Participating countries:
Indonesia and the Philippines

Period:
May 2007 – March 2009

Funding:
France – (US$ 100,00)

Project Officer:
Togar A. Napitupulu

The objectives:

1. Capture good practices in product certification that enabled farmers or farmers’ associations to participate in the growing markets for fresh and processed produce in the countries concerned and disseminate the results to stakeholders in the respective countries through workshop and training.
2. Expanded flow of fresh, processed and certified produce from rural areas to urban consumer centres in selected sub regions of participating countries.

The activities:

1. Compile and collect information on post harvest practices, cleaning, handling and packing, pricing and quality indicators and current certification activities; identify gaps and impediments by country teams and stakeholders
2. Identify and analyse linkages between smallholder producers, rural women and specific market segments, local, urban markets and cold store chains
3. Share information with stakeholders through dissemination of reports, personal interaction, at possibly an initial posting at websites
4. One workshop each in Indonesia and the Philippines were held in November and December 2008 brought together the key stakeholders for sharing experiences in good agricultural practices.
5. research results and country specific policy recommendations.

The outcomes:

1. Best practices in local agriculture knowledge systems (current post harvest practices, cleaning, handling and packing and quality indicators) are compiled and available to project stakeholders
2. Participating farmers association, policy makers understand how to apply qualitative best practices in post harvest handling, cleaning and packing of fresh produce, certification systems, price information systems and chain management
3. CAPSA Working Paper No. 104
   Adding value to fresh and processed produce through product certification