Mali mango exports boom
Mali, a landlocked African state, has more than quadrupled its
exports of mangoes in just four years and is on track to quintuple
the volume by the end of 2009. Guided by an ITC-led project, the
country has also seen its number of export partners increase from
just one country, France, in 2005, to five European countries,
several Arab states and various regional neighbours in 2008.
Producers learned to identify market requirements and obtain
accurate market information, as well as to diversify markets,
improve packaging and meet international quality and safety
standards. ITC is helping with trade negotiations and acting as an
honest broker to bring Malian exporters into contact with potential
importers at international trade fairs such as Berlin's Fruit
Logistica.
Incomes soar for Lao silk
weavers
Building on the successful experience in neighbouring Cambodia,
for the past two years ITC has been helping poor silk weavers in
rural areas of Lao People's Democratic Republic to meet the quality
standards demanded by foreign buyers. It has helped the weavers to
improve the quality of their products, including through new
innovative designs, and build skills in promotion and marketing.
The project, which is focused on four pilot communities, has
included a study tour for weavers to Cambodia to increase their
knowledge of processing and marketing techniques. The first 50
weaver families report significant increases in their incomes.
Opportunities crafted for
Cambodian women
In one of Cambodia's poorest provinces, women craft producers'
groups have been strengthening production capacity and building
lasting links to the market. The Partnership for Gender Equity
programme brings together ITC, the Cambodian Government's Ministry
of Women's Affairs and the United Nations Development Programme,
and aims to help women producers' groups in particular to reach the
quality standards needed to increase domestic and export sales of
their goods. It also aims to help build the country's own capacity
to provide business support services for women entrepreneurs.
Helping business make the most of the EC-CARIFORUM Partnership
Agreement
ITC's package of programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean
help businesses take advantage of export opportunities, covering
areas such as help with packaging and meeting quality standards in
order to enter international markets, branding, identifying niche
opportunities, trade promotion, customs and trade finance. ITC
developed a guide on the EC-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership
Agreement to help businesses in the Caribbean identify new
investment and export opportunities for the services sectors.
Tajik growers certified for better business
For the first time in Tajikistan, two fruit and vegetable
processing companies have obtained an internationally recognized
certification for food safety management. Until now, most food
products in Central Asia have not met international food safety and
quality standards and have therefore been unable to compete in
world markets. The two Tajik companies were pilot enterprises
working with ITC; certification is expected to help them break into
international markets and should also boost their image and
reputation with partners and clients.
Improving Vietnamese handicraft standards
ITC has teamed up with four other United Nations agencies in
Viet Nam to boost development of the rural handicraft sector, by
improving standards and linking producers to potential markets.
Targeting 4,450 poor rural households, the programme aims to
increase the incomes of people engaged in producing handicrafts and
small furniture, and growing or collecting the relevant raw
materials.
Fresh produce thrives in Kyrgyzstan
Through an ITC trade promotion project, fruit and vegetable
producers in Kyrgyzstan have seen exports soar in recent years. By
encouraging producers to examine their business in detail, the
project helped them to identify and discard loss-making products,
and instead focus on profitable products and markets. The value of
fruit and vegetables exported rose 59 per cent from 2006 to 2007,
while the overall revenues of the Association of Fruit and
Vegetable Processors was up a remarkable 67 per cent.
Romania receives vital market intelligence
Working together, ITC and the Government of Romania have set up
an interactive trade information web portal, which aims to
strengthen links between the local business community and markets
in Europe and elsewhere. Development of the new portal was part of
a larger Swiss-funded ITC project designed to boost Romania's
export potential. Despite the country's good economic growth after
joining the European Community in 2007, the recent global downturn
is a reminder of how essential it is to have access to
comprehensive, timely and reliable trade intelligence.
Ugandan coffee goes organic
ITC is helping some 3,000 farmers, mostly women, in south-west
Uganda to boost their incomes by securing organic certification
that will enable them to supply their products to supermarkets in
the United Kingdom. At the same time, the ITC Trade and Environment
programme is focusing on reducing soil erosion and improving water
quality in the coffee-growing areas. Organic production methods
also help increase carbon sequestration, thus contributing to the
fight against climate change.