NATIONAL ACTIVITIES

IMPLEMENTATION CONDITIONS ANALYSIS

The The think tank constitution was the subject of a close collaboration between the CIHEAM-IAMM represented by Dr. Tahani ABDELHAKIM, and the Ministry of Agriculture which proposed 15 high-level members representing all the public and private actors of the agricultural and rural development sectors.

Following the project launching workshop, three priority themes were identified, but over the months the project focal point requested a refocusing on the theme of "extension and agricultural advice"

In February 2017, a new Minister of Agriculture was appointed, His Excellency Mr. Abdelmoneim ELBANA, as well as a new focal point for the project, Mr. Hisham ALLAM (Head of the Department of External Relations, Senior Partner in the Ministry of Agriculture). Some Ministry department heads who participated in ESSP II's activities were also replaced. These changes have impacted the activities implementation pace, but thanks to the strong support of the new Minister of Agriculture and good relations with the External Relations Department team of the Ministry of Agriculture and their motivation, the activities continued without real difficulties.

In May 2018, His Excellency Dr. ABU STEIT was appointed as Minister of Agriculture again.

After 3 years of implementation, the ESSP II in Egypt has been able to build solid relationships with the sector actors (Ministry, cooperatives, civil society organizations, etc.) that have been strongly mobilized. The project's intervention was sustainable and continuous, with one key theme "the extension system reform", which has remained a priority despite frequent changes at the head of the Agriculture Ministry.

ACTIVITIES SUMMARY

A preparatory meeting for the project second phase launch took place on September 2 nd and To prepare each workshop, a guidance note which summarize existing knowledge, clarify concepts and create a common language was prepared ; ii.

Then, workshop organization was divided into two parts: an introductory presentation that outlines the main debate elements and concrete study cases.

A second part devoted to group work was led by the IAMM expert, based on an analysis grid; iii.

The third step, post-seminar, was devoted to the reports and analyzes productions, which were then submitted to decision-makers.

At the end of the seminar, three priority themes were selected:

 Good agricultural practices (and the environment preservation in relation with pressure on natural resources),

 Contract farming (in accordance to the enacted Presidential Decree about the organizational framework implementation to promote this type of agriculture),  The extension system and agricultural advice.

GOOD FARMING PRACTICE S

Fol lowing the launching workshop and regarding national context marked on the one hand by the strong pressure on natural resources, particularly water, accentuated by the climate change effects and on the other hand, by the need to reduce the Use of inputs for environmental, health (risk for consumers) and economic reasons (cost reduction), the think tank decided to deal first with the issue of good agricultural practices (GAP).

A first national workshop on good agricultural practices was held 6 th and 7 th December 2015, bringing together 40 specialists. The work was introduced by a general presentation of good agricultural practices concept, the challenges of their implementation based on several European study cases like the good practices implementation at a territory level experience's in the Herault department in France. These presentations were complemented by a testimonial on the conditional incentives Egyptian experience conducted as part of the "Support to Rural Development1" project. The second day was mainly a meeting of think tank members.

Regarding the particular characteristics and challenges of Egyptian agriculture, despite the existence of several NGOs initiatives and projects, the think tank group agreed on the need to develop a comprehensive public policy of good agricultural practices at technical, economic and social level that cover all production and marketing stages. They must contribute not only to environmental benefits in terms of pollution reduction and public health improvement, but also to obtain economic and financial benefits for farmers through increasing their income and improving their productivity and their living and working conditions. The development of a good agricultural practices public policy and its implementation needs a collective thinking associating all the agricultural sector stakeholders which leads to draw a global framework specifying the institutional links, the functions and the responsibilities of each component and to develop a territorial approach for the diagnosis realization, techniques adaptation, and field dissemination. Two priority issues have been identified for the development and implementation of good agricultural practices in Egypt, water management and vegetable and fruit production, particularly citrus fruits (one of the main export production).

Good agricultural practices were also the sub-regional (Egypt and Lebanon) seminar's subject on 8 th and 9 th December 2015 in Cairo, on the one hand, in terms of trade with the European Union, on the other hand from the perspective of adaptation to the effects of climate change or their mitigation.

AGRICULTURAL ADVICE AND EXTENSION

Two national workshops of two days each, titled "Reform of the Agricultural Advisory System", were organized on March 13 th and 14 th , as well as on April 18 th and 19 th 2016.

The first workshop allowed to the agricultural extension system review, analyzing its history and evolution, taking into account the economic and political context and determining the main issues of agricultural advice in the country. Diagnosis was based on both benchmarking document produced by the CIHEAM-IAMM presenting different European2 agricultural advisory systems and an analytical grid.

Moreover, participants (45 in total, think tank members, experts and national professionals) underlined the need to develop a modern and efficient service system to farmers, especially for small farms.

Based on the diagnosis and discussions, the second workshop clarified three possible scenarios for extension system reforming. Such scenarios focus on three main points: the administrative and organizational set-up, the financial resources (in structural decline) and the "new" functions of extension. Large farms have, for a long time, remedied the public extension service weakness by funding their own council. The three scenarios identify small farmers, women and youth as target for the new agricultural advice system.

Based on the two workshops results, a study was carried out from May to December 2016 on "scenarios for improving or reforming the popularization in Egypt"3 with the support of the ESSP II team.

The study outcomes were presented and debated with the think tank members, farmer organizations and cooperatives representatives, extension professionals and private sector.

The participants validated the co-management scenario between the public authorities and the private sector (including Civil Society) which assigns the strategy and policy guidelines development to the Ministry of Agriculture and the implementation to the various private sector actors mentioned above.

The final version of the study was submitted to the Minister in May 2017. At the request of the Minister, a working group composed of senior staff of the Research Institute for Rural Development and Agricultural Extension, the Institute of Agri-Economic Research and the Ministry staff was appointed and charged to write a strategic donors note, with support of ESSP II Team. The note purpose was to inform them about the Ministry's commitment to implement an agricultural advisory system reform and to explore the possibilities of support funds mobilizing. Ultimately, the European Union accepted to finance a proposed project on the theme.

In addition, a study on the social acceptability of the of the extension system reform scenarios was conducted by a Master student.

AGRICULTURAL COOPERAT IVES

In early 2017, the ESSP II in Egypt worked on a third theme: agricultural cooperatives. A first national workshop was held on 8 th and 9 th January 2017 on the theme: "cooperatives as an actor in agricultural and rural development". It aimed to present and discuss the current situation of agricultural cooperatives and the 2014's law and the changes it brings, to then identify the main obstacles to the development of cooperatives and make proposals to improve their efficiency and effectiveness. Dr. Tahani AbdelHakim introduced agricultural cooperatives in one of the European countries in order to define the types of agricultural cooperatives in terms of their role, scope of work, services provided to farmers, the development of its functions and services to follow-up with the new needs of producers and finally the development of needs and requirements of the market and consumers.

