d ailleurs adressé des griefs à l OAIC auquel il reproche la précipitation dans la fixation des objectifs annuels de couverture de la demande interne du marché en blé. Chose qui pourrait d ailleurs expliquer le récent limogeage du premier responsable de l office, Nourredine Kehal. En attendant, l OAIC doit reconstituer ses stocks, chose qui lui coûtera très cher dans la mesure où les prix du blé ont flambé entre-temps et l offre sur le marché mondial risque de ne pas être suffisante pour satisfaire la demande du fait de la sécheresse qui frappe actuellement l Amérique du Nord et la Russie. d après le dernier rapport mensuel du département américain de l Agriculture (USDA), publié le 12 septembre, les prévisions pour la production mondiale de blé pour sont réduites de 4,1 millions de tonnes par rapport aux précédentes, à 658,73 millions de tonnes. La fièvre a vite fait de s emparer des marchés puisque le boisseau de blé a clôturé en nette hausse vendredi, à 9,3650 dollars avant de redescendre à 8,9325 dollars à la fin de la semaine dernière. Néanmoins, les courtiers continuent à s inquiéter d une éventuelle limitation par le gouvernement russe des exportations de blé. C est dire que la reconstitution des stocks pèserait lourdement sur la facture alimentaire de l Algérie. D ailleurs, le rapport d Oxford Business group rappelle que l OAIC a lancé plusieurs appels d offres dès le mois d août pour l achat de blé meunier. En trois semaines, il a lancé 3 appels d offres. Le 13 août, il acheté tonnes de blé dur à 329 euros la tonne, majoritairement en provenance du Canada et des USA. Le 16 août, l OAIC a acheté tonnes de blé meunier à 273 euros la tonne. L office des céréales a également acheté tonnes de blé meunier à 279 euros la tonne, ainsi que plus de tonnes la dernière semaine de juillet. La majorité des livraisons devraient parvenir de France, principal pourvoyeur de l Algérie en céréales. Ces dernières devraient permettre à l OAIC de couvrir la demande au mois de septembre et pendant la première moitié du mois d octobre. Algérie - L aquaculture booste le secteur de la pêche à Aïn Temouchent Date : 23 septembre 2012 Source : Maghreb Emergent URL : Avec l entrée en production, début juin, de la ferme aquacole "Aquasol" de Sbiaât, dans la commune de M said, la wilaya d Aïn Temouchent a amorcé une nouvelle étape de développement du secteur de la pêche et de l aquaculture. 87

88 Avec une capacité de production théorique de tonnes/an de soles et quatre millions d alevins, cette ferme contribuera à l augmentation sensible de la production des ressources halieutiques ayant atteint quelque tonnes en 2011, a-t-on souligné à la direction de la pêche et de l aquaculture. Cette production sera davantage renforcée avec la réception prochaine de la deuxième ferme aquacole dénommée "Aqua-Tafna" à Rachegoune dans la daïra de Oulhaça, d une capacité de 600 tonnes/an de loups de mer et dorades royales, a-t-on ajouté. A l arrêt pour un problème de financement, cette dernière a enregistré, cette semaine, la reprise des travaux de réalisation à la suite du déblocage d une rallonge financière, a-t-on précisé de même source. Les quelque 400 embarcations en exploitation actuellement au niveau de la wilaya, ont enregistré, en 2010, une production de tonnes de poissons contre tonnes en 2009 et tonnes en Cette régression est due à plusieurs facteurs dont les mauvaises conditions climatiques et la période l Aid El Adha où la consommation de poissons est réduite (2 à 3 semaines), nonobstant l utilisation d explosifs, de filets de pêche non réglementaire et le non respect de la période de repos biologique, a-t-on soulevé. Cela contribue à la raréfaction de la ressource halieutique, d où son prix élevé au niveau des marchés, a-t-on encore souligné ajoutant que d autres causes sont liés aux difficultés d acquisition de pièces détachées pour les propriétaires d embarcations en panne. Il faut remonter à l année 2007 où la production de poissons à Ain Temouchent a été la plus élevée, soit tonnes. En 2006, la wilaya avait produit une quantité de tonnes, a-t-on rappelé. Avec la raréfaction de la sardine, principalement, dans cette production, cette baisse de production était inéluctable, a-t-on signalé. La direction du secteur enregistrera, par ailleurs, l entrée en exploitation de des bassins agricoles ensemencés. Entamée en 2009 avec la contribution de la direction des services agricoles, cette opération qui a commencé à donner ses fruits, sera généralisée à l ensemble des bassins d irrigation agricole de la wilaya. La wilaya d Aïn Témouchent renferme 623 bassins d irrigation agricole totalisant un volume de mètres cubes d eau. Ce potentiel contribuera, également, au développement de la production halieutique dans la wilaya, a-t-on prévu. L action d ensemencement concernera tous les plans d eau de la wilaya d Ain Temouchent, retenues collinaires et barrages entre autres, où de nouvelles espèces de poissons d eau douce adaptables aux conditions climatiques de la région seront introduites. Il s agit notamment de la Carpe, la Sandre et le Mulet qui s ajouteront au Tilapia, a-t-on cité entre autres. Jobs scarce, more Italians volunteering on organic farms Date : 24 September 2012 Source :Public Radio International URL : Italy's unemployment rate is more than 10 percent, but among the young, it's vastly worse. Perhaps 35 percent, or worse. So a growing number of young Italians, and a few others who are out-of-work, are turning to the country's organic farms, where they can learn a skill, and keep a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs. The air is thick with the scent of ripening almonds At the Dulcamara cooperative farm in Emilia-Romagna, in northern Italy. In an open meadow with soccer goals at each end, farmers are busy feeding sheep, chickens and three boars, their bellies nearly dragging on the ground as they run toward a fresh helping of slop. 88

