Member States reviewed the existing Standard for Prunes and new standards for dried coconut pieces, dried papayas and dried melons; the explanatory posters for inshell pistachios, walnut kernels, inshell walnuts, dried figs and dried grapes; and the explanatory guide for dried apricots. The Specialized Section also reported on the outcomes of the practical Sampling Plan workshops held in May and September 2018, and decided to hold an educational workshop in Turkey in summer 2020. They also decided to develop a standard for inshell pecan and pecan kernels, and posters for cashews.
Session and Post-session Documents
In addition, on June 25, 2019, the INC participated in the conference “Sustainable Natural Resources and their Value Chains”, organized by the UNECE and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The event brought together experts from the public and private sectors, international organizations and NGOs, with the aim of highlighting the contribution of wild/forest nuts to sustainable development including biodiversity, local communities, employment generation, natural resources management and supply chain integration.
After the opening remarks by Ms. Nichola Koch, Chef de Cabinet, UNECE, and Ms. Carolyn Rodrigues-Birket, Director, FAO Liaison Office in Geneva, Mr. Ekrem Yazici and Mr. Roman Michalak, UNECE-FAO Forestry, gave an overview of forest and sustainable forest management in the Caucasus and Central Asia region. Next, Mr. Umed Aslanov, Hilfswerk Austria, Tajikistan, explained the value chains of nuts in Central Asia. The impact of macadamia forest and plantations on the local population and environment in Kenya was presented by Mr. Josiah Syanda, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service. To conclude, Mr. Pino Calcagni, INC Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Statistics and Scientific & Government Affairs committees, gave a global review of the nut industry with a special focus on Brazil nuts, cashews and pine nuts.