Competitiveness, trade, and jobs activity

About the project

Countries: Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan

Period: August-December 2020

Project partner: DAI on behalf of USAID

Objective:  The GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat aimed to develop trade and increase exports and jobs in the region through competitive and inclusive market systems driven by demand and led by locals to increase sustainability.

Approach: GLOBALG.A.P. facilitated activities aimed at increasing the knowledge and skills needed to comply with regulations and requirements of international markets in the horticulture industry, allowing the Central Asian agri-food sector to be more competitive. This collaboration was the first to include a large range of GLOBALG.A.P. workshops held exclusively online.

SDGs addressed: #2 Zero hunger, #3 good health and well-being, #8 decent work and economic growth, and #12 responsible consumption and production

Outcome: A total of 90 participants attended the GLOBALG.A.P. workshops, many of which were in Russian. Some workshops, such as the ‘GLOBALG.A.P. Producer Workshop’ and those detailing the SPRING and GRASP add-ons, were detailed in Central Asia for the first time. The project showed that while the online learning tools work well, the Russian language use of the platform still presents some challenges. Still, the workshops were highly productive. They contributed to increasing discussions on quality control and food safety measures, and increased overall knowledge of GLOBALG.A.P. standards. A follow-up is needed in order to turn the interest and knowledge into results in the form of increased GLOBALG.A.P. certificates opening the door to international markets.