89 You couldn t pay some people to do this dirty job. But the six workers here at this farm aren t paid at all. They re volunteers with WWOOF or World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, a non-profit network that s spread to more than 50 countries in its 40 years of existence, said Bridget Matthews, the WWOOF coordinator for Italy. The idea is to help organic farmers," she said. "Organic farming is very labor intensive. Most of our farmers don t have any money and they couldn t afford to pay someone. The idea is they teach you about organic farming and you help out in exchange for food and lodging. WWOOF has given a boost to Italy s 3 billion organic-food industry, which has tripled in size in the past decade. The euro crisis, and Europe s rising unemployment rates, are also fueling WWOOF s growth. Since 2008, participation in Italy has nearly doubled, from 2,200 to 4,300 volunteers. Growing numbers of people have left their homes and taken up migrant farming because they have nowhere else to go. Giuseppina, who asked not to be identified by her last name, lost her job three years ago as a parking garage manager in Piedmont. She s been "WWOOFing" full-time as a farm cook ever since. At 52, she says she doesn t have many other options. People of my age have difficulties finding a job in Italy, especially women, she said. It s less of a job market for women. The job market s not good for young people, either. Aaron Martin, 25, is from Florence. He s planting broccoli at the farm because he couldn t find a job, despite earning an economics degree in February. This degree is useless. Then you need a master s, and then they ask you for five years experience before you can work, he said. Italy s jobless rate is 10.7 percent, according to the EU. For people under 25 it s more like 35 percent. You cannot solve the problem you have created in 40 years just in 10 months, said Michel Martone, Italy s deputy labor minister. Since taking power a year ago, his government has introduced sweeping reform measures to save the economy from collapse, including tax breaks for companies that hire young people. We have to do more, and we can do more, Martone said. We have to say the truth, which is it s not going to be easy, but there will be a solution and we are on the right way to achieve it. In the meantime, Aaron and Giuseppina are toughing it out on farms planting broccoli, feeding sheep and pouring pig slop. It s not such hardship, though. Both say they ve learned to love it, and they don t plan to give up this Arcadian way of life anytime soon. If fact, Giuseppina says someday, she d like to run her own small farm. I m very happy. I would suggest this experience to all people who lose their job, she said. All it is about is to enjoy nature touch it, smell it, feel it, cook in it. In other words, she s found something more meaningful than a paycheck, at least for the moment. FAO GIEWS Country Brief on Syrian Arab Republic Date : 24 September 2012 Source : FAO GIEWS URL : Poor crop harvest in 2012 A combination of drought conditions, insecurity and rising input and fuel prices has jeopardised prospects for the 2012 winter cereal crops. Insufficient rains affected major rainfed crops in Al Hasakah and Al Raqqah in the north and northeast while insufficient input supply and high labour costs affected agricultural activities. The civil insecurity that prevailed in most parts of the country prevented many farmers from accessing their farmland during important stages of crop development and harvest. In addition, lack of fuel to operate irrigation pumps and other equipment, as well as shortage of harvesters resulted in large unharvested croplands. The last forecast from an Agriculture Ministry official in May 2012 put wheat production at an above average 3.7 million tonnes and barley at tonnes. However, current estimates indicate a well below-average cereal harvest in 2012 following the escalation of civil unrest and conflict that is hampering normal agricultural activities. Cereal import requirements expected to increase in current 2012/13 marketing year 89

90 The Syrian Arab Republic normally relies heavily on food imports amounting to almost half of the total domestic utilization. In 2012, given the poor outlook for domestic cereal production, the cereal import requirement - mainly wheat for food use and maize and barley for feed - in marketing year 2012/13 (July/June) may reach more than 5 million tonnes, almost two million tonnes more than the previous year. Food price inflation soars to record levels since end-2011 According to data from the Syrian Central Bureau of Statistics, the country s year-on-year inflation rate stood at 36.1 percent in July 2012, mainly driven by sharp increases in food prices and by fuel shortages that are impacting on transportation costs. The annual food inflation reached almost 32 percent in July 2012, a slight ease from the peak in May Prices of bread and cereals, major staples in the local diet increased sharply with a year-on-year inflation rate of about 34 percent in July The total unemployment rate in the Syrian Arab Republic has increased from about 12 percent to 25 percent, and a large share of population is displaced. High unemployment levels coupled with high inflation rates seriously impacted the purchasing power of the population. Civil unrest aggravates food insecurity Continued civil unrest since mid-march 2011 has raised serious concern over the state of food security, particularly for vulnerable groups. Following the unrest, the economy in 2011 contracted by 3.4 percent. For 2012 the government expects a growth between 0 and 2 percent, while external sources expect a large contraction of over 8 percent. The economy continues to be under pressure from international sanctions which include an embargo on oil exports as well as restrictions on international trade, investment and financial transactions. Imports of agricultural commodities to the Syrian Arab Republic are affected by inability to finance imports as a result of restrictions. The Government s fiscal capacity to support producer and consumer subsidy schemes has come under severe strain following the economic downturn and the international sanctions. Urgent humanitarian assistance needed to 1.5 million people The Joint Rapid Food Security Needs Assessment (JRFSNA) in the Syrian Arab Republic conducted in June has raised a serious concern over the state of the food security situation, particularly for vulnerable groups. The number of people in need of urgent food assistance has increased to 1.5 million (from an estimated one million last March) over the next three months alone. In the next 6 months this figure is estimated to double if current situations do not improve. The WFP assistance reached people in July 2012, up from in March. Additional assistance is provided to Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq. A revised Emergency Operation (EMOP) has been approved by WFP and FAO on 31 July 2012 to provide additional tonnes of food (a total of tonnes) to vulnerable people to the end of No to cuts in cohesion funds, Malta proposes revision of EU s agriculture spend Date : 24 September 2012 Source : Malta Today URL : Malta is reiterating its opposition to the introduction of explicit references to further cuts in EU cohesion funds, joining the member states of the Friends of Cohesion Group in saying cuts would be a step in the wrong direction. Foreign minister Tonio Borg said Malta reiterated the importance of recognising the needs of single region member states, who have only benefitted from one full convergence programming period in the box when it comes to regional safety nets which the Commission has proposed. 90

