Palestine Trade & Investment Forum
- Dates:
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15 Dec 2008
- 16 Dec 2008
A business-to-business roundtable was held at the Arab British Chamber of Commerce on 16 December to discuss the marketing and supply of Palestinian foodstuffs to the UK market. Business members of the visiting Palestinian delegation involved in the agribusiness sector met UK participants including representatives of some of the UK’s leading supermarkets (Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury, Tesco & Waitrose were represented), other UK wholesalers and retailers, the Fairtrade Foundation, Oxfam and the Royal Agricultural College (RAC).
An intensive and positive discussion focused on practical issues affecting the production, delivery and commercial competitiveness of Palestinian foodstuffs. The UK side was impressed by the confidence and assurance with which the Palestinian businessmen present described the quality, competitiveness and reliability of supply they could assure for their products.
The Palestinian side invited UK supermarkets and suppliers to take part in a joint visit to Palestine to see for themselves, to evaluate Palestinian products and to identify the product, packaging, branding and other enhancements needed for the highly qualified UK market.
The newly formed Palestine Britain Business Council (PBBC) undertook to support the visit. The invitation was welcomed in principle, subject to confirmation and dates, and it was agreed that UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and Development Alternatives Inc – Palestine (DAI) should develop the agenda and timing for such a visit. It was recognized that the Palestinian agribusinesses involved should identify the key products they would wish to market in advance of the visit and it was proposed that a further meeting in London should precede the UK visit. The Arab-British Chamber of Commerce offered to host such a meeting. The A-BCC has previously hosted the Palestinian Trade Fair 2008 from 5-9 March 2008.
The meeting also touched on the concept of a food export hub in Palestine which would assemble foodstuffs produced by Palestinian growers, assure their quality and
package and market them for the UK market. It was agreed that this concept could be further examined in event of the proposed joint visit to Palestine.
Discussion also addressed the important issue of education and training and the potential role of a foodstuff export hub in providing training for growers was recognised. Overall, the meeting established new relationships between the Palestinian and UK participants which it is hoped will lead in due course to mutually beneficial business-to-business relationships.
Published in the Bulletin, 21 January 2009