Following the introduction, Dr. Mohammad Hassan Abed Alaal -FAO's coordinator for the "Support to Cooperatives Reforms in Egypt" project -presented the project, which mainly seeks to achieve the following four outcomes:

• Developing an environment that suits agricultural cooperatives and supports small farmers and agricultural households in Egypt

• Assessing the needs and capabilities of stakeholders to be considered in the framework of the law's reform

• Disseminating know-how of best practices related to the reform of agricultural cooperatives in Egypt in order to develop their efficiency, dynamicity and equality

• Formulate a proposed law to support the reform of cooperatives (in partnership with other development partners such as the International Labour Organization -ILO). During the second day, participants were divided in two groups and an analytical framework, which included a number of questions and discussion topics to be answered, was distributed. After that, findings of the groups were presented.

A second workshop was organized in Cairo on 7 th and 8 th May 2017 with the participation of the think tank members, Ministry of Agriculture senior staff, farmers and representatives of cooperatives from three governorates (two northern governorates and a southern governorate), Civil Society, researchers, and the FAO agricultural cooperatives project coordinator. The workshop focused on the strategic and political aspects of cooperative development and aimed at formulating proposals for a strategic vision of agricultural cooperatives and a general framework for the reform initiated by the 2014' law Following the seminars, the Minister of Agriculture ordered to create a high-level working group to draft a strategic document on agricultural cooperatives. Unfortunately, it was not possible until the end of the activities of the ESSP II.

IMPROVING VALUE CHAIN S EFFICIENCY

Fi nally, ESSP II in Egypt worked, at the request of the Minister, on improving the efficiency of value chains and chose tomato as a pilot sector. A first workshop was held on January 14 th and 15 th , 2018, bringing together about 40 participants, (think tank members, tomato producers representatives, exporters, industrialists, specialized scientists and the Ministry of Agriculture officials), in order to; i) take stock of the tomato value chain, ii) to identify the weak points at the different links, iii) and to make concrete proposals for tomato value chain efficiency improvement.

On this basis, a study was conducted with the support of the ESSP II team on the topic4 and its results were presented during a workshop on 11 th and 12 th March 2018 in Cairo. This study recommends the adoption of an Action Plan for the Tomato Value Chain Valorization, based on a public-private partnership. The implementation of this action plan should be entrusted jointly to three ministries, namely: the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade.

KEY RESULTS

The ESSP II was part of the agricultural national strategy 2030 which identified in its priorities; good agricultural practices, agricultural advice and extension and agricultural products valorization. It was part of the reflection framework on the 2014 law on agricultural cooperatives.

Based on a think tank, composed of agricultural and rural development public and private actors' representatives, ESSP II has created a new inclusive framework, by showing that consultations with all the agricultural sector actors are a relevant and effective way for developing agricultural policies. It has also enabled to initiate or strengthen the interministerial dialogue.

The program intervention has led to very concrete results in terms of agricultural policy:

• An extension system reform project has been submitted for funding and accepted by the European Union.

• A Tomato Value Chain Valorization Action Plan based on a public-private partnership has been validated. Its implementation should be entrusted jointly to three ministries, namely: the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade.

• The cooperatives outcomes were taken over by the Ministry of Agriculture and should lead to a strategic document.

The ESSP II worked in consultation with the FAO especially on agricultural advice and extension system reform and agricultural cooperatives.

The project has enabled to:

• Set up a think tank bringing together different categories of actors (Ministry, private sector, cooperatives, civil society, scientists ...),

• Organize a launching workshop and 8 national workshops,

• Produce 9 guidance notes, 9 workshop reports, and distribute 4 presentations mainly on good agricultural practices and agricultural advice,

• Produce a concept note on good agricultural practices in Egypt, an introductory note on agricultural advice and a summary note on the extension system reform in Egypt,

• Carry out a study on "Scenarios for improvement or reform of the extension system in Egypt" and a study "Analysis and assessment of the tomato value chain and its efficiency and effectiveness improving means ",

• Develop a strategy note on extension reform,

• Involve 2 European experts,

SUB REGIONAL ACTIVITIES (EGYPT AND LEBANON)

One of the main objectives of the ESSP II was to build and coordinate a framework for regional dialogue on agricultural and rural development policies.

At the time of project launching there was no cooperation instrument, or special institution or organization dealing with agricultural and rural development issues at the Mediterranean level that ESSP II could have strengthened. Thus, ESSP II has tried to fill this gap and appears today as the only regional project dealing explicitly and directly with agricultural and rural policies at regional level in the Mediterranean.

For that reason, ESSP had no other choice than to lean on the animation of a dialogue at the national level which allows informing a sub-regional and regional dialogue, by bringing out common themes concerning the agricultural and rural development in the Mediterranean.

The Machrek sub-region activities brought together experts, researchers and officials from both Egypt and Lebanon.

SUB REGIONAL SEMINAR ON "GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES", CAIRO, DECEMBER 8 TH AND 9 TH , 2015

The first sub-regional seminar, which brought together some forty participants from Egypt and Lebanon, focused on "good agricultural practices (GAP)". The seminar started with GAP concept definition. Then, discussions were focused on 4 main points introduced by a summary note 5 :

 Good agricultural practice and access to the European market  Good Agricultural Practices and Climate Change  Good agricultural practices and free trade  Research role in defining and implementing good agricultural practices.

Many ideas were shared from both countries concerning GAP on a regional level. To support ARABGAP and small farmers, and ensure innovative tailored actions, activities should be based on research and exchange of information. Both parties insisted on the necessity to:

 Establish GAP in the agriculture national strategy 5 Access to summary note : https://cloudia.iamm.fr/index.php/s/8PV1VhSV3kf6aMW

 Provide incentives to farmers through conditional support  Support agriculture cooperatives  Support research on GAP through research centers and universities  Introduce GAP as part of the educational system A working plan could start by defining the necessary GAP for every crop; it should be risk based and not preventive and should be established in the national policy to ensure its sustainability and large diffusion of the information. Conditional support has proved to being effecting in enticing farmers to adopt new techniques. Future activities in agriculture should involve conditional support as part of their national agriculture strategy.