91 Borg also made reference to the special needs of single region island member states, and called for a reform in the allocation of Common Agriculture Programme spending. During the meeting, ministers continued ongoing discussions on the EU's budget. Ministers also reflected on lessons learnt from the 2012 European Semester monitoring exercise on the basis of a note from the Presidency. The European Semester involves the monitoring of economic, fiscal, employment and social policies during a six-month period every year. The goal of the discussion was to discuss the implementation of the first European Semester which took place in Possible improvements will also be discussed at the next Economic and Financial Affairs (ECOFIN) Council meeting and Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO) Council meeting, both in October. 105 millions d'habitants en Egypte en 2030 Date : 25 septembre 2012 Source : Econostrum URL : En vingt ans, la population égyptienne va augmenter de 33,4 % et passer à 105 millions, selon une étude prospective du cabinet Euromonitor. D après les experts de l ONU, la population égyptienne dépassera même les 100 millions en 2026 et pourrait atteindre les 123 millions en Dans le détail, toutes les classes d âge progresseront d ici 2030, à l exception des ans. L évolution la plus spectaculaire concernera les plus de 65 ans qui verront leur nombre croitre de 170 % (+ 152 % pour les plus de 80 ans). Mais les plus nombreux resteront les moins de 20 ans avec 42,3 % de la population du pays. Les principaux indicateurs poursuivront leur dynamique actuelle. L espérance de vie, 70 ans aujourd hui, continuera de progresser et gagnera quatre ans. Le taux de naissance, 28,9 actuellement, diminuera à 20,4 tandis que le nombre d enfants par femme passera de 2,8 à 2,2. Lire le rapport sur la situation démographique de l Égypte en 2030 ainsi que celui, paru en juillet, sur la situation démographique de la Turquie en 2030 (en anglais). Algérie : hectares de céréales irrigués en appoint d ici à 2014 Date : 25 septembre 2012 Source : Maghreb Emergent URL : Un objectif de hectares de céréales irrigués en appoint a été fixé au secteur agricole pour l échéance 2014, a affirmé dimanche à Aïn Temouchent, Kelkouli Omar, consultant superviseur général au ministère de l Agriculture et du développement rural (MADR). Cet objectif vise, a-t-il précisé en marge d un atelier régional sur le développement de l irrigation céréalière, à assurer au pays la sécurisation de sa production céréalière. Après les premiers essais d irrigation en , l Algérie a compté, à la fin de la campagne écoulée, une superficie irriguée de l ordre de hectares, a indiqué M. Kelkouli, estimant que cette superficie peut 91

92 facilement atteindre les ha en 2013 "pour peu que l ensemble des intervenants s impliquent dans ce processus vital". Il s agit, notamment, des Directions des services agricoles, de l OAIC, de la BADR et des autorités locales, qui doivent, selon lui, "impérativement aider les fellahs à irriguer leurs parcelles et ne pas attendre la pluie". Une instruction ministérielle, en cours d élaboration, déterminera les champs d application et les attributions des différentes parties. Une terre irriguée en appoint peut facilement donner un rendement de plus de 55 qx à l hectare, a-t-on signalé. Cet atelier qui se tient, dans ce cadre, vise l organisation d un cadre pour mener à bien cette opération, a estimé, pour sa part, Kious Larbi, chargé du programme d irrigation des céréales et de l économie de l eau au ministère de l Agriculture et du développement rural. Regroupant les chefs de services concernés de 13 wilayas de l Ouest et de Bechar, cet atelier a évalué le programme d irrigation céréalière, avant de se pencher sur l extension de la superficie irriguée et des équipements nécessaires à cette mission. L exploitation impérative de toute ressource hydrique située au niveau des terres ou à proximité a été également soulignée. Le déclenchement de l irrigation par aspersion dès l apparition des premières sécheresses, devra s effectuer immédiatement, a-t-on encore indiqué. Il est à signaler que des rencontres similaires sont programmées par la Direction du développement agricole en zones arides et semi arides du ministère, lundi à Guelma pour les wilayas de l est, et mardi à Alger pour celles du centre. Quest for authentic solidarity Date : 25 September 2012 Author : Salvino Busuttil Source : Times of Malta URL : Fifty years ago, high-ranking offi-cials from seven Me-d-iterranean count-ries gathered in Paris to follow up an initiative launched by the OECD and the Council of Europe to set up an inter-governmental organisation devoted to training, research and development in agricultural and related fields in the Mediterranean basin. Named the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (now known through its French acronym, Ciheam), the new entity grew over the years to embrace six other Mediterranean states, its present membership extending to Albania, Algeria, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey. The former republic of Yugoslavia was also a founder member. Pursuing its main vocation in postgraduate training, networking in research and facilitating regional development, Ciheam has established itself as a leading instrument for all areas of Mediterranean agriculture, food security and sustainable rural growth. In recent years, it has also devoted its endeavours to aquaculture and to the training of executives and high-level personnel hailing from a wide array of non-mediterranean countries, such as Iran and Iraq, while assisting, at the behest of its Government, the rural rebuilding of post civil war Lebanon. Ciheam was also instrumental in having the Mediterranean Diet (understood in its wider context as a way of life) inscrib-ed in Unesco s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Four University-level institutes, in Greece, Spain, France and Italy, impart specialised tuition to several hundred students from Mediterranean countries and beyond, including Africa, Asia and Latin America. Each institute awards a diploma or Master s degree as well as giving ad hoc Ph.D. preparation. While all the four institutes offer a normal curriculum in agricultural studies, yet, each one characterises its work in a given area so that the Greek one (in Chania,on the island of Crete) is a leader in the use of medicinal and 92

