On 26 July 2022, seven Indian experts from the Indo-German Cooperation on Agricultural Market Development (AMD) project were hosted at GLOBALG.A.P.’s Cologne headquarters. The visit formed part of the AMD’s “agri-food value chain tour” of Germany that took place from 24–28 July.
Under the guiding mission of ”building sustainable partnerships”, the delegation aimed to gain a detailed understanding of European standards and import regulations for fruit, vegetables, herbs, and spices, as well as traceability systems for agricultural products from farm to consumer.
There was a particular focus on solutions for producers, building on the 12,000 Indian farms with production processes already certified to GLOBALG.A.P. standards.
As part of the German Agribusiness Alliance (GAA) – a business initiative of leading associations and companies in the agri-food sector – GLOBALG.A.P. engages with members to exchange information and expertise.
Part of this initiative is focused on cooperation with developing and emerging economies (known as partner countries). This led GLOBALG.A.P. to the meeting with the AMD project, which is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
About the AMD project
The AMD project, scheduled to run until at least 2024, aims to support sustainable economic growth in the Indian agricultural sector through modernization and international market accessibility, with the benefits filtering down to improve the livelihoods of farming communities of all sizes throughout the country’s rural regions.
The bilateral work covers aspects such as improving efficiency and competitiveness, increasing export potential and promoting Indian agricultural products in national and international markets, implementing digitalization and encouraging entrepreneurship, and providing technical support for agri-food value chains and producer organizations.
Agenda
The AMD delegation included nine experts: Pratyush Ranjan Singh, Birgit Maier-Stein, and Ekkehard Schröder (AMD Representatives for India and Germany), as well as two participants from the Indian government in Dr. Vijaya Lakshmi Nadendla and Kapil Ashok Bendre (both from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare), three participants from the project’s pilot regions in Rishirendra Kumar (Government of Uttar Pradesh), Keshar Singh (Government of Rajasthan), and Sukant Kumar Subudhi (Government of Odisha), and Ms. Romi (rapporteur).
The agenda covered an introduction to GLOBALG.A.P. and solutions for producers and the supply chain, understanding quality assurance from farm to store shelves, and an overview of international agreements and recognized standards for import to the EU market.
Photo with kind permission of Birgit Maier-Stein (AMD)
From left to right: Ms. Romi, Mr. Rishirendra Kumar, Mr. Sukant Kumar Subudhi, Mr. Kapil Ashok Bendre, Ms. Dr. Vijaya Lakshmi Nadendla, Mr. Pratyush Ranjan Singh, Mr. Keshar Singh.