| CCP: BA/TF 01/1
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| CCP: BA/TF 01/1
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COMMITTEE ON COMMODITY PROBLEMS |
INTERGOVERNMENTAL GROUP ON BANANAS
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Second Session |
San José, Costa Rica, 4 - 8 December 2001 |
PROVISIONAL AGENDA |
I. ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS
II. SECOND SESSION OF THE SUB-GROUP ON BANANAS
III. THIRD SESSION OF THE SUB-GROUP ON TROPICAL FRUITS
IV. CONTINUATION OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL GROUP ON BANANAS AND ON TROPICAL FRUITS
The Second Session of the Intergovernmental Group on Bananas and on Tropical Fruits will open at Meliá Confort Corobicí Hotel, San José, Costa Rica, on Tuesday, 4 December 2001 at 09.00 hours. The Group is expected to adopt its report on Saturday, 8 December 2001. During the Session, the Sub-Group on Bananas and the Sub-Group on Tropical Fruits will hold separate meetings (please see Provisional Timetable given in the Annex).
The Session will elect a Chairperson and two Vice-Chairpersons of the Intergovernmental Group on Bananas and Tropical Fruits.
The Group will elect a Chairperson and two Vice-Chairpersons
As one of its major functions, the Sub-Group monitors all aspects of the world banana economy, and undertakes a comprehensive analysis of supply, demand, price and cost developments. The review is divided into the following five major sub-items:
The Sub-Group will have the opportunity to evaluate conditions in the global banana economy in 2000 and 2001 and the prospects for 2002, with the assistance of document CCP: BA/TF 01/2 providing the latest data available to the Secretariat. Members are requested to provide information regarding banana market developments in their countries.
As part of its functions of evaluating the longer-term market outlook, and at the specific request of the Sub-Group, the Secretariat has updated its projections for supply and demand of bananas in the longer term. It will provide a new projections study outlining prospects for production, consumption and trade to the year 2010 (CCP: BA/TF 01/3).
The First Session of the Sub-Group on Bananas requested that the Secretariat carry out in-depth studies on banana exports and food security, possibly through household surveys in banana producing and exporting countries. It also agreed that these studies should encompass plantains. The Secretariat will present a summary of two country case studies (Ghana and Ecuador) on the contribution of production and trade of bananas and plantains to income, employment and food security (CCP: BA/TF 01/4).
At its First Session in May 1999, the Sub-Group on Bananas discussed the topics of fair trade and organic bananas, as well as other modes of sustainable banana production and trade. The Sub-Group requested that the Secretariat continue its efforts to monitor market developments in this area. Recent trends in the markets for "organic" bananas and "fair trade" bananas will be examined in document CCP: BA/TF 01/5.
Biotechnology has long been a concern of the Group. Part of the completed Banana Improvement Project looked at banana improvement employing biotechnology. Technical constraints will be examined, as well as economic constraints faced by farmers in developing countries. The specific case of genetic engineering will be examined, as well as economic risks for farmers and health and environmental issues (CCP: BA/TF 01/6).
The Sub-Group provides a forum for the review of production and trade policies affecting the world banana economy. A review of policy developments since the First Session of the Intergovernmental Sub-Group on Bananas will be provided in documents CCP: BA/TF 01/7 and CCP:BA/TF 01/8. Delegates are requested to supplement the information on policy developments in their countries, to assist the Sub-Group in reaching a balanced and objective evaluation of the policy environment affecting the banana sector and thus contribute to overall market transparency.
A report will be made to the Group on projects currently under way and new project proposals for submission to the CFC made since the last meeting of the Sub-Group (CCP: BA/TF 01/9).
The Sub-Group on Bananas is to adopt the report of its Second Session.
The Session will elect a Chairperson and two Vice-Chairpersons.
Document CCP:BA/TF 01/10 provides an assessment of the current market situation for tropical fruits. A companion statistical compendium on production, imports, exports, consumption and prices will be tabled at the Session as CCP: BA/TF 01/CRS.2. Delegates are invited to review these data and provide information on recent developments concerning tropical fruits in their countries. Delegates are also invited to comment on methods of improving the questionnaire and the response rate to the questionnaire.
The successful development and sustainability of the world tropical fruit economy necessitates a better understanding of the socio-economic factors underpinning supply and demand. At its last Session the SGTF, requested that the Secretariat extend its market research, budget permitting, to cover India, the former USSR and Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. Budgetary constraints limited market research to India and the Russian Federation. Documents CCP: BA/TF 01/11 and CCP: BA/TF 01/12 analyze prospects for the tropical fruit market in India and the Russian Federation and provide members with a framework for the development of appropriate marketing strategies for new markets.
Since its First Session, the Sub-Group considered that the harmonization of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures in international trade could affect the viability of fresh tropical fruits exports. In particular, alternative treatments to methyl bromide need to be identified and evaluated. In addition, there is the need for exporting countries to adapt their quality control systems and infrastructure to meet evolving market requirements. CCP: BA/TF 01/13 provides an analysis of the impact of sanitary and phytosanitary measures affecting tropical fruit trade. The Sub-Group is invited to review the results and provide guidance on coordinated action (particularly by the Working Group on Alternatives to Methyl Bromide) in improving transparency and compliance by members.
The Sub-Group will be informed of the progress of TFNet, with the assistance of document CCP: BA/TF 01/14, the report of its First General Assembly and its programme of work and budget. The Sub-Group is requested to assist in TFNet's membership drive and to recommend ways of improving the effectiveness and marketability of TFNet.
The Sub-Group will review the status of the project proposals submitted for consideration by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), as well as consider new project profiles submitted for funding by the CFC.
The Sub-Group on Tropical Fruits is to adopt the report of its Third Session.
The Group will be informed of activities in other organizations, which are observers to the Intergovernmental Group on Bananas and Tropical Fruits.
Monday, 3 December 2001
- 17.00 - 19.00 hours : Registration (Meliá Confort Corobicí Hotel)
Tuesday, 4 December 2001
Wednesday, 5 December 2001
Thursday, 6 December 2001
Friday, 7 December 2001
Saturday, 8 December 2001
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