93 alimentary herbs, the French one (in Montpellier) excels in agricultural economics, the Spanish athenaeum (in Saragossa) pursues dairying, husbandry and aquacultural research, and the Italian academy (near Bari) is the recognised reference authority for water and irrigation innovation. Of all the institutes, the Bari one has succeeded intransforming itself as the conduit for official state assistance, in agricultural affairs, to Mediterranean countries, even to those not forming part of Ciheam. Until the current crisis, Syria benefitted from the institute s expertise. Acting as Malta s main adviser in our country s entry negotiations with the European Union concerning the agricultural chapter, the Bari academy assisted Malta in a number of concrete projects, notably Magħtab, Chadwick Lakes, the viticulture laboratory, the plant centre in Balzan and also through a major report on water conservation, production and distribution throughout Malta and Gozo. Two years ago, specialists from Bari conducted a seminar in Malta on practical ways to control the red weevil disease plaguing our palms. Perhaps Ciheam s lasting contribution to Malta is the number of Maltese students who received scholarships from the organisation to follow postgraduate training in the different institutes, some becoming high-level government officials, others gaining senior post in the EU with others joining the private sector. Apart from accepting Maltese citizens for long-term graduate training, the institutes have opened their doors to Maltese students and officials for short-term seminars in a wide spectrum of subjects, from rabbit-rearing to manure exploitation. Over the years, Ciheam cooperated with the University of Malta, bolstering its Institute for Agriculture whose then director, George Attard, served on Ciheam s scientific advisory council. Plans are in the pipeline to strengthen this promising partnership with the University s Institute of Earth Systems. During my first year as president of Ciheam, it became possible to have a first meeting of Ministers of Agriculture from the member states, Rome welcoming us warmly for the first such conference in1999. Since then, the biannual gatherings have been held in most states. At the last one, which convened in Istanbul two years ago, the Maltese Minister for Resources and Rural Affairs, George Pullicino, invited his counterparts to come to Malta this year for the ninth conference and to celebrate Ciheam s Golden Jubilee, which will be celebrated through a festive event in St George s Square, Valletta, on the opening night of the conference tomorrow Themed on food security and food pricing in their Mediterranean setting, the conference will be preceded by a seminar, open to interested persons which, like the conference, will be held at the Corinthia St George s Bay. That seminar will examine closely the issues raised by price volatility and a rising demand for cereals, a problem highlighted by the roots of the Arab Spring. During Ciheam s 40th anni-versary, in June 2002, Romano Prodi, then president of the European Commission, welcomed me and my collea-gues in Brussels for our ruby celebration. Ten years later, Malta now integrated in the EU, Ciheam rejoices in its own golden epiphany here, trusting in developing further, possibly through a really active Union for the Mediterranean, a veritable Euro-Mediterranean partnership in a spirit of equal cooperation and hoping that, in its own small way, it can continue to contribute to the emerging socio-political and socio-economic scenarios, thus strengthening authentic solidarity between the peoples of the Mediterranean. The author is Malta delegate to the Ciheam governing board and was president of Ciheam Jordan :Talks under way with Iraq to serve as export gateway Date : 25 September 2012 Source : Jordan Times URL : The Ministry of Agriculture is communicating with its Iraqi counterpart to secure the transit of local agricultural produce via Iraq to Turkey and Europe, a government official said on Monday. The move seeks to open new portals for exporting the Kingdom's fruits and vegetables to east European countries as the Syria route remains suspended due to the crisis and the unstable security conditions in the 93

94 country, Agriculture Ministry Spokesperson Nimer Haddadin told The Jordan Times. n"the ministry is exerting all efforts to avoid an expected market glut during the agricultural season. We are trying to open new export gateways and facilitate marketing of local produce," Haddadin said. Officials at the ministry are coordinating with Iraqi officials to activate the transit agreement between Amman and Baghdad and facilitate the export of local produce via Iraq to Turkey and Europe, he underscored. Syria is Jordan's main gateway for exporting fruits and vegetables to Turkey and Europe, but all exports came to a complete halt in July due to the crisis in Syria. According to agriculture ministry figures, in normal circumstances Jordan exports 180,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables to Syria, at a value of around JD40 million annually. Overland cargo movement between Jordan and Syria, however, has reached "zero", with barely a single truck leaving Jordan for Syria or vice versa due to the escalating violence. Between 300 and 400 freight trucks used to enter the Kingdom through Syria on a daily basis, according to official figures. "The ministry is also coordinating with Royal Jordanian to start exporting local produce to Europe by air, especially since Jordanian fruits and vegetables are sought after in international markets," Haddadin noted. Maroc : La filière céréalière fait chuter la production agricole Date : 25 September 2012 Source : Oxford Business Group URL : Espérant optimiser le rendement de la récolte céréalière nationale 2011/12, le Maroc a décidé de reporter son projet de recourir massivement aux importations de blé tendre. Le prolongement de la période de collecte des récoltes, et les mesures prises par le gouvernement pour soutenir les prix payés aux producteurs locaux sont deux éléments clés de la stratégie nationale, qui vise à exploiter l'agriculture non seulement pour renforcer la production économique et réduire la pauvreté, mais également pour améliorer la balance des paiements. Néanmoins, le pays doit encore accroître les stocks de blé tendre, un objectif que la hausse des prix mondiaux des céréales rend difficile à atteindre. La sécheresse exceptionnelle qui a sévi au Maroc aux mois de février et mars 2012 a entraîné une diminution de la production céréalière domestique, passée de 8.4 millions de tonnes en 2011 à seulement 5.1 millions de tonnes en 2012, soit une baisse de 39.1 % en glissement annuel. En 2012, 2.74 millions de tonnes de blé tendre, 1.13 million de tonnes de blé dur et 1.2 million de tonnes d'orge ont été récoltées, alors qu'en 2010/11, la seule récolte de blé tendre locale atteignait 4.17 millions de tonnes. La superficie cultivée est restée stable (5 millions d'hectares) ; autrement dit, le rendement moyen a reculé de 38 % pour s'établir à 1.01 tonne par hectare. Le retour des précipitations, fin mars et en avril, a cependant contribué à préserver la qualité des récoltes, et dissipé les craintes antérieures selon lesquelles la production céréalière nationale pourrait chuter à 3 millions de tonnes. Conséquence de cette faible récolte, le Maroc devra importer au minimum 4 millions de tonnes de blé tendre avant mai 2013 pour pouvoir répondre à la demande nationale, le niveau d'importation le plus élevé depuis 30 ans. L'Office national interprofessionnel des céréales et des légumineuses (ONICL) n'est cependant pas pressé de passer sa première grande commande dans le cadre de la campagne d'importation actuelle, qui a débuté au mois de juin, malgré des réserves mondiales de blé limitées. La Russie et les Etats-Unis, deux grands pays exportateurs, ont tous deux enregistré une réduction significative de la production céréalière cette année, en raison de conditions météorologiques défavorables, qui ont entraîné une hausse des prix mondiaux. L'Egypte et l'algérie, les deux principaux importateurs de céréales en Afrique du Nord, ont tous deux acheté d'importantes quantités de blé tendre ces dernières semaines afin de garantir un approvisionnement national suffisant jusqu'à début

