Cambodia: Partnership with EU and Germany to Boost Cashew Industry
The European Union and Germany have partnered with Cambodia on a project to enhance Cambodia’s cashew and pepper industries. The EU-German Cambodia Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems (CAPSAFE) project will focus on increasing local value addition, strengthening national systems governing food safety and climate-resilient agriculture, and increasing the capacity of producers and processors to adopt sustainable practices and relevant standards. With a US$27 million in joint funding from the EU and Germany, the five-year project will be implemented by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ).
EU: Guide on MOSH/MOAH Regulations
COLEAD/AGRINFO has published an EU-funded guide entitled Mineral Oil Hydrocarbon in Foods: An Introduction to Upcoming EU Regulation. The guide aims to help suppliers in non-EU countries to prepare for compliance with new EU rules limiting the presence of mineral oil hydrocarbons in food that will be implemented in 2025.
EU: Report of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture
Launched in January 2024, the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture is a forum that brings together key stakeholders from across the whole agri-food chain and aims to shape a shared vision for EU farming. On September 4, 2024, the group released its final report, entitled A shared prospect for farming and food in Europe. The report presents an assessment of challenges and opportunities, followed by 14 recommendations that will guide the work of the European Commission when shaping its Vision for Agriculture and Food, a roadmap to be delivered within the first 100 days of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s second term. Different working groups will now be set up to take the work forward.
EU: Global Reporting Initiative Publishes CSRD Guide
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has published CSRD Essentials: The Definitive Guide to the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. Intended as a one-stop-shop for navigating the challenges of reporting under the new Directive, this document features information about scope, timing and interactions with existing standards; reporting format; legal interconnections, auditing rules and internal supervision; and implementation procedures for small and medium enterprises.
Italy: AGEA Call for Expressions of Interest
Italy’s Agency for Agricultural Payments (AGEA) has issued a call for expressions of interest for projects that will support the quality and competitiveness of the production of nuts in the country. A total of €14,088,908 in funding is available for the 2024 season. Companies can apply for funding for the creation of new plantations and replanting; the introduction and/or modernization of irrigation systems; the introduction of innovations in plant protection management; and information and promotion campaigns. Expressions of interest must be submitted by October 2, 2024.
More information:
Operating Instructions No. 82 of 20 June 2024 – prot. Orpum_49960_Nuts 2024
Nuts – AGEA call for expressions of interest from 3 September to 2 October
USA: Hawaii Awarded USDA Funding for Macadamia Orchard Health
Under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2024 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, Hawaii has been awarded funding for a project that envisages educational activities at the farm level to address management of mature and aging macadamia orchards, pest pressure and field practices to improve yields and kernel quality.