Ivo Morawski
OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION
The LEADER experience
 LEADER highlights
 Description of a LEADER case study
 Lessons learnt
2. The relevance to North Africa
 The rural development challenges
 The Euro-Med opportunities
1.
What is LEADER?
LEADER : Liaison entre actions de
développement de l'économie rurale
The LEADER Programme became since
1990 a pillar of the EU agriculture and
rural development policy
Objectives: Promote and implement
integrated rural development strategies
in territories characterized by shared
ecological and socio-economic features.
LEADER Basic Principles
 Public / Private Partnerships → The
Local Action Groups (LAG).
 Multi-stakeholders participation to local
strategy development & implementation
 Valorization of local heritage and
development assets & potentialities
 Balanced economic, social and
environmental development.
 Cooperation within and between EU
rural territories … progressively opened
to cooperation with extra-EU territories
The “RICA” case study
RICA : Rete Integrata di Cooperazione nell’Agribusiness
 Institutional Partners: LAG Oglio Po (Mantova &
Cremona provinces) and Agriculture Ministries
of Bosnia Herzegovina
 Associated partners: farmers associations and
private operators in partner territories + IFAD
(financial and organizational support)
 Duration: 10 months (2005-2006)
 Budget: Euro 186,000
RICA Implementation Approach
 Identified Common interests in the dairy sector
(traditional productive base)
 Facilitating the meeting between the Demand from
emerging/transition economies and the Offer of well
developed markets through :
Adoption of value-chain approach: farming, animal
husbandry, milk production/processing, istribution.
Joint needs assessment by concerned stakeholders
(Peer to peer cooperation)
Promotion of demand-driven and commercially
viable technology transfer,
Access to markets and development of services
Support to association mechanisms among sector
operators and the territories
RICA achievements and outcomes
 Modernised production assets & technology
 Improved management practices in target farms (60
Bosnian operators trained in technical &
management aspects of milk production).
 Start-up of private sector led agri-businesses
Improved food security and safety standards
Enhanced access to markets (local & national)
Increased competitiveness of farmers groups.
Improved dialogue between public and private
stakeholders
Lessons Learnt from RICA: Success factors
 Enabling private sector SMEs to develop
self-sustainable business opportunities.
 Facilitate dialogue with public authorities to
favour integration of private businesses with
Local/regional development strategies.
 Mobilize resources where available and for
specific targets to stimulate commitment
and ownership.
2. North Africa Context – The Challenges:
 Reduce the regional disparities;
 Create employment;
 Enhance entrepreneurship;
 Diversify rural economies;
 Facilitate territorial associations, value-chain
integration and access to markets;
 Develop new models of governance for
integrated regional development and social
cohesion
The Opportunities from the NA evolving context
 EU Association Agreements linking economic,
trade, social, governance and environmental
objectives.
 Multi-sectoral perspective in local development
(education, employment, environmental
protection, risk management and prevention
measures).
 Ongoing decentralization processes in NA.
 New decentralized cooperation mechanisms (i.e.
cross-border cooperation, support to civil society,
etc.).
Is LEADER approach applicable in North Africa?
Preliminary requirements for:
 Multi-stakeholders dialogue;
 Bottom-up and participatory strategy
development
 Access to technical and financial
services
 Social cohesion for territorial planning
For more information about LEADER:
http://enrd.ec.europa.eu/rural-development-policy/leader/en/leader_en.cfm
 GAL contacts
 Policy papers
 Project Database
 Best practices
 Partnership requests and proposals
 Knowledge sharing opportunities
Thank you for your attention