95 Le 15 août dernier, le Maroc a lancé un appel d'offres pour l'achat de tonnes de blé tendre d'origine européenne dans le cadre de l'accord tarifaire préférentiel conclu avec l'union européenne (UE). Aucune commande n'a cependant été passée, car les prix du marché sont sensiblement supérieurs au prix de référence du Maroc, établi à dirhams (299 euros) la tonne. Un appel d'offres pour l'achat de tonnes de blé tendre d'origine américaine lancé la semaine précédente est également resté sans suite. Le gouvernement pourrait être amené à réduire les coûts pour les importateurs et minotiers, faute de quoi les appels d'offres ultérieurs ne seront pas plus concluants. Il a surtout fait part de son intention de lever les taxes à l'importation de 17 % sur le blé au mois d'octobre, ce qui devrait faciliter les premiers achats de la saison. A court terme, le gouvernement a décidé de prolonger d'un mois la période de collecte nationale, et donc de reporter les importations au mois d'octobre, dans l'espoir de maximiser les stocks de blé local. Le secteur agricole marocain repose sur des exploitations de petite taille et une agriculture de subsistance ; par conséquent, seule une proportion limitée de la production locale est commercialisée sur le marché national. En 2011, 53.7 % seulement de la récolte de blé tendre est entrée dans le circuit de distribution officiel, d'après des médias internationaux. Pour inciter les agriculteurs à vendre leurs cultures, l'etat a indiqué en août qu'il continuerait à offrir aux agriculteurs dirhams (263 euros) par tonne de blé tendre jusqu'à la fin du mois de septembre. D'après les chiffres communiqués par le ministère de l'agriculture, la récolte de blé tendre est plus importante que prévu, puisqu'elle atteignait 1.45 million de tonnes à la mi-août ; les membres du ministère espèrent atteindre 1.75 million de tonnes début septembre, un chiffre comparable au rendement de Cela permettrait en effet au Maroc de répondre aux besoins des minoteries jusqu en décembre 2012, la demande étant estimée à tonnes de blé tendre par mois. D'un point de vue global, les conditions climatiques défavorables ont entraîné un recul de la production agricole marocaine de 9.8 % au second trimestre 2012, par rapport à la même période en Entre 2006 et 2010, la contribution moyenne de l'agriculture au produit intérieur brut (PIB) était de 13.4 %. La croissance du PIB a ralenti, passant de 5.3 % au quatrième trimestre 2011 à 2.6 % au second trimestre 2012, un fléchissement largement imputable au ralentissement de la production agricole, ainsi qu'à une baisse du tourisme et de la consommation. D'après les estimations du ministère des Finances, la croissance globale du PIB devrait se chiffrer à 3.4 % en 2012, un résultat en repli par rapport au taux de près de 5 % enregistré en Les dépenses publiques consacrées aux importations massives de blé viendront aggraver davantage le déficit commercial national. Fin 2011, le déficit commercial du Maroc avait atteint son plus bas niveau en près de 30 ans, alors que le gouvernement multipliait les dépenses pour éviter d'aggraver les mouvements sociaux. Le déficit commercial du Maroc a progressé de 10 % en glissement annuel entre janvier et mai 2012, pour s'établir à 84.4 milliards de dirhams (7.65 milliards d'euros), et pourrait même se creuser davantage d'ici à fin 2012 après la reprise de la campagne d'importation de blé. Néanmoins, en prolongeant la période de collecte des récoltes, le Maroc semble tirer le meilleur parti d'une année agricole en demi-teinte, en cherchant à maximiser les bénéfices à l'échelle locale avant de se tourner vers une solution plus coûteuse : les importations de blé. Si la baisse de la production pour la saison 2011/12 risque de freiner la croissance annuelle, les investissements à grande échelle dans le secteur, y compris le projet du gouvernement de générer chaque année 10 milliards de dirhams ( millions d'euros) sous forme d'investissements privés dans l'agriculture, devraient néanmoins aider le secteur à rebondir dans des conditions climatiques plus favorables. L'économie mondiale ralentie par le changement climatique Date : 26 septembre 2012 Source : Le Monde URL : Le changement climatique ralentit actuellement de 1,6 % la production économique mondiale et devrait conduire à un doublement des coûts mondiaux dans les vingt prochaines années, selon un rapport révélé mardi 25 septembre aux Etats-Unis. 95

96 Le document produit par le DARA and Climate Vulnerable Forum, un partenariat de vingt pays établi en 2009, et qui doit être présenté mercredi à New York, brosse un portrait sombre des retombées économiques du changement climatique. Ce rapport relève ainsi l'existence "d'un mal sans précédent pour la société humaine et le développement économique actuel qui va de plus en plus freiner la croissance, d'après une mise à jour décisive et une révision des estimations antérieures des pertes liées au changement climatique". "ÉCHEC DES ACTIONS" Cependant, note le document, s'attaquer aux causes du changement climatique permettrait d'entraîner au contraire "des profits économiques majeurs pour la planète, qu'il s'agisse des grandes économies comme des nations pauvres". L'étude met aussi en avant des estimations selon lesquelles les économies fortement émettrices de carbone sont responsables de cinq millions de morts par an, essentiellement dues à la pollution de l'air. "L'échec des actions contre le changement climatique coûte déjà à l'économie mondiale 1,6 % de son PIB, soit milliards de dollars par an de prospérité", poursuit-il. De plus, "les températures qui grimpent rapidement et la pollution liée au carbone vont contribuer à doubler les coûts mondiaux jusqu'à 3,2 % du PIB de la planète d'ici à 2030". Si les pays les plus pauvres devraient prendre de plein fouet ces retombées en termes de perte de produit intérieur brut, les grandes économies ne seront pas épargnées. CHANGEMENTS DÉVASTATEURS "Dans moins de vingt ans, la Chine va subir la plus grande part de toutes les pertes, au-delà de milliards de dollars", soulignent les auteurs, qui estiment que ces chiffres "éclipsent les coûts modestes" pour s'attaquer au changement climatique. La présidente du Forum et première ministre du Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, a assuré que ces changements allaient être dévastateurs pour son pays. "Un degré Celsius en plus signifie 10 % de perte de productivité dans l'agriculture", a-t-elle prévenu. "Pour nous, cela signifie perdre près de quatre millions de tonnes de céréales, ce qui équivaut à 2,5 milliards de dollars. (...) Si l'on ajoute les autres dégâts en termes de prospérité, nous faisons face à une perte totale de 3 à 4 % de notre PIB", a-t-elle affirmé. Pour Jeremy Hobbs, directeur exécutif d'oxfam International, ce rapport "rappelle une fois de plus que les conséquences les plus cruelles du changement climatique sont la faim et la pauvreté". "Les coûts économiques et sociaux de l'inaction politique sur le changement climatique sont renversants", a-t-il regretté. Malta hosting CIHEAM meeting focusing on food security Date : 26 September 2012 Author : Keith Micallef Source : Malta Independent URL : Agriculture ministers from 10 Mediterranean countries will be meeting in Malta from today till Friday to discuss issues related to food security and pricing in this region, aiming to draft a series of recommendations. The conference is being organised by the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM), which is an intergovernmental organisation comprising 13 countries from the Mediterranean Basin. Malta has been a member since The European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dacian Cioloş, as well as the Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, John Dalli, will be attending the conference. Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino remarked that the presence of such high-ranking officials from the EU is clear testament to the importance of this conference. Mr Pullicino said this yesterday afternoon during a press briefing ahead of the conference. 96

