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The project supported four Landlocked Commodity Dependent Developing Countries (CDDCs), Ethiopia, Lao People¡¯s Democratic Republic, Mongolia and Uzbekistan, to enhance their capacities in developing policies and strategies that promote better integration into regional and global value chains (RVC, GVC), and create development linkages at the national, interregional, and intercontinental levels.

Besides improving the beneficiary countries¡¯ statistical and analytical capacity to formulate policies, the project promoted the private sector¡¯s capacity in assessing market prospects, identifying market opportunities, and overcoming market barriers.

The project also promoted south-south learning and enhanced knowledge and exchange of experience among policymakers and private entrepreneurs from landlocked CDDCs.

The project¡¯s main achievements include: :

• 4 national surveys of the roasted coffee value chain in Ethiopia, of the maize value chain in Lao People¡¯s Democratic Republic, of the meat value chain in Mongolia and of the dried fruit value chain in Uzbekistan, which identified key challenges faced and opportunities available in each country. Based on the findings, the project proposed a number of policy measures that were discussed by the public and private sectors and development partners during 4 national workshops attended by 151 diverse stakeholders with interest in the targeted value chains. Both Lao People¡¯s Democratic Republic and Mongolia have officially indicated their willingness to implement policy recommendations made by the project.
• Capacity building events in all four countries that raised awareness of actors both in the private and public sector about the challenges and opportunities in the four identified value chain as well as provided specific tools to address them. In total, 166 participants took part in training events, and participation in all events amounted to more than 400 stakeholders, including exporters and importers/buyers, senior policymakers.
• 4 National Diagnostic Sectoral Studies to identify market opportunities for exporters. In Mongolia it led to the adoption of a Meat Value Chain RoadMap.
• 4 business events bringing together exporters from beneficiary sector/countries with regional and international importers/buyers, such as at the ANUGA international fair in Cologne for Uzbek fruit exporters, the Caf¨¦Show fair in Seoul for the Ethiopian producers, and the Food and Hospitality China 2021 fair in Shanghai for the Mongolian meat exporters.