SUB REGIONAL SEMINAR ON "SHORT DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL AND MARKETING OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS", BEIRUT 2 ND 3 RD JUNE, 2016

Egypt and Lebanon have noted the same difficulties in accessing international markets due to the increase of standards number (sanitary, phytosanitary, technical, etc.), a highly competitive environment and a complex and unstable geopolitical context requiring adaptation of national productive systems which involves farms modernization, cost reduction and adapted and flexible marketing strategies development .

Moreover, due to a disorganized local market affected by brokers' intervention agrifood products prices tend to increase and the incomes of the farmers to decrease.

Work in the national and sub-regional workshops on Good Agricultural Practices on the one hand, and on extension, on the other hand, and discussions on incentives facilitating the adoption of good practices, have leads to questions about the relevance of short-circuited marketing methods. They appear as an example of innovation able to improve the marketing conditions of small producers and disseminate good practices necessary for sustainable agriculture.

This seminar involved the Egyptian and Lebanese think tanks members, which are mainly composed of Ministries of Agriculture staff, private sectors, NGOs, syndicates and Farms unions, researchers and professors, making a total of 46 participants.

Each of the two countries presented examples of short channel distribution actions implemented on a national scale. The discussions focused on the limits and levers of promoting short channel distribution.

The participants have underlined the sub-regional discussions and exchanges benefits and came up with a series of propositions:

1. Develop a "knowledge bank" of good experiences and examples on extension system, good agricultural practices and short channel distribution topics. The 3rd sub regional seminar was held in Cairo on January 11 th and 12 th , 2017, on the theme "agricultural extension and advisory services role in agricultural commodity competitiveness: Lessons learned from the ESSP II and recommendations based on stakeholders testimonies".

Overall, both countries have many similarities and dissimilarities in their agriculture sector when dealing with competitiveness challenges such as fragmentation of lands, weak advisory and extension services, the high presence of non-controlled private sector, etc. The objective of the workshop was to understand the reasons of non-competitiveness of agriculture products for each country by offering an insight on the previous work done by the think tank in each country whether on GAP or advisory & extension services and their role in reinforcing the competitiveness of agriculture products with a specific focus on quality and production cost.

Several consensuses emerged on the role of extension system and cooperatives, including:

 Regarding the low budget allocated to agriculture in Egypt and Lebanon and limited support for farmers, good extension system and cooperatives are two relevant tools for maintaining and promoting a sustainable, operational and competitive agricultural sector ;

 Both of these tools need to be strengthened and reformed to better meet farmers' expectations through increased collaboration with research centers to provide more operational results ;

 Good agricultural practices development appears as a solution to increase the competitiveness of agriculture and to respond to the agricultural challenges facing these countries (land fragmentation, pesticides excessive use, high production costs, quality of agricultural products). Good agricultural practices should be supported by extension and cooperatives ;

 Extension, agricultural advice and the cooperative system can also be adequate tools to support producers in their export effort by improving their knowledge of target markets (products quality, regulations and standards, etc.).

A number of recommendations were made by the participants:

 There are many individual initiatives undertaken, and so the creation of common companies between Lebanon and Egypt should be supported, which will present a common and strong front facing other exporting countries such as the Maghreb and Turkey.

 Coordinate between the Egyptian and Lebanese agricultural exporter's enterprises and exchange of expertise and knowledge, through the creation of a common network.

 Reduce the gap between the governmental sector, the private sector and research institutions: through the establishment of a legal framework that will allow the creation of a joint council representing all three sectors.

 Open horizons towards new markets such as the Maghrebi countries (Morocco, Tunisia, and others African or Asian countries) and the creation of a partnership between the two countries.

 Ensure that the following themes become a priority in each country; i) engage in encouraging the producing unit i.e. farmers, to have a more business oriented mindset, ii) Set investment incentives to revive the agriculture sector, and iii) Prioritize agricultural curriculum in universities and making them more market oriented.

Particular interest was shown to conducting study tours and visiting cooperatives in France to learn about their history, foundation and functioning, as part of the expertise and knowledge exchange.

The participants also insisted on the great opportunities that ESSP II has created since its beginning for both countries. Through the multiple reunions and workshops, communication increased and the exchange of knowledge was greatly reinforced, which helped in creating stronger links and shed light on common issues and potential of improvement in the agriculture sector.

SUB REGIONAL SEMINAR ON" PESTICIDES USE AND MANAGEMENT FOR MORE INTEGRATED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION", CAIRO 14TH AND 15TH MARCH, 2018

This last sub-regional workshop, held in Cairo on March 14 th and 15 th 2018, was an opportunity to present ESSP II activities and results summary. It also allowed presenting pesticides use and traceability local experiences. The Sanine cooperative, Lebanese cooperative, was invited to present the certification system that it has put in place. This certification has enabled export the cooperators apple production. Then, the Egyptian Agricultural Export Council presented its export difficulties related to pesticide residues and the solutions put in place. A field visit to a private Egyptian company concluded the workshop.

The problem of pesticide residues is a major obstacle to agricultural products export from both countries and has a negative impact on populations' health and the environment.

In Lebanon, a national charter and a phytosanitary guide applied to the apple sector were established with collaboration with different sector stakeholders. The Lebanese Minister of Agriculture signed this charter and it was adopted so far by nine agricultural cooperatives.

In Egypt, farmers support and pesticides use control were addressed as part of agricultural extension system reform.

An idea to create a charter and a logo on the products origin associating the two countries was greatly appreciated by the participants.

  ENPARD South Support project (ESSP II) was launched in 2015, in an institutional context marked by the change of Minister of Agriculture and ESSP II focal point, Mrs. Mona MEHREZ, Director of the Department of External Relations at the Ministry of Agriculture replaced by Dr. Dina EL KHISHIN. Despite these changes, good communication and smooth coordination have been established with the new focal point and the external relations department.

  3 rd , 2015. It brought together 20 senior staffs from the Ministry of Agriculture, researchers from the Agriculture Research Center (ARC), academics, civil society representatives and agricultural cooperatives representatives. It aimed to present the ESSP II, to propose the think tank constitution and to carry out a pre-identification of the work topics. The national launching seminar was organized on October 19 th 2015. It was inaugurated by His Excellency the Minister of Agriculture Dr. Issam FAYED, in the presence of Dr. Dina EL KHISHIN, ESSP II focal point, and an EU Delegation representative. It brought together 25 participants representing different categories of agricultural sector actors .The ESSP II implementation methodology was presented and validated during the workshop. This methodology was the result of collaboration between the CIHEAM-IAMM and the Think Tank team. It proposed three stages for national workshops pilotage: i.