97 This will be the ninth CIHEAM conference since 1999 following the one held two years ago in Istanbul. Asked about the aims and possible outcomes of this conference, the Rural Affairs Minister explained that this will be an opportunity for CIHEAM to review its priorities to be able to respond better to the food crisis. In addition, he said that this conference can lead to better networking between member states that can also maximise their participation within the organisation. CIHEAM President Prof. Adel El Beltagy said that this conference represents the collective political will to address the issue of the volatile food supply in the Mediterranean region. He also referred to smart agriculture which seeks to promote sustainability and adaptability. Prof. Beltagy remarked that unfortunately in the climate change debate, agriculture was relegated to a secondary role even though it is of crucial importance. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that a further increase of 10% in the price of grains will put up to 10 million people at risk of hunger. Minister George Pullicino said that in July alone, the price increased by 6%. He added that further increases are being expected in the first quarter of next year. The Rural Affairs Minister explained that Mediterranean countries are net importers of food, and so the volatility in prices is likely to take its toll especially on the most vulnerable states. Meanwhile, a conference focusing on the benefits of a Mediterranean diet is being organised as part of this event with the participation of various experts and interested parties including from local government. All time high in grain prices predicted for 2013 Date : 27 September 2012 Source :Malta Today URL : Resources Minister George Pullicino says food security should be kept top of the global agenda as reports predict high prices for grains used in feeds. Minister George Pullicino says ensuring food security at a time of political, social, economic and environmental transition is a phenomenon which cannot be understated The latest major analytical report on food security issued last week, highlighted the worst drought to hit the US in half a century combined with the dry situation in South America and Russia. This was pointed out by Minister for Resources and Rural Affairs George Pullicino during his opening address at the CIHEAM Ministerial Conference. The report predicts that the first quarter of 2013 will see an all-time high in prices for grains used in feeds, placing enormous stresses on livestock producers around the world, Pullicino said. Most Mediterranean countries depend on external markets and import increasing volumes of staple foods, making national agriculture and trade policies highly vulnerable to the threats of price volatility. Against this backdrop, the presence in Malta of most of the Agriculture Ministers and major decision-makers from the Mediterranean countries forming part of CIHEAM, is an excellent opportunity to keep food security firmly at the top of the global agenda, Pullicino said. Pullicino said that ensuring food security at a time when the region is witnessing a period of political, social, economic and environmental transition is a phenomenon which cannot be understated. 97

98 Malta also recognises the strong stake we all have in ensuring that countries on the Southern coast of the Mediterranean also have strong food security with a view to reducing migration, with all the problems of this phenomenon, the minister said. Food security in the Mediterranean cannot, however, be based solely on securing food imports, and a certain level of self-sufficiency is necessary in order to optimise public spending and decrease dependence. Sharing of sound production information by every one of us could also prove to be a key aspect in combating food price volatility through an emphasis on reducing speculation on financial markets. We have all experienced the negative spirals which occur when inaccurate market information fuels the futures markets, Pullicino said. Innovative action plan for youth employment in agriculture Date : 27 September 2012 Source :Business Day URL : On Thursday, September 20, 2012, over a hundred stakeholders in the agricultural sector converged in Abuja for a two-day workshop entitled Achieving Youth Employment in Agriculture for Nagropreneurs. This technical consultative workshop was held under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as a kick-starter of the Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP), an offshoot of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA). ATA is part of the national presidential initiative and is aimed at working with state governments and the private sector to create one million jobs for youths across the agricultural value chain within the next three years. As such, this workshop was largely attended by young people who were tasked with coming up with an action plan for this endeavour. The youths came from diverse backgrounds: agronomy, animal husbandry, retail, branding and marketing, information and communications technology, media, etc. Revealing the multifaceted nature of agriculture, they brought their diverse skills and experiences to bear in this transformation agenda. The result of this was the diverse perspectives which were brought to the table, making the agricultural conversation richer. Some older and more experienced stakeholders (professors, farmers, government officials) also joined this meeting in order to lend their support to the programme and the youths, as well as contribute their own valued ideas to the discussion. These included the minister of state for agriculture, Bukar Tijani; the permanent secretary of the Agriculture Ministry, Ezekiel Oyoyomi; team leader, Agriculture Value Chain Staple Crop Processing Zones, Niyi Odunlami; and head of Agriculture, Fidelty Bank, Musa Tamburika. International stakeholders such as the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) were also represented. In his welcome address, the minister of agriculture and rural development, Akin Adesina, underscored the importance of job creation in agriculture, which currently accounts for 40 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 70 percent of employment. He noted that no sector is able to create jobs as quickly as the agricultural sector; and that this was all the more important because of Nigeria s teeming population. 50 percent of Nigerians were born in the last twenty years, he said, adding that there are at present not enough jobs to keep up with the population growth. He cited China, which was able to lift 44 million people out of poverty through agriculture, and expressed confidence in Nigeria s Agricultural Transformation Agenda. He reassured all present that agriculture was no longer about hoes and cutlasses but was instead modern, commercial, profitable, and boasting the best stocks on the stock market at the moment. Agriculture is Nigeria s past and Nigeria future, he remarked, and then to the youths, he said: The future rests on you. After the welcome addresses and goodwill messages, the audience broke out into smaller groups, each specialising in one key area or another. In an effort to cover every aspect of the value chain, these break-out groups were designed to touch on key areas in the field: Educational Support for Future Agricultural Scientists; Agribusiness Education; Smallholder Farmers Education and Youth Support Networks; Including Youths in Input Production; Improving Access to Land; Improved Access to Credit via Dedicated Private Sector Lending; Youth Plantation Rehabilitation Teams; Facilitation Supplier-Buyer Relationships; and Branding and Integrated 98

