Premium Project for Egyptian Small Growers – Year 3 Qtr 2

The project's primary goal is to provide support to small growers in Egypt so that they can comply with GLOBALG.A.P. and FAIRTRADE standards for small producers. The project's objectives include increasing trust in the fresh produce of Egyptian small growers, improving local sales and enabling export of Egyptian small growers' fresh produce, and creating jobs in the Egyptian fresh produce market. The project's geographical scope includes Beheira, Matrouh, and Luxor governorates, with a total of 4,006 small growers participating in the project. The project has worked with eight small producer organizations, achieving 8 GLOBALG.A.P. certificates (114% of target) and 4 Fairtrade certificates (57% of target), with a general success rate of 86%. The project has also achieved significant progress in other areas, including the number of samples that comply with legal residue levels, the number of cooperatives that can conduct forward/backward traceability tests, and the number of jobs created through the project's activities. The project has faced several challenges, including organizational changes within CEOSS, the partner in Upper Egypt, and the safety, security, and prevailing political situation in 2012/2013. Additionally, the project has encountered difficulties in achieving the Fairtrade target due to the lack of commitment from one of the cooperatives in Beheira and the need for approval from the Ministry of Social Solidarity for the associations in Luxor to receive Premium money from customers abroad. The project has also made significant progress in other areas, including the number of hits on the website that are transferred to actual participation in the project, the number of feddans identified through the use of global positioning system technology, and the number of new supply contracts signed for GLOBALG.A.P. and FAIRTRADE products. The project has created a total of 287 jobs, with 20 jobs created in Luxor related to the implementation of GLOBALG.A.P. standards. The project has also conducted capacity building efforts, with a total of 3,463 participants in Year 3, Quarter 2. The project has worked with various partners, including Blue Moon, Food Experts, Modern Vision, Packhouse & Cold Store, Tut International, and Vision IT, to achieve its objectives. Overall, the project has made significant progress in supporting small growers in Egypt and improving the quality and safety of their produce.