The kick-off meeting of MAMI-Farmers Markets II – Strengthening the Capacities of Agricultural Markets in Africa and the Mediterranean will officially mark the start of the project today, Wednesday, 29 July, at 4:00 p.m. CEST. The meeting will be held online, bringing together project partners and key stakeholders to launch the implementation of this new two-year initiative.
In addition to the project’s implementing and local partners, the World Farmers Markets Coalition (WorldFMC) has invited its members from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and the African Constituency to participate in the event. The meeting is also open to other stakeholders with an interest in local food systems and farmers markets, including institutional representatives and decision-makers from the partner countries, Egypt, Kenya and Lebanon, with the aim of fostering dialogue, knowledge exchange and regional collaboration.
The online meeting will introduce the project’s objectives, governance structure, work plan and expected results, while strengthening coordination among all partners from the very beginning of the initiative.
Implemented by CIHEAM Bari in partnership with the World Farmers Markets Coalition (WorldFMC), MAMI-Farmers Markets II builds on the achievements of the first phase of the initiative, which successfully supported the establishment and consolidation of farmers markets in Alexandria, Nairobi and Tripoli. Over the next 24 months, the project will focus on strengthening local food systems in Egypt, Kenya and Lebanon by improving farmers’ capacities, enhancing market management, reducing food losses, supporting product valorisation and expanding the network of farmers markets.
The project is implemented in close collaboration with its local partners:
- Alexandria Chamber of Commerce (Egypt)
- Regional Coalition for Farmers Market (RECOF NGO) (Kenya)
- Lebanon Farmers Markets Coalition (LFMC NGO) (Lebanon)
A key moment of the kick-off meeting will be the contribution of the project’s focal points, Dennis Andaye (Kenya), Eman Seif (Egypt) and Jean Charles Khairallah (Lebanon), who will share their experiences from the implementation of MAMi phase I. Through their testimonies, participants will gain first-hand insight into the establishment and development of the first farmers markets in the three countries, highlighting the lessons learned, challenges overcome and successes achieved. Their experience will provide the foundation for the activities to be implemented during this second phase of the project and will help guide the further expansion and strengthening of farmers markets across the region.
Aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), and in particular Target 2.3, the initiative aims to strengthen resilient and inclusive local food systems by improving access to knowledge, resources and markets for small-scale food producers.
The kick-off meeting will establish a shared vision for the project and lay the foundations for effective collaboration among all partners. It represents the first milestone of a joint effort to strengthen farmers markets as key drivers of sustainable local food systems across Africa and the Mediterranean while fostering a growing regional community of practice committed to resilient food systems and sustainable rural development.