99 Marketing Communication. The small nature of these groups, which consisted of a maximum of 15 individuals each, allowed for maximum participation and a rich back-and-forth of ideas among the workshop participants. What was different about this programme was the fact that less time was spent laying out the problems of agriculture and more time was spent developing innovative solutions and ideas for transformation. Two weeks prior to this event, a smaller group of young people from the private sector had been tasked with the responsibility of designing the workshop and coming up with a clear structure for the programme. The result of this was that the technical consultative workshop was conducted with ease: there was a clear structure to follow and participants were able to come up with a clear strategy and outcomes. At the end of the two-day workshop, each break-out group was required to present a summary of their proposals to the ministerial panel and all present. The presentations, which were done by young people, revealed the immensely-rich innovative ideas that had come out of the dialogue. In the Q&A segment that followed, participants were able to seek clarification from other groups and shed light on areas that were scantily discussed. All presentations were then sent to the ministry and plans are already underway to aggregate the range of ideas into a concise document. This document, promised Adesina, will form the basis and crux of the new policy proposal which will be presented to the president in a couple of weeks. It was particularly exciting, humbling and doubly enriching for me to be in a room full of intelligent people who were not only outwardly passionate about agriculture but had a catalogue of experiences from different walks of life to back their views. They were the nagropreneurs for whom this workshop was created, and continue to serve as excellent models to the emerging group of young people who are taking the agribusiness route. I met the likes of Cynthia Mosunmola, MD of Farmshoppe and one of our nation s most charismatic young women farmers; social innovator Obiajuru Igborgbor, who through Esoko Nigeria is using mobile technology to bridge the information gap in agriculture; and Nnaemeka Ikegwonu, a young dynamic leader, turkey farmer, and the head of the Smallholders Foundation, who has not only set up adjoining poultry farms in several secondary schools in Eastern Nigeria, but is currently building Nigeria s foremost radio station for farmers. The youths present at this event inspired me with their words, ideas and stories of perseverance, resilience and determination, and strategic actions which led to unexpected rewards. And, more than ever, I am challenged to work diligently and persistently in all my endeavours, to give my best to the nagropeneur movement, and essentially play my own part in this agricultural revolution. For those who doubt that Nigeria s democracy is real, the Ministry of Agriculture provides a compelling and inspiring example of a government which consults with its citizens and formulates its policies based on their stated needs and interests, and indeed puts them at the front and centre of the governance process while positioning itself as their servant. And for those who have lost faith in the Nigerian citizen, this programme demonstrates that young and old people in Nigeria are committed to the progress of the country and, to this end, are already taking active steps in their little niches and in concert with government and non-governmental stakeholders. The winds of change are gently sweeping over Nigeria s agricultural sector, and none other than the youths are driving this change process. I am excited for the breaking dawn and what the new day holds for the youths especially the nagropreneurs in Nigeria Jordan: Boosting agricultural earnings Date : 27 Septembre 2012 Source : Oxford Business Group URL : The agricultural sector is becoming more modernised and export-oriented, with an emphasis placed on increasing output and quality, as well as nurturing niche areas. Despite a number of challenges, particularly regional unrest severely curtailing exports to and through Syria, Jordan is in a strong position to leverage its competitive advantages as an agricultural producer. One of the most pressing issues is the disruption caused by the increasing violence in Syria. The kingdom exports considerable amounts of fresh produce to its northern neighbour in 2011 it exported 13,761 tonnes of fruit and 99

100 204,916 tonnes of vegetables to Syria, second in volume to Iraq and uses transit routes through the country to deliver agricultural goods to Turkey and Europe, which are important markets for the sector. The war brought Jordanian exports through Syria to a complete halt in July, despite previous assurances that the flow would continue. The situation is bad news for Jordan s farmers; the agricultural sector has lost $30m as a result of increasing violence at the border, according to international press reports. The closure of several border exits has also led to growing truck traffic, which adds further delays. The Ministry of Agriculture and sector leaders are now looking at other options for getting farm exports flowing again, such as transporting produce to Turkey through Iraq, using the port of Aqaba on the Red Sea and air freighting through Syrian airspace. None of these solutions is ideal: the first two are more time-consuming than the Syria route, and using air transport is expensive. But higher winter prices in Europe for Jordanian produce, including peppers, cucumbers and strawberries, might allow the kingdom to bear the increased transport costs. Despite the fact that arable land comprises just 1.1% of the country, according to the UN s Food and Agriculture Organisation, agriculture is a vitally important economic sector. While the sector contributed 4.4% of GDP in 2011, it accounted for 15.3% of export earnings. The country benefits from a favourable climate, a geographical location at the heart of the Middle East with access to Europe, a skilled agricultural workforce, and good trading relations with a number of countries. There is considerable potential for the sector further still: currently only a few producers have the capability to export to Europe, which requires modern equipment and technology, and importantly accreditation. The number of certified agribusinesses in Jordan has been rising rapidly the first Jordanian farm acquired a Global Good Agricultural Practices certificate in 2006, and now there are around 100, according to Anwar Haddad, the executive director at the Jordan Exporters and Producers Association for Fruit and Vegetables. Increases in capacity that are expected to support export growth and domestic supply are also ongoing. According to the central bank, there were 919 registered agricultural companies at the end of 2011, up from 841 in Over the same period, total invested capital in agriculture surged from JD100.9m ($141.99m) to JD332m ($467.19m). In addition to increasing exports, Jordan is seeking to diversify its export markets. An April 2011 deal with Saudi Arabia ending a 20-year ban on imports of Jordanian vegetables, for example, was a step in the right direction. The drive to increase exports also involves the targeted development of niche markets, including organic farming and the olive oil segment. There are a number of small pilot projects currently underway in the organic sector, though it is still in its early days in the kingdom. Olive oil development, however, is much more advanced: Jordan is the world s eighth-largest producer, though currently only around 7000 tonnes per year is exported, mostly to the Gulf. The priority now is leveraging the existing base of production, as well as moving up the value chain and increasing overseas sales. This will inevitably require capital investment, better quality control, a more consistent output and a new emphasis on branding. Progress in recent years in attracting investment and raising output shows that the sector s strengths as a value exporter to Europe and the Middle East and North Africa region are becoming more apparent, particularly in higher-value segments. Egypt at risk from global food rises: UN official Date : 27 September 2012 Source :ElAhram URL : Egypt's reliance on imports mean it is particularly vulnerable to fluctuations in global food prices and make government safety nets vital to protect the poor, a United Nations official has said. 100

