Research and Analysis

Research studies by teams of national experts will analyse the interplay of agro-processing with climate change, trade and food security in each EAC country. Shorter briefing papers will help raise awareness about the key lessons and policy recommendations, which will later inform targeted trainings and advocacy.

Events and Networking

Five national multi-stakeholder networks (NRGs) will be the drivers and primary beneficiaries of country-level activities, thereby anchoring the project to the ground realities. Through regular collaboration and meetings, members drawn from the government, private sector, local communities, civil society, academia, and media will tie stronger relationships not only among themselves but also with their trade and climate negotiators whom they will meet regularly; including by visiting Geneva once a year.

Advocacy and Awareness

National campaigns will move key stakeholders into advocacy action, towards implementing the project’s key policy recommendations and persuade about the need for coherent policies. Key messages will make their way to the wider public through the media.

Trainings

Training workshops, tailored and delivered to specific key players, will build their technical capacity to develop lasting policy solutions for climate-aware, trade-driven, food security-enhancing agro-processing development. Their training needs will be assessed before tailored training materials are developed by experts.

Negotiators' Forums

In Geneva, bi-monthly forums of East African trade negotiators will support their informed and concerted participation on issues of their interest in World Trade Organization (WTO) debates. Besides CUTS’ technical analysis and on-demand papers, negotiators will benefit from country updates providing a snapshot of the current ground realities of the issue, as reported by the end users.

A similar forum facility will be established for regular online meetings of East African climate change negotiators. Each meeting will be serviced by a technical paper and country updates, CUTS remaining available for on-demand papers. Once a year, climate negotiators will meet with trade delegates of the EAC Geneva Forum for a Trade and Climate Change Coordination Forum.