REGIONAL SEMINAR ON "AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AND ADVISORY SERVICES ROLE IN AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY COMPETITIVENESS", CAIRO 11 TH AND 12 TH JANUARY 2017

  2. Write and submit a summary note on ESSP II results and methodology to theEgyptian -Lebanese Inter-ministerial Committee, in order to inspire them with the project collaborative dynamic between different Mediterranean countries. 3. Invite the Inter-ministerial Committee to support Maghreb and Machrek experiences and knowledge exchanges.

SUB-

EU-funded project between

and 2015, implemented by the Federation of Horticultural Exporters with the support of several national NGOs

A speaker from the Chamber of Agriculture of Herault (Xavier CRETE) presented the agricultural advisory system in France and its history and a concrete case of development action in the Herault department.

Access to the study : https://cloudia.iamm.fr/index.php/s/CLyHr0bjdpdyDsZ(EN)

Access to study :https://cloudia.iamm.fr/index.php/s/HMcZ1kKi2u5hmsr


Relations of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, to identify thematic priorities and an action plan. This meeting allowed the ESSP II team to present the project approach and topics addressed in the different partner countries.

Following discussions, two priority themes have been identified:

 Agricultural cooperatives and their contribution to agricultural development,  An analysis of the use of the opportunities offered by the preferential access granted by the EU to its market (which could not be achieved during the ESSP second phase).



AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES

A first national workshop under the umbrella of the The first session of the workshop was dedicated to presentations and general discussions on Jordanian agriculture, the cooperative system, obstacles and difficulties and the solutions and leverages.

This session was introduced by Dr. Radi TARAWNAH, Director General of the Jordanian Cooperatives Corporation, and a presentation by Dr. Tahani ABDELHAKIM, ESSP II Coordinator for Jordan, who outlined the objectives of the ENPARD Mediterranean Initiative, as well as the working methodology as well as the workshop program, its objectives and the expected results.

Mr. Olivier RIVES, European expert on cooperatives, prepared a guidance note and a presentation on the European experience showing the evolution of agricultural cooperatives, their functions and their strategic role in the agricultural sector, as well as their principles and management methods. This presentation has served as a basis for debate.

Finally, the Deputy Director of the JCC, Dr. Khaled TAWALBAH, gave a comprehensive presentation of the cooperative system in Jordan, emphasizing its crucial role for the agricultural sector (number of cooperatives, functions, geographical distribution, Main projects implemented by cooperatives ...).

The second session of the workshop was reserved for debate among the participants who was divided into working groups on the basis of an analysis grid, in order to put in situation the stakeholders and to better frame the questions and debates.

The workshop allowed providing a diagnosis of Jordanian agriculture, to discuss the current situation of agricultural cooperatives in Jordan and their strategic role in the development of the agricultural sector and to discuss their technical and organizational aspects in order to formulate a series of the cooperative system reform recommendations.

At the end of the workshop, it was recommended that the Director General of the JCC set up a Working Committee to deepen the workshop results, carry out complementary studies case and develop a strategy draft that aims to strengthen the role of cooperatives in agricultural development and improve their performance.

An expert from CIHEAM participated in the symposium organized on April 25 th and 26 th 2018 as the first international agricultural exhibition in Jordan. The presentation on the French experience "Agricultural cooperatives in France: possible lessons for Jordan?" Served as an introduction to the debate on the future of agricultural cooperatives in Jordan and on the measures to be taken to consolidate and modernize the sector.

This debate gave a good visibility to the topic of agricultural cooperatives, both internally with Jordanian actors and externally with international scientific visitors and decision-makers, most of them from the Arab world.

KEY RESULT

The ESSP II has been part of the agricultural policy defined in the economic growth plan 2018/2022 which identifies among its priority axes: "to revise the law of cooperatives and its mechanisms".

ESSPII work provided the basis for a first draft of a national strategy on agriculture cooperatives to be taking charge by the Jordan Union of Cooperatives.

The ESSP II allowed the Jordanian partners to experiment, during the workshop, a working method that fosters an inclusive national dialogue involving the Ministry of Agriculture, the National Center for Agricultural Research, the private sector and the producer organizations, in particular the Jordan Union of Cooperatives.

The ESSP II in Jordan led to:

-Co-organization with the Jordanian Cooperative Corporation (JCC) of a workshop bringing together 35 participants representing main public and private actors in the agricultural sector;

-Production of a mission report, a guidance note for the workshop on cooperatives and a workshop report and the dissemination of a presentation on the experience of cooperatives in Europe;

-Intervention of a European external expert during the workshop and the symposium.

  ESSP II was held on July 11 th and 12 th 2017. It was co-organized by the Jordan Cooperative Corporation (JCC) which coordinates all sectors cooperatives and ESSP II Team. The workshop brought together around 35 participants from the different stakeholder groups involved in the Jordanian agricultural cooperative system (Ministry of Agriculture, JCC, National Center for Agricultural Research, agricultural union, agricultural cooperatives and private sector including exporters). A representative of the EU Delegation and a representative of FAO also participated in the workshop.

Despite the interest of the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture in the ENPARD South Support Project (ESSPII), the project implementation was slowed by a lack of understanding of the project as well as a late response from the Jordanian authorities due to the procedures between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of International Cooperation.

The activities implementation started in 2017 and a national workshop was organized in July of the same year. Agriculture, Mr. Radi TRAWNAH, Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture and representatives of the Jordan Cooperative Corporation, as well as the Department of European


IMPLEMENTATION CONDITIONS ANALYSIS

Following the discussions with the European Commission during the agricultural subcommittee in Beit-Dagan in December 2015, the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development requested officially to join the second phase of the ENPARD South Support Project (ESSPII). The Israeli government expressed its interest on mobilizing the ENPARD initiative and to use it as an instrument to support the strategic thinking on the Israeli agriculture support system reform, by taking advantage of the European experiences and expertise in the field of agricultural and rural development policies.

The ESSP II focal point, Dr. Yael KACHEL, Head of the Research Unit in the Research, Economics and Strategy Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, was quickly appointed. The involvement and the effectiveness of the focal point and the Ministry of Agriculture in the planning and the implementation of the activities led to good results. The discussions with different stakeholders were frank and direct. The logistic conditions were also good and the Israeli Ministry of agriculture agreed to take charge of most of local expenses.

During each workshop, field trips were organized to allow the ESSP II team and European experts to understand better the Israeli context and to have direct and informal contact with Farmers.

We must also underline the strong involvement of the EU Delegation in Israel, both during the preparation of the workshops and during the events organized by ESSP II team led by Mr. Pascal BERGERET with the support of Mr. Michel PETIT. The European Union, through its country representatives, has been systematically invited. Their feedback on the activities implemented in Israel was excellent.