101 In an exclusive interview with Ahram Online, Shukri Ahmed, senior economist at the UN's Food Agriculture Organization, praised Egyptian efforts towards agricultural self-sufficiency but said the country remains at risk. "Given that Egypt is a big importing country, the effect on the Government budget and the total import bill is felt rather sooner," said Ahmed, when asked about the possible impact of rising global prices. "The actual inflation depends on the level of transmission of world price increases to local prices, which is in turn affected by the policies in place." He noted that the higher import bill would fall on the government which subsidises several key foods, although price hikes for other foodstuffs could be passed on directly to consumers. "The Government recognises that a large share of its budget is spent on fuel and food subsidies, and the new budget attempts to rectify the issue, starting with fuel subsidies," he added. "However, given the large share of population living in poverty, it is important to provide a safety net with better targeting of the poor." Ahmed pointed to recent rises in international wheat prices, spurred by concerns over dwindling harvests in the Black Sea region. August's global wheat price was 26 per cent higher than in June 2012, and 8 per cent higher than the same month the previous year. But while Ahmed said the global prices of raw commodities are an important factor, local costs of energy and labour also affect prices. Egypt experienced annual food inflation of around 24 per cent in 2008, and 20 per cent in This July the rate of food and beverage inflation was about 8 per cent. "Even with an above average cereal harvest, Egypt relies heavily on imports to satisfy its domestic requirements, including food and feed," said Ahmed. Egypt is the world's major wheat importer but is making efforts to gradually wean itself off foreign crops. In early September, the head of state commodities buyer GAASC said Egypt is importing 4.6 million tonnes in 2012/ million less than the previous year, with local agriculture filling the gap. Ahmed said Egypt was clearly seeking to increase agricultural yields by developing new methods but warned that expansion should take into account Egypt's limited natural resources and the needs of its 83-plus million population. Russia's wheat exporting rivals rub hands for Egypt deals Date : 27 September 2012 Source :MENAFN URL : France and other leading global wheat sources are expected to replace Russia doing business with top importer Egypt, as drought exhausted Russia's grain stocks, Reuters reported. Russian agriculture ministry officials have repeatedly pledged no export restrictions, but hot and dry conditions trimmed yields by more than a quarter, leading to depleting much of the amount available for sale. Traders expected Egypt's General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) to receive few or no offers for Russian wheat in its recent tender for December shipment. Other dealers expected GASC to turn to French, Ukrainian, Polish, Romanian and German wheat in the coming tenders. 101

102 Lower freight rates are also expected to help the US, Canada, Argentina and Australia to become competitive in coming months as well. Earlier this month, Egypt's GASC said it had purchased around seven months of supplies from local and international sources. Egypt's largest dairy producer to boost capacity by third: Citadel Capital Date : 27 September 2012 Source : AlAhram URL : Egypt's largest dairy producer, Dina Farms, was able to secure LE92 million ($15.3 million) in funding to expand its milk production capacity by a third by 2013, private equity firm, Citadel Capital (CCAP), announced on Wednesday. Dina Farms is a portfolio company of Gozour, CCAP's agriculture and consumer foods arm. Gozour is 20 per cent owned by the private equity firm. A statement issued by CCAP explained that the expansion plan includes purchasing 2,000 top-quality pregnant heifers from the United States to arrive in October 2012 and the third quarter of It will also include building new milking stations to accommodate the new herd. Dina Farm currently owns 6,000 milking cows. Funding for this project comes via a LE92 million syndicated loan from Al-Ahli United Bank, Egyptian Arab Land Bank and the United Bank. We are currently witnessing a market that is suffering from an undersupply of milk, which has led to a recent increase in factory prices. The country as a whole needs new investment in dairy farms," Hanee Afia, CEO of Gozour s Integrated Dairy Business was quoted as saying by CCAP. "An increase in our dairy capacity will help to offset the imbalance and close the import gap, he added. The new investment is also part of a strategic shift in CCAP's investments. "The latest developments at Gozour come on the back of CCAP starting to focus on a few core investments rather than being diversified into numerous businesses," according to a note issued by the Cairo-based investment bank on Thursday. Last week, CCAP announced that Gozour was trying to exit its Egyptian cheese producing asset, Al-Misriyeen. CCAP currently manages 19 Opportunity-Specific Funds that control platform companies with investments of $9.5 billion in 15 industries including energy, mining, agrifoods, cement, transportation and retail. Beltone, however, predicted that CCAP's share valuation would not be much affected by the newly announced plans. "[Impacts] on CCAP s valuation are minimal, given that Gozour as a whole makes up for 6 per cent of the group s gross asset value," Beltone said, adding that the "expansion plans at Dina Farms come as positive news in the long term." CCAP stocks on the Egyptian exchange currently trade at around LE4.72 per share. 102