Establishing market linkages agri and food products Suriname
Suriname Agriculture Market Access Project (2023-2024)
After initial involvement in the Suriname Agriculture Market Access Project (SAMAP) in 2018, Bureau Leeters continued its work for the project in 2023. During the period 2019-2023 the project has supported the sector with a range of interventions that aim to increase the quality, quantity and reliability of Surinamese fruits, vegetables, roots, tubers and non-timber forest products, partly through matching grant schemes and through the establishment of value chain platforms. In the final implementation period of SAMAP (until the end of 2024), the focus is on creating sustainable market linkages, which is the key task for Jos Leeters. He supports value chain platforms and businesses in their steps towards market readiness with training, coaching and preparing for B2B matchmakin.
SAMAP is a multi-year program, funded by the European Commission and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in cooperation with the Government of Suriname. SAMAP aims at safer production of agri and food products and increased competitiveness in export markets in the region and beyond, through enhanced capacities of the private sector and an improved business enabling environment. Increasing sales in the CARICOM and European markets, where many Surinamese diaspora live, is one of the tangible goals of the project.