ACTIVITIES SUMMARY

A first mission was conducted by Pascal BERGERET and Michel PETIT on February, 15 th to 17th, 2016, to specify the ESSP II activities, to define the methodology and stakeholders responsibilities and to finalize the first semester work plan. During the mission, the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture pointed out that the agricultural policy reform, with focus on the reduction of the price support government intervention and the introduction of Direct Payments to farmers, was the priority theme.

HIGH LEVEL SEMINAR: "REFORM OF ISRAELI SUPPORT POLICY FOR THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR"

A first national seminar was organized, in Tel Aviv, on May from 17 th to 19 th 2016 on the initiative of the Israeli Ministry of Israeli agricultural policy reform and in particular the transition from price subsidies of Agriculture and with the support of the EU Delegation and ESSP II. The aim was to facilitate a participative thinking on the process system to direct payment system, modelled on the European experience.

In preparation to the workshop, a field trip was organized by the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture to acquaint experts with Israeli agriculture context and to provide an interesting insight into Israeli agriculture diversity as well as the common issues. The visit was an opportunity for farmers to openly express their opinions on the Israeli agriculture support policy reform and to explain their expectations. Debates around different topics concluded these presentations. The workshop was structured into five sessions, each introduced by a presentation by a Ministry of Agriculture official followed by a presentation by a European expert. These sessions concerns a predetermined theme:

 The different approaches to support for farmers' difficulties illustrated by the CAP and its evolutions;

 Direct payments and agri-environmental subsidies;

 Reduction of fruit and vegetable sector indirect support and alternative support instruments;

 Reform of support to the dairy sector;

 Income insurance and social security.

Presentations by Israeli officials and European experts provided valuable information to keep the debate and discussions with Finance Ministry officials, Israeli academics, WTO representatives and the EU delegation.

Overall, nearly 50 participants attended this workshop. The main conclusions are the following:

 The implementation of direct payment system requires a comprehensive review on payments calculation basis, on the level of decoupling, of the nature of the public goods which has to be produced as a condition to receive them, and of potential regional disparities.

 In the case of fruits and vegetables, the CAP support has been particular as it was managed directly by producers' organizations (POs) which leaded to reinforce the farmers negotiating power which is currently in favor of the wholesalers and retailers;

 Regarding the Israeli dairy sector, alternative measures to quotas are also considered, especially, direct payments, particular financial instruments, voluntary schemes to reduce production, long term forward pricing, income insurance, etc…

The EU experience shows that in a situation of price volatility, direct payments might not enough to stabilize farmers' income;

 There is a growing interest and demand on risk management tools in Israel which could be explained by the agricultural sector liberalization and growing capital investment in farms operations.

To conclude the workshop, a public round table with Israeli stakeholders was held to debate with participants on the future reform of agricultural support system, particular, on the direct payments.

The public roundtable gathered around 100 participants in the Ministry of Agriculture and farmers and farmers' organizations were strongly represented. After a summarized presentation by EU experts, a debate was organized during which farmers expressed their concerns about reforms and price support policy abolition.

NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON "UNFAIR COMMERCIAL PRACTICES IN THE FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SECTOR"

A second workshop was jointly organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and the ESSPII team on September 14 th and 15 th 2016 on "unfair trading practices in the fresh fruits and vegetables sector". It aimed, on the basis of European experiences, to discuss possible measures to be taken by the government and private regulatory instruments to fight against the unfair trading practices. The workshop was divided into two parts. The first day was dedicated to the experts' presentations followed by discussions. Then, during the second day, a technical workshop was organized with a limited number of participants representing different sector actors in order to draw conclusions and move towards practical solutions. The meeting brought together more than 80 participants representing different stakeholders of fresh fruit & vegetables value chain (producers, farmers' organizations, trade unions, distributors, wholesalers, Israeli ministries and public agencies ...).

After the introductory speech of Mr. Shlomo BEN ELIYAHU, Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, three European experts presented relevant European experiences:

 Professor Jean-Marie CODRON analyzed the fresh fruits and vegetables sector specific characteristics (wide heterogeneity of products, constraints due to the "fresh" nature of the products…). He explained the need to maintain a high flexibility to sector actors and to avoid multiple binding rules. The sector actors are facing some rough circumstances to deal with, hence, the need to develop private tools and mechanisms.



Mr. Raymond TANS, Dutch consultant, presented the European experience, more particularly, the Dutch experience on the fresh fruits and vegetables sector regulation. He explained that the European Commission preferred voluntary approaches, competition respect and public arbitration instead of new unsuitable regulations for the sector. The Dutch experience, where law tradition is closer to that of Anglo-Saxon countries, has demonstrated that private mechanisms are more appropriate to struggle against unfair practices.



Mr. Yvon AUFFRET, CERAFEL Director, an organization bringing together the Bretagne fresh fruits and vegetables producers associations, focused on the French experience and the difficulties met by the government to implement regulation tools in this particular sector. For Mr. AUFFRET, fighting the unfair trading practices should be based on well-structured and powerful producers' organizations which give them a strong position to negotiate with others actors.

Then, Dr. Yael KACHEL, ESSPII Israel Focal Point, has presented the results of a wide consultation among the fruits and vegetables growers aiming to identify the difficulties they are facing during the negotiations with retailers. This survey revealed the unbalance between producers and retailers, who are said to impose many constraints and conditions on farmers and are often perceived as acting in a discretionary manner. This is exacerbated by the concentration of retailers (large supermarket chains) and the fragmentation of farms. These presentations were followed by discussions with relevant stakeholders: producers, wholesalers and distributors, academics researchers, Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Consumption Affairs officials. It emerged that the general lack of trust between sector operators requires the establishment, at least temporarily, of negotiations and disputes mediation mechanisms, in which the Ministry of Agriculture must take up the lead, at least till restoring a good level of trust between operators.

The second day of the workshop has enabled to discuss concrete measures to struggle against unfair practices. This technical workshop brought together thirty participants from fresh fruits and vegetables value chain actors in Israel, concerned Ministries and the academic world.

Beyond differences of opinion, the workshop participants agreed on privileged points to address the unfair practices issue which are:

 The need to progress gradually in favor of private mechanisms and tools based on voluntary schemes and to attribute to the Ministry of Agriculture the role of mediator during negotiations and disputes;

 The definition of different quality scales for fresh products in order to facilitate transactions and to maintain the possibility to go to an independent mediation in case of dispute.

