AGRIBUSINESS
ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT
International
Workshop in Tel Aviv, 9-16 September
2003
Geneva, 9 September 2003 - The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel
and the United Nations Economic Commission
for Europe (UNECE) are organizing an
International Workshop on Agribusiness
Enterprise Development. The
Workshop will take place in Israel from
9-16 September 2003.
In rural agricultural
sector development, both at the national
and regional levels, agribusiness entrepreneurship
is a key element in assisting and improving
rural income opportunities and economic
growth. In this context, agribusiness
enterprise development is an important
factor in promoting sustainable agricultural
and rural sector development. These
activities constitute a growing phenomenon
both in industrial and developing countries.
Agribusinesses are contributing to the
value added of primary production resources
in many forms. It is also supporting
and promoting the development of relevant
agricultural support services much needed
in the process of agricultural and rural
development the world over.
Israel's own agricultural
and rural sectors, both at the national
and regional levels including the primary
village level, have developed various
agribusiness enhancement mechanisms
and financing systems. These systems
have been developed to support the on
going specialization and market driven
orientation of the sector, particularly
related to high-quality and export market
production and agribusiness entrepreneurship.
The Workshop will focus
on recent case studies reflecting Israel's
experiences in overseas technical cooperation
programmes in the field of agribusiness
development. Over the last ten years
Israel has cooperated intensively with
the CIS countries, generating a solid
professional methodological base together
with practical agribusiness development
at the field level in a wide range of
agribusiness entrepreneurship project
activities.
For the countries in
transition, various modalities of agribusiness
entrepreneurship and related support
services have been developed and put
into operation at field level. These
activities have been developed to facilitate
the changes in these regions, assisting
in their transformation to a market
driven system. This has also involved
privatization processes and other macro
policy changes.
The aim of the Workshop
is to acquaint policy makers and civil
servants responsible for agribusiness
development in their countries with
both international and specifically
with Israeli experience of agribusiness
enterprise development at national,
regional and local levels. Representatives
from 15 transition economies, including
several Deputy Ministers for agriculture
and foods, will attend the Workshop.
The programme will
combine professional presentations,
case studies and lessons, field visits
to various agribusiness enterprises
of different sizes, and round table
discussions related to topics of priority
regarding agribusiness entrepreneurship,
support services and management capacity
building. The participants will also
attend the 15th International Agricultural
Exhibition - AGRITECH Israel 03 - which
is one of the largest events in the
field of world agritechnological development.
Ms. Viera Baricicová, Vice-Chair
of the UNECE Working Party 7 on Agricultural
Standards, and Slovak national experts
on fresh fruit and vegetables, will
report on the activities of the Commission
in this field.
The Workshop will be
organized by the Centre for International
Agricultural Development Cooperation
(CINADCO) and the Ministry of Agricultural
and Rural Development (MOARD) on behalf
of the Center for International Cooperation
(MASHAV) of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. The Workshop will be in cooperation
with Israel's Center for Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs) Promotion, the Export
Institute, and other national and regional
non governmental institutions involved
in the development of SMEs, with special
reference to the rural/agricultural
sector.
For further information, please contact:
Antal Szabó
Regional Adviser on Entrepreneurship
and SMEs
United Nations Economic Commission
for Europe
Palais des Nations, Bureau 440
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: + 41(0)22
917 24 71
Telefax: + 41(0)22 917 01 78
E-mail: [email protected]
Ref: ECE/IREEDD/03/P12