SME and Research Institute Profile Form

SME and Research Institute Profile form

Date 2007 January Valid until: 2013 December

CONTACT DETAILS

Organisation Chamber of Commerce, Name (full Industry & Agriculture - Zahle Contact person: Said Gedeon name) Organisation CCIAZ Title Agricultural office acronym Manager (Abbreviation) Address Zahle - Bekaa First Name Said Postal code 100 Family Name Gedeon City Zahle Telephone 961 8 802602 Country Lebanon Fax 961 8 800050 www address www.cciaz.org.lb E-mail [email protected] [email protected]

ORGANISATION TYPE

Research Organisation Research Organisation ( Private Public ) type High Education School / University / Institute ( Private Public )

Other, please specify: NONE PROFIT TARGETED INSTITUTION

MEDA GO TO EUROPE Funded by the European Commission SME and Research Institute Profile form

Description of the organisation (max 1.000 characters):

The Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Zahle and the Beqaa (CCIAZ) was established in 1939 at the agreement and request of a group of merchants and industrialists. The CCIAZ is contributing, within its capabilities and competences, to the economic development of the Beqaa region and its promotion at the local, regional and international levels. On the national level, its efforts are reflected in its active participation in the Federation of Lebanese Chambers of Commerce as well as various economic organs; in its ad hoc committees on agriculture, industry, and on Lebanon’s joining the Euro-Mediterranean agreements and the WTO; and in its constant contacts with public and private institutions, embassies, diplomatic and commercial missions, and international organizations. The CCIAZ resources include:  Training centre facilities  Business skills, ICT, and language training  Technical training  Extension services  Networking and marketing linkages

Lately, a Pilot Plant in Zahle has been established in 2007 through ASAIL project – USAID funded, that was launched in 2005 in partnership between ACDI-VOCA (USA), Vitech Consulting (Lebanon) & CCIAZ (Lebanon).

Zahle/Beqa’a Pilot Plant: Fruit and Vegetable Based Products The Beqa’a pilot plant focuses on processes involved in fruit and vegetable based products, including stuffed vegetables and vine leaves, dips and sauces, and other ready-to-eat products. It’s build up on 16 square meters, according to GMP’s standards, including small areas for raw material receiving and for ambient, cool and frozen storage; a sorting and washing area; a cutting and peeling area; a general preparation area with gas ranges, workstations, and two double sinks capable of accommodating up to 10 workers; a blanching through immersion area; a reducing, pulping, blending and homogenizing area; a filling tank for sauces; a manual filling area for solid fruits and vegetables; semi-automatic sealing area; a thermal processing area consisting of 2 autoclaves and a labelling and packing area. The plant is fitted with a laboratory divided in two main zones—one for physicochemical analyses and another for rapid microbiological testing—with a small third area for panel testing. International methods & procedures are applied. The Pilot Plant of Zahle is well managed under its tailor-made business plan for better sustainability through the CCIAZ.

EXPERTISE/COMMITMENT OFFERED

Description of the Entrepreneurship carries tremendous risks, particularly for SMEs in an expertise (max 2.000 economically and politically volatile environment such as Lebanon. Stimulating characters) innovation therefore requires mechanisms designed to help SMEs mitigate these risks and navigate the process of turning a concept into a marketable product.

Zahle Pilot plant was essentially a small facility equipped with the various processing equipment necessary to take a small-scale entrepreneur through the entire process of product development, from experimentation with recipe formulation to shelf-life and other quality improvements, to testing and packaging. The facility serves as a vehicle for entrepreneurship and innovative product development within target communities, stimulating a demand-driven approach to product development by teaching clients food processing techniques and providing them with the market information and business skills needed to successfully develop these products.

The plant contributed to the following goals by:

 Promoting entrepreneurial activity by availing facilities on a fee-per-use basis.  Encouraging local value addition to surplus primary produce.  Strengthening the efficiency of key value chains by reducing losses and market oversupply.  Mitigating the risk involved in entrepreneurial activities that would normally require large capital investments in facilities and processing equipment prior to the product testing phase.  Facilitating market access through supporting business development services.  Reducing the time needed to move from product concept to final marketing by minimizing transaction costs.

Increasing employment in rural areas, contributing to the reversal of rural-to- urban population flows.

Keywords describing the Sustainable production and management of biological resources from expertise offered land, forest and aquatic environments: (if needed more than one) Biological resources Novel feeds Biodiversity Novel plants Genomics/Proteomics/Metabolomics Plant Health Bioinformatics Animal Production and Welfare X Agriculture Animal husbandry Forestry Vaccines and Diagnostics Fisheries Organic production methods Aquaculture Dairy Production Horticulture Tracking and tracing Fork to Farm: Food, health and well being

Consumer behaviour Potable/Safe Drinking Water Functional Food Animal Feed Nutrition Science Chemical Food Safety Physiology Microbiological Food Safety X Food Technology New detection methods X Processing Risk Assessment X Packaging X Food Chain Analysis/Management X Food safety Pesticide/BioActive Additives/Substances Control Life sciences and biotechnology for sustainable non-food products and processes Biomass production Wood-production Bio-products Pollution Bio-refinery Ecology Bio-processes Waste Processing Fibres (Wool, cotton, novel-bio- fibres)

EXPECTATIONS (from the participation in a European research project)

Term commitment Short (< 1 year) Medium (1 to 3 years) X Long (more than 3 years)

Commitment offered X Research X Demonstration X Training

X Technology X Dissemination Other:

Expected results for your Within this project, the CCIAZ is looking to improve the agro food industry and the organisation (max 500 products quality especially in the bekaa valley, the largest area of agricultural characters) production in Lebanon, which can help to increase farmers and industries income. (describe your project idea or your role in a research project)

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Former participation in National initiatives or X YES NO projects? Former participation in International research X YES NO projects? Former participation in European projects? YES NO

If YES: Programme name:  Institutional and Social Innovations in Irrigation Mediterranean Project title / Acronym: management (ISIIMM – Meda Water) Activities performed:  Agricultural Development (Project ADP – Ministry of Agriculture) XXXXXX

Knowledge on the European Framework YES NO Programme on Research and Development (FP)? (The European funding programme of research) Interested in participating in 7th FP (2007-2013)? X YES NO Interested in receiving training on 7th FP issues? X YES NO

Expected skills from this Research , Marketing, Food processing expertises collaboration? Main difficulties and None constraints to participate in European projects? Additional comments None

I agree with the publication of my data! Please fill-in in English and return to: VITECH consulting s.a.l. Email: [email protected] Website: www.vitechconsulting.com

MEDA GO TO EUROPE Funded by the European Commission