Finally, the need to adopt clear trade principles and rules in transactions was underlined. It allows avoiding certain biases on the basis of the following principles:

 Risk sharing between different actors;

 Adoption of written contracts between producers and retailers;

 Approval of clear principles for pricing;

 Provision of evidence of the non-saleable nature of products delivered and immediate information provided to producers;

 More transparency in relations and prohibition of unilateral changes to the contract;

 Elaboration of an actualized regulation on retailers' licenses.

NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON "THE GREENING OF ISRAEL AGRICULTURAL POLICY"

Recently, the environmental impacts of Israeli agricultural production are increasingly at the center of discussions among both agricultural stakeholders and public opinion. Israelis are increasingly concerned about the agriculture negative externalities to the environment and the sustainability of the Israeli agricultural model.

In this context, a third national ESSP II workshop was held from 20 th to 22 nd June 2017 on "the greening of Israeli agricultural policy". The first day was dedicated to several field visits so that European experts can discover different agro-ecological projects and initiatives in the Israeli territory:

 An integrated crop protection project composed of olfactory traps to control insect pests in orchards and therefore reducing the use of pesticides. These tools are coupled with support for producers and trainings in order to achieve a threshold effect on the given perimeter;

 Ramat Hana Div center dedicated to research for the development of a more sustainable and inclusive economy (involvement of the public opinion and local authorities in decision-making);

 The Afikei Emek Hefer wastewater treatment center facilitates the compatibility of a dynamic agricultural activity in a fairly dense habitat. The differentiated wastewater treatments according to the water usage, demonstrates innovative efforts to tackle severe water scarcity...



The Milky Way dairy farm, an illustration of the reform of the cattle breeding sector in Israel aiming in particular at limiting potential conflicts with citizens (treatment of solid waste, transfer of liquid waste to a biogas unit, management of livestock housing to improve animal welfare, etc.);

 The visit of the last site on the municipality of Emek Hefer provided the opportunity to discuss integrated crop protection based on the participatory collection of data in the plots as well as the rehabilitation of a favorable habitat to wildlife (wetlands, vegetal corridors…);

 The workshop's second day Fist session was devoted to an open public conference organised by the Directorate of Extension Services of the Ministry, with about 200 participants. The session was introduced by a presentation of agri-environmental projects implemented in Israel (wastewater treatment, desalination, flood waters recovery, pilot projects aiming at harmonious coexistence between farmers and inhabitants while preserving resources) and tools and support systems developed by the Ministry to promote a more eco-responsible agricultural sector.

Then, European experts presented the European experience in agri-environmental policy by addressing the following topics:

 Krzysztof SULIMA, DG Agriculture European Commission, presented the EU's pesticide management and EU agri-environmental policy,  Karine BARRIÈE, Corrèze Agriculture Chamber and Yolande Delmas, Ecophyto "farmer", presented the eco-phyto plan in France (DEPHY),  Sophie THOYER, Sup Agro Montpellier, presented "Agro-environmental measures in the CAP and their impacts" and "The success of agri-environmental programs: lessons from the behavioral economy",  Pierre SHWARTZ, French Ministry of Agriculture, presented the Agro ecological Project in France,  Petra BERKHOUT, University of Wageningen, presented "Agro-environmental measures indicators and agri-environmental measures in the Netherlands" and "The sustainable value chain in the dairy sector".

The plenary session, thus, allowed European and Israeli experts to present and discuss agrienvironmental projects and policies, their application and their field implications, the limits and difficulties related to practices adoption by farmers and the monitoring of their implementation. In the afternoon a technical roundtable on pesticides gathering about sixty people took place.

The last day was devoted to two round tables, one on agricultural policy alternative approaches to promote sustainable practices (regulatory approaches, incentive approaches, behavioral approaches, etc.) and the other on effectiveness and impact of agri-environmental policies indicators.

NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON "FINDING ALTERNATIVES TO ISRAELI DAIRY POLICY"

The dairy sector is a key sector for Israeli agriculture and enjoys a strong regulatory and support measures. In March 2018, a new law, on dairy sector regulations, in particular on the raw dairy price was, was expected to be published, which resulted many debates on the nature and public support to the sector.

In this context, the fourth national ESSP II workshop on "finding alternatives to Israeli dairy policy" was held from 19 th to 21 st December 2017, bringing together all the Israeli dairy sector actors. Israeli stakeholders wished to take advantage of the European experience in supporting the dairy sector and in especially the recent reforms in this sector (end of milk quotas in 2015)

and their consequences in different European contexts. On this basis, experts and participants explored and compared possible alternatives to the Israeli Dairy public support policy.

Three European experts were mobilized:

 Christophe PERROT, a French expert from the French Livestock Institute -L'Institut de l'Elevage (a non-profit, non-governmental R&D organization appointed by the French Ministry of Agriculture) to introduce the French experience ;

 Trevor DONNELLAN, an expert from Teagasc -the Agriculture and Food Development Authority (the national body providing integrated research, advisory and training services to the agriculture and food industry and rural communities) to introduce the Irish experience;

 Roel JONGENEEL, from the Wageningen University to introduce the European experience and the reform of the EU dairy policy, the abolition of milk quotas and its consequences.

Several meetings were held during the workshop, including a public plenary session, as well as a round table, to further discuss the analysis of the Israeli dairy sector and scenarios for the public sector support evolution and the possible adaptation of existing tools to the local context. Two working meetings were also organized with researchers from the Department of Environmental Economics (Faculty of Agriculture, Hebrew University), to continue discussions and work on this topic and the Ministry of Agriculture representatives to draw conclusions from the workshop. All of these meetings discussed benefits and inconvenient of the reform studied scenarios.

At the end of the workshop, the European position experts were summarized by one of them as follows: "In the first intention, it appears that the Israeli current system cost is very low at the sight of climate constraints but also geopolitical ones. Going further than a marginal improvement would be a very important risk taking, regarding the 85% of self-sufficiency, stability and control of the situation and a price of fresh dairy barely higher than that found in France".

At the End of the seminar, the government's decision tends to confirm experts opinion through:

 Maintaining quotas with softening quota transfer conditions between producers;

 Maintaining the floor price to the producer, but in its lower level;

 Introducing of milk production investments support and gradual opening up to import.

NATIONAL WORKSHOP "THE GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT"

A final national workshop on "Geographical Indications as a Rural Development Instrument" was held in Tel Aviv and two regions (Galilee and Mate Yuda) from 6 th to 8 th March 2018. The European experience served as a platform to explore implementing geographical indications potential in Israel.



