To strengthen the capabilities of member countries in research on and development of mandate
crops by promoting and co-ordinating networks, in order to benefit producing countries, farmers,
users, and consumers by contributing to increased coconut and oil palm production.
Specific objectives:
§ To identify and address researchable constraints and opportunities for the development of the
sustainable production of coconut and oil palm.
§ To help formulating research and development projects, to identify funding for their

¿La conservation et l¿utilisation durable des ressources génétiques pour l¿agriculture et
l¿alimentation ont été traitées lors de la Conférence de Leipzig comme des questions
de caractère mondial. Le Plan d¿action mondial (Global plan of action/GPA) traduit en
terme opérationnel ce double enjeu planétaire de la conservation et de l¿utilisation
durable des RG."

¿The Leipzig conference has considered the conservation and sustainable utilization
of genetic resources for agriculture and food as global issues. The Global Plan of
Action (GPA) translates this double global challenge of GR conservation and
sustainable utilization into operational terms.¿

Date palm, Phoenix dactylifera, is a major agricultural crop in the Near East and
African Regions, and its economical role in the countries of these regions is well
recognized.
The world date palm production (about 4.6 million tons in 1997) is concentrated
mostly in the Near East and Africa. About 70% of it is concentrated in six countries
namely; Iran (918131 tons), Egypt (750000 tons), Iraq (660000 tons), Saudi Arabia
(649239 tons), Pakistan (536000 tons) and Algeria (387313 tons), 20% in another six

Objectives:
i. Establish functional network secretariat and management structure
ii. Facilitate regional exchange of information on technical aspects of coffee
production, processing, marketing and policy
iii. Identify and prioritise researchable constraints to improving coffee production,
processing, marketing and policy
iv. Develop and/or co-ordinate regional research projects within the network, according
to identified priorities
v. Implement training and capacity building in coffee research in the ASARECA Region

This case study in the development of hot pepper marketing in the Caribbean covers the period from the
early 1980¿s to 2000. During the period several partnerships were forged among a host of public and
private research institutions, export agencies, private companies and farmer groups to solve major
constraints along the commodity chain.
The objective of the study is to examine these partnerships that over time have developed the hot pepper
commodity and taken advantage of specific niches in the marketplace in North

Countries within the Eastern Caribbean have been plagued with problems associated with
mono-crop production. In particular, the regional banana industry, which has employed a number of
small low-resource farmers, is losing its competitive international advantage. This is as a result of
cheaper bananas being exported to Europe from Central and South American producers and the
dismantling of preferential trading arrangements for the Caribbean under new World Trade Organisation

In the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a partnership was formed between seven institutions,
including both governmental and non-governmental organizations, that had been acting previously
and independently in favor of the agroecological movement. In the area of agroecology an interinstitutional
project of this size is innovative in the country, especially when considering the
involvement of public organs.
The general objectives of the project, entitled Rio Agroecology Network, are as follows:

Programa Cooperativo Regional para el Desarrollo Tecnológico y la Modernización de la Caficultura
de Centroamérica, República Dominicana y Jamaica. PROMECAFE