{"id":6259,"date":"2025-01-03T14:58:40","date_gmt":"2025-01-03T14:58:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/?p=6259"},"modified":"2025-06-06T13:04:36","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T13:04:36","slug":"the-fci4africa-project-takes-a-significant-step-forward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/de\/the-fci4africa-project-takes-a-significant-step-forward\/","title":{"rendered":"The FCI4Africa project takes a significant step forward!"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4 style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Supporting Food and Trade Systems in the African Agricultural Sector<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Der <strong>Kick-Off Meeting<\/strong> for the FCI4Africa project took place from <strong>December 9 to 11, 2024<\/strong>, in <strong>Ibadan, Nigeria<\/strong>, marking a pivotal milestone in advancing sustainable, fair, and healthy food systems across Africa.<\/p>\n<p>Launched on <strong>November 1st, 2024<\/strong>, FCI4Africa aims to address the challenges posed by <strong>non-tariff measures<\/strong> (NTMs) that hinder access to regional and international markets for Africa\u2019s agri-food products. By focusing on <strong>climate-neutral<\/strong> practices,<strong> deforestation-free<\/strong>,<strong> organic<\/strong>, and<strong> fair-trade <\/strong>certification criteria, the project seeks to empower African farmers, processors, and traders to expand opportunities and foster economic prosperity and social justice both within the continent and in trade with the European Union (EU).<\/p>\n<p>The project also emphasises on:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Harmonising trade systems<\/strong> to enable free and fair trade.<\/li>\n<li>Promoting <strong>digitisation in food systems<\/strong> to improve trade compliance and transparency while enhancing food safety.<\/li>\n<li>Encouraging <strong>knowledge development<\/strong> through open science and digital platforms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Coordinated by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iita.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><strong>International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)<\/strong><\/a>, FCI4Africa brings together a consortium of <strong>14 partners from 7 countries<\/strong>, showcasing the project\u2019s international scope and collaborative spirit.<\/p>\n<p>The successful Kick-Off Meeting laid the groundwork for implementation, enabling partners to align on project objectives, define roles and responsibilities, and identify challenges while fostering teamwork across work packages.<\/p>\n<p>As the project progresses, FCI4Africa will build on previous and ongoing EU initiatives, leveraging expertise and establishing partnerships to deliver impactful solutions for sustainable food systems in Africa.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;<strong><em>Sustainability<\/em><\/strong><em>, <strong>fairness<\/strong>, and <strong>justness<\/strong> are becoming essential requirements for agri-food products, not only under the EU\u2019s renewed trade policies but also within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),\u201d<\/em> said <strong>Shiferaw Feleke<\/strong>, the <strong>Coordinator <\/strong>of the FCI4Africa project. <strong>\u201c<em>Non-tariff measures (NTMs) <\/em><\/strong><em>remain a significant challenge for Africa&#8217;s agri-food sector, limiting access to both regional and global markets. Through technical innovations and policy interventions, FCI4Africa aims to empower stakeholders to meet certification criteria, unlocking new opportunities for African products.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6262 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/54197802299_67ae67e3b0_k.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2047\" height=\"1365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/54197802299_67ae67e3b0_k.jpg 2047w, https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/54197802299_67ae67e3b0_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/54197802299_67ae67e3b0_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/54197802299_67ae67e3b0_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/54197802299_67ae67e3b0_k-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/54197802299_67ae67e3b0_k-370x247.jpg 370w, https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/54197802299_67ae67e3b0_k-1410x940.jpg 1410w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2047px) 100vw, 2047px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>The FCI4Africa Kick-off Meeting was a vital step forward,<\/em><em>\u201d <\/em>the Coordinator remarked<em>. \u201c<\/em><em>It brought consortium partners together, aligning our vision, fostering collaboration, and developing a clear plan of action. We addressed roles, responsibilities, and anticipated challenges, setting the stage for impactful project implementation.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Looking ahead, he emphasised the project&#8217;s long-term aspirations:<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Meeting the sustainability, fairness, and justness requirements for food systems requires collective effort and long-term commitment. I hope this project inspires broader collaboration, ensuring Africa secures a fair share of the global market. I envision a future where Africa thrives with a sustainable, climate-neutral, and just food system.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The FCI4Africa project represents a significant advancement in establishing sustainable food systems and fostering equitable trade in the African agricultural sector. By addressing key barriers and promoting innovative solutions, the project aims to create lasting benefits for stakeholders across the agri-food value chain.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6263 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/54197784343_55d569217f_k.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/54197784343_55d569217f_k.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/54197784343_55d569217f_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/54197784343_55d569217f_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/54197784343_55d569217f_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/54197784343_55d569217f_k-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/54197784343_55d569217f_k-370x247.jpg 370w, https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/54197784343_55d569217f_k-1410x940.jpg 1410w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em>Source of photos: IITA<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Disclaimer<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-6265\" src=\"https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/EN_FundedbytheEU_RGB_POS-300x67.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"67\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/EN_FundedbytheEU_RGB_POS-300x67.png 300w, https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/EN_FundedbytheEU_RGB_POS-1024x228.png 1024w, https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/EN_FundedbytheEU_RGB_POS-768x171.png 768w, https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/EN_FundedbytheEU_RGB_POS-1536x342.png 1536w, https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/EN_FundedbytheEU_RGB_POS-2048x456.png 2048w, https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/EN_FundedbytheEU_RGB_POS-370x82.png 370w, https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/EN_FundedbytheEU_RGB_POS-1410x314.png 1410w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Supporting Food and Trade Systems in the African Agricultural Sector The Kick-Off Meeting for the FCI4Africa project took place from December 9 to 11, 2024, in Ibadan, Nigeria, marking a pivotal milestone in advancing sustainable, fair, and healthy food systems across Africa. Launched on November 1st, 2024, FCI4Africa aims to address the challenges posed by&hellip;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6260,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":100,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[71,72,76,73,75,77,74],"class_list":["post-6259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press-releases","tag-africa","tag-african-agriculture","tag-fair-trade","tag-food-systems","tag-free-trade","tag-sustainability","tag-trade-systems"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6259"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6259\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fci4africa.eu\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}