  The CIHEAM-IAMM has chosen a panel of experts putting into perspective the European Commission points of view: Federico DESIMONI, GeneralDirector of Protection Consortium of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, Deputy General Manager of the Parma Ham Protection Consortium and Member of the Safeguarding and Independence Committee of the Instituto Parma Qualita, Yves DIETRICH, French viticulturist, member of the Wine Committee of INAO (National Institute of Appellations of Origin) and Chairman of the Organic Wine Commission of INAO, Anne LAUMONIER, Senior Legal Adviser and Referent for Geographical Indications in the European and International Departments of the General Directorate for Economic and Environmental Performance of Enterprises (DGPE) of the French Ministry of Agriculture,  Hélène ILBERT, Lecturer and Researcher at CIHEAM-IAMM, specializing in the field of Geographic Indications in the Mediterranean,

  The workshop has mobilized different Israeli experts as well as five European specialized experts in a different aspect of European Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) and support to farmer policies:  Mr. Allan MATTHEWS, Professor Emeritus of European Agricultural Policy, TrinityCollege Dublin:"The Rationale of Support for Farmers: Lessons of the EU Experience", an overview of the historical evolution of CAP and the rationale for it.

	 Mrs. Sophie TOYER, Montpellier SupAgro: presented "The EU Experience: From Price
	Support to Direct Income Support", an in-depth analysis of the causes and
	consequences of the shift to direct payment in the CAP.
	 Mr. Jean-Christophe DEBAR, FARM foundation: Experience in the EU and other
	countries (US, Canada): "The Changing Landscape of Risk and Crisis Management in
	Agriculture", an extensive analyses of measures within the CAP to manage risks and
	crisis, and of the perspectives of development in that sector.
	 Mr. Tomas Garcia AZCARATE ,head of Unit for olive oil and horticultural products in
	the European Commission, DG AGRI: the Reform of the Fruit and Vegetable Sector,
	Particularly on How to Strengthen the Role of Co-operatives", insisting on the
	importance of support to farmers' organizations and co-operatives for the sector of
	fruits and vegetables
	 Mr. Trevor DONNELLAN, from Teagasc, Ireland: "Reform of the Israeli Dairy Sector: The
	Experience of Quota Removal and Price Volatility in the EU", which dwelled extensively
	on the factors leading to the removal of dairy quotas in the EU and its consequences
	for the milk sector.

Overall the project has allowed to:



Organize 5 national workshops bringing together the main public and private actors.



Organize field visits to enrich discussions.



Produce 5 guidance notes, 5 workshop reports and 25 presentations on relevant topics.



Involve 24 European experts.

 Natalie NATHON, International Relations Officer, GI Expert, DG Agriculture and Rural Development of the EC: EU policy framework and developments in the GIs context.

From their side, the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture has invited the Ministry of Justice heads in charge of intellectual property rights, EU Delegation representatives, the French Embassy, as well as public and private operators.

The Israeli Interest on IGs topic was confirmed during the final working session. The Israeli authorities intend to keep the work already started, as the typical products differentiation and protection by GIs are now considered an asset. A pilot project is currently being developing for Upper Judaean and Lower Judea wines. It should be noted that the work of a student, supervised in 2017, by the CIHEAM-IAMM, on that topic was useful.

KEY RESULTS

The


ACTIVITIES SUMMARY

A first mission, which aimed to launch the activities of the ESSP II in Palestine, was organized on December from 14 th to 16 th 2015. It was an opportunity to meet the Minister of Agriculture His Excellency Dr. Sofian SOLTANE, as well as the head of the agricultural sector of the EU Mission for Palestine, Mr. Carlo MARSICO.

A multi-stakeholder meeting was organized and facilitated by the focal point, Mr. ABULABAN involved representatives of different ministerial departments and the Agricultural Research Center officials, as well as Agricultural Unions and the private sector. The meeting allowed identifying two thematic priorities:  Production costs reduction through a better use of resources and an improvement of the production techniques in a context of land fragmentation,  The increase of export to the European market and the quality of exported products.

LAUNCH WORKSHOP

The Palestinian speakers emphasized in their speeches the importance of European aid in the context of reduced international aid to Palestine. They also stressed their will to increase agricultural exports, especially to the European Union under the trade agreement signed in 2012.

Subsequently, Mr. ABULABAN, presented the priority challenges identified during the ESSP II first meeting. These priorities were then broken down into sub-themes to be discussed during national workshops:

 Lower production costs and improved marketing;

 Improving the agricultural products quality for better value;

 Rural development through the regulation of the domestic agricultural market  And, the supply of domestic markets.

The ESSP II focal point concluded the discussions by underlining the difficulties and barriers in the export and how much it is important, for Palestinian framers and rural territories, to be able to export their products.  Nasser QADUS, from the American Near East Refugee Aid, showcased "the use of treated water in Agriculture: socio-economic and legal aspects: a case study from Palestine".

MANAGEMENT OF THE WAT ER RESOURCES USE

During the discussions, participants pointed out the need to adopt relevant regulations concerning water tariffs and water user associations. These regulations are essential for irrigation water good management. It is, as well, necessary to develop and implement good practices and innovations on water saving and unconventional use of water. Such techniques are available and have proven efficient on an experimental scale and need to be implemented on a larger scale. It is necessary to focus on water demand management through new modern approaches and to organize irrigation systems with improved physical and institutional infrastructure.

MARKETING AND VALORIZ ATION OF PALESTINIAN AGRICULTU RAL PRODUCTS ON THE EUROPEAN MARKET

The national workshop on "The Marketing of Palestinian Agricultural Products on the European Market" was organized in association with the Palestinian Trade Center (PalTrade) and was held from April 10 th to 12 th, 2017. Its main purpose was to discuss the opportunities offered by the new trade agreement concluded in 2012, which strengthens preferential access to the European market and the means to fully benefit from it by increasing the volumes of products identified as having high potential and by improving their added value and nutritional and sanitary quality.

The Palestinian partners had previously identified five groups of products: aromatic and medicinal plants, dates, capsicum, olive oil, cluster tomatoes and five export target countries: the Netherlands, the United Kingdom (before Brexit), Germany, Italy and Sweden.

On this basis, 6 European experts specialized in targeted markets and / or selected products have been identified, with various profiles (import promotion offices, agronomy researchers, consultants ...) :

 Husam Al Dakak: Project manager at the German Import Promotion Desk for the fresh sector and external consultant specialized in supporting companies for production and exports to Europe exporting companies in Europe  Catherine Hebting: Consultant at the German Import Promotion Desk, natural ingredients expert specializing in the training of exporters,  Roberta Callieris: Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, Expert in socio-economic analysis in Mediterranean countries with a focus on agro-food marketing, market studies, consumer analysis, and supply chain analysis,  Raymond Tans: Expert on Dutch horticulture and agriculture, consultant for companies and organizations to set up strategies for public affairs and lobby on EU and Dutch level  Helena Hafgren: Market expert consultant for the Swedish National Board of Trade and the Open Trade Gate Sweden,  Johan Blanche: Olive oil expert and consultant for Swedish importers and distributors.

