Exploring the Potential for Agricultural and Biomass Trade in the Commonwealth of Independent States

Project Completed: January 2014 – November 2016
Coordinator: EUROQUALITY SARL, France
Partners: DLO (Netherlands), IAMO (Germany), Agricultural Institute of Slovenia (Slovenia), LAEI (Lithuania), Johann Heinrich von Thuenen – Institute (Germany), IIASA (Austria), ICARE (Armenia), IEOA (Azerbaijan), IPM (Belarus), GCAD (Georgia), ACEPAS (Kazakhstan), IEFS (Moldova), IKAR (Russia), IER (Ukraine), University of Ljubljana (Slovenia).

The ongoing negotiations on Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements (DCFTA) between the EU, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, the accession of Russia to the World Trade Organization in 2012 and the establishment of the Customs Union between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan in 2011 are expected to boost trade relations between the European Union and its Eastern Neighbours. The AGRICISTRADE project is a joint cross-border initiative aimed to accompany these developments by analyzing the potential impact of these trade agreements and by delivering insights on the potential developments of the food, feed and biomass sectors in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine. AGRICISTRADE contributes to the analysis of the present situation, the potentials and the projection of future agri-food developments. This project improves the understanding of present agricultural and food processing sectors in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) by collecting and evaluating statistical data and related policies. Based on its multidisciplinary expertise the AGRICISTRADE consortium investigates agro-ecological, socio-economic and institutional bottlenecks to exploit the agricultural potentials in CIS and shows the implications of policy interventions for development perspectives of a number of selected supply chains. AGRICISTRADE improves existing biophysical and economic modeling tools enhancing their empirical base and regional representation and develops a framework for assessing agricultural production and demand potentials in CIS. Modeling tools can be used to quantify and analyze the impact of market developments, technology and policy scenarios on CIS agricultural production, demand and trade, specifically addressing the implications of these scenarios for EU agri-food sector. The project results  contribute to a fact-based and well-informed dialogue among EU policy makers on possible impacts of a DCFTA or EEU on CIS agricultural development potentials.
Coordinator: EUROQUALITY SARL, France
Partners: DLO (Netherlands), IAMO (Germany), Agricultural Institute of Slovenia (Slovenia), LAEI (Lithuania), Johann Heinrich von Thuenen – Institute (Germany), IIASA (Austria), ICARE (Armenia), IEOA (Azerbaijan), IPM (Belarus), GCAD (Georgia), ACEPAS (Kazakhstan), IEFS (Moldova), IKAR (Russia), IER (Ukraine), University of Ljubljana (Slovenia).