ADA

Strategic Partnership programme with Austrian Development Agency (ADA)

In 2017 the international Donau Soja Organisation and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) started a strategic partnership to build sustainable, inclusive and well-functioning value chains for non-GMO and organic soya in Ukraine, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Moldova. This EUR 9 million programme (Donau Soja and ADA are each contributing around EUR 4.5 million) will bring benefits for the domestic market, food producers, consumers and the environment in four countries, as well as strengthening their trade and economic relations with the European Union. The programme will end in February 2024.

The programme is expected to:

Increase the competitiveness of local soya producers and processors in structurally weak areas in Europe
Increase access to local, regional and international markets through consumer-oriented information

Lead to positive income development

Create sustainability through capacity development (e.g. training and consulting services for stakeholders along the soya value chain)

Improve the legal and policy framework for production and trade with non-GMO soya from the Danube region / Europe

Align with European Union quality standards and provide certification for around 152.000 tonnes of Donau Soja or Europe Soya

The target group includes soya producers, collectors and traders, food and feed producers, soya processing plants, seed producers and agricultural workers in four target countries. In addition, public extension service providers, farmers’ associations, agricultural and research institutes, certification and control bodies, ministries of agriculture and food safety agencies will all benefit from capacity development activities. Furthermore, thousands of consumers in four countries, as well as the European Union and other non-EU countries, will benefit from the planned activities and programme results.

The following activities will be conducted in four target countries in order to systematically develop their soya markets:

Educational activities to allow producers to share knowledge and best practices in soya cultivation and processing

The introduction of the Donau Soja and Europe Soya (DS/ES) quality system and labelling scheme

Market development and trade facilitation

Improvements in the business environment to support soya production, processing, trade and use
The promotion of European standards in agricultural production

The activities within the strategic partnership programme are structured in nine programme components, and simultaneously implemented in target countries and at international level.

For further information please contact:

Emilija Stefanovic (Head of Project Coordination) stefanovic@donausoja.org or

For more information, please follow this link.