The presentations showed that the target markets are very competitive, in particular regarding olive oil, dates or tomatoes in Italy and Germany, or in an early stage of development. But, they have a high potential on premium gastronomic products like aromatic plants, olive oil in Sweden and Germany in particular. Innovation in presentation and packaging represents a major factor of sales development; original packaging, ecological, cool fresh products ... Even in highly competitive and saturated markets, marketing innovation is still a good means to gain market share.

Moreover, according to the experts, Palestinian products, while timidly present on the European markets, could benefit from the goodwill of many consumers that could help their position.

The experts showed the importance of storytelling, to build a story around the product highlighting its typicality, authenticity and originality, to establish an identity and create appetite for European consumers who are responsive to this type of marketing.

Finally, Palestinian exporters should also meet the demands of reliability, traceability and predictability expressed by European operators. The products must meet all the targeted countries standards as well as importers specific rules. Palestinian producers should also go beyond these requirements and place themselves into European niche markets such as organic and fair trade products.

At the same time, it would seem opportune to discuss the development of new products that Palestinian climatic and environmental conditions allow to produce: avocados (whose demand is strongly growing in European countries), pomegranates, raspberries, figs, exotic fruits etc. Such products are already successfully exported by countries with conditions comparable to those in Palestine and are particularly popular on the European market.

In conclusion, Husam Al DAKAK, Project Manager at the German Import Promotion Desk for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Sector, issued some tips and requirements to increase the Palestinian market shares in Europe:



KEY RESULTS

ESSP II has been part of the national Palestinian strategy for the agricultural sector, where water resources management is a priority, as well as the marketing of high value-added products, in particular to the European market where Palestine has privileged access.

Through the setting up of a think tank and the organization of 3 workshops, the project has created a new space for inclusive national dialogue on these topics, bringing together Palestinian agriculture and trade stakeholders, especially farmers and exporters. It also promoted inter-ministerial dialogue, particularly on exports to the European market.

Specifically, concerning the use of preferential access to the European market, ESSP II by mobilizing high-level expertise has provided information on 6 European products / markets, which can be used by the Paltrade. Following the workshop, the ESSP II put Paltrade in contact with European experts regarding export potential in the EU.

1

  This national report is an integral part of the of the second Phase final report of the ENPARD South Support Project which was implemented from July 2015 to June 2018 in eight Mediterranean countries. For further information please contact:  Jean-Paul Pellissier -pellissier@iamm.fr  Pascal Bergeret -bergeret@iamm.fr The implementation of the ENPARD South Support project (ESSP II) has been part of the new agricultural strategy of Palestine. The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture, particularly through the ESSP II Palestine focal point, Mr. Tareq ABULABAN, Director General of the Department of Agricultural Marketing, has on many occasions, underlined the interest of the Palestinian Ministry of agriculture to the ENPARD initiative and pointed out the strategic nature of this opportunity, offered by the European Union, to debate on Palestinian agricultural and rural development major issues with the support of European experts. Palestine has implemented a think tank under the lead of the ESSP II focal point. It was composed of nine officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Agricultural Research Center, the Palestinian Water Authority, the Palestine Trade Center and the private sector. The think tank specified the work themes and organized, together with the CIHEAM-IAMM team, under the lead of Mr. Pascal Bergeret and the support of Mr. Aymeric Debrun, different activities like the launching workshop and thematic seminars.Despite the limited resources of the Ministry of Agriculture, two workshops per year were organized in Palestine and the project implementation pace met the Palestinian partners expectations and allowed to mobilize a group of experts on technical and specialized topics.

Following

  the launching workshop, a national seminar on "The socio-economic dimensions of water use in agriculture in Palestine" took place on August 24 th , 2016 and brought together about 40 participants. It dealt with two themes; first, the socio-economic dimensions of water use in agriculture and then, the re-use of wastewater to irrigate crops. The discussions were introduced by four speakers identified by the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture and ESSP II teams:  Enrico NERILLI, Irrigation specialist from the CIHEAM-Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, Italy, presented the European experience on the efficient use of water resources in agriculture;  Jacques BERAUD, Water and Environmental Specialist in the Société du Canal de Provence et d'Aménagement de la Région Provençale (SCP), France, who presented two French case studies illustrating the use of treated wastewater in agriculture for the production of high value crops.  Fadi DWEIK, From the Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem presented "the Palestinian case study on the socio-economic dimension of water use in Mediterranean Agriculture";

  Join niche markets such as organic farming or fair trade;  Establish business relationships based on trust, reliability and honesty by partnering with local operators;  Enhance the Palestinian products strong history and identity;  Develop a strong and long-term communication strategy to enhance the image and reputation of Palestinian products. The command of English appears here primordial;  Better understand target markets through support programs and import promotion institutes. Following this national workshop, the Palestinian government entrusted the Palestine Trade Center to further exploring export opportunities in certain markets such as Italy and the Netherlands. It has not been possible to organize another national workshop before the end of the project. Nevertheless, ESSP II workshps allowed PalTrade to get in touch with Italian experts, namely the Italian consultancy firm Nomisma. It appears that PalTrade needs continued support in this area, beyond the ESSPII.

-

  Implement a think tank of 9 members associating the Ministry of Agriculture, research, Paltrade and the private sector; -Organize 3 workshops (a launching workshop and two thematic workshops) bringing together more than 150 peoples; -Produce a note on Palestinian agriculture and its challenges, two briefing notes, two workshop reports, disseminate four presentations on water management, two of which present European experiences and six presentations on European markets for Palestinian agricultural products; -Invite 4 experts on water management among them 2 European experts and 6 European experts on the marketing of Palestinian agricultural products; -Brought together Paltrade and European expertise regarding export potentials to EU.

to take advantage of the privileged status granted by the European Union to Palestine in terms of agricultural products trade? ».

	Palestine Joint Committee, and Mr. Pascal BERGERET, Director of CIHEAM-IAMM and ESSP II
	Country coordinator. It brought together 47 participants representing main actors of the
	agricultural sector.
	launching seminar of the ESSP II in Palestine was organized on August 23 rd 2016 in
	Ramallah. It aimed to present the identified themes and to address a transversal issue: "How
	The seminar was opened by Mr. Abdullah LAHLUH, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mr.
	Stephan SALAMA, Advisor to the Prime Minister and President of the European Commission-