American University of Beirut jointly with Michigan State University have ratified an MoU with MEFOSA's facilitation aiming to create a Food Safety Institute which highlights on all food safety issues in the MENA region.

This institute was established in conjunction with the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at AUB and the National Food Safety and Toxicology Center (NFSTC) at MSU.

Recently Dr. Ewen Todd Director of NFSTC was invited to give a lecture stressing on worldwide food safety issues (LAoFST organized this event) at AUB and Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture at Beirut (CCIAB) on 16  17 May 2006.

For more info rmation visit: www.foodsafe.msu.edu

Institute of Family Business  School of Business (LAU) organized many events & seminars at LAU to discuss issues of concern. Recent event opening of LAU's program on Communication and Conflict in the Family Business form 5 to18 March 2006 at LAU.

Others relations were made with LAU's Center for Strategic Development (CSD) which MEFOSA is a member in this center where our team attended several courses in the center emphasizing on auditing, business, management, sales, networking, and others which help in strengthening the basic steps of any new enterprise and helps in general knowledge and feedback. Recently CSD published its newsletter which we share with it as well.

For further info rmation on LAU: www.lau.edu.lb

Institute for Social, Religious & Civil Society Studies  ISORCS at Notre Dame University at Louaize  Lebanon organized many events and launched educational courses. Recent courses was under the title of How to star an NGO under the supervision of the NGO Management Program at LAU  Louaize on 9 June 2005.

In the same aspect there was the event of conference launching of NGO Degree Program at NDU on 24 May 2006. The courses and seminars stress on organizing for concerned people who might be engaged in the social, religious and civil sectors and wish to strengthen their feedback and vision.

Visit NDU website at: www.ndu.edu.lb

A W Idriss participated in the review of the UN/ GC initiative and we support its principals. The Global Compact's ten principles in the areas of human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption enjoy universal consensus and are derived from:

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• The International Labor Organization's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
• The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
• The United Nations Convention against Corruption

The Global Compact asks companies to embrace, support and enact, within their sphere of influence, a set of core values in the areas of human rights, labor standards, the environment, and anti-corruption.

For more info rmation go to: www.unglobalcompact.org

MEFOSA participated in the expert meeting for the MENA initiative for the regions Validation of Food Safety Recent event attended by Mr. Atef Idriss was the seminar Regional Consultative Meeting on Food Safety Legislation in Cairo from 26 to 28 June 2005 as a WHO Temporary Adviser.

For additional info rmation about WHO visit its web site at: www.emro.who.int

MEFOSA participated in the : Regional Seminar on Sustainable Development & Competitiveness of the Agro-food Sector at the United Nations House at Beirut, Lebanon, between 1  2 December 2005 and in the Seminar Arab  Palestinian Roundtable on Agricultural & Agro-Industrial Development in the Gaza Strip on 3 December 2005. Strengthening Small & Medium Enterprises SME towards more productivity and challenging aspects, Environmental Standards & competitiveness of key economic sectors.

More info rmation at: www.escwa.org.lb

LAMA Association was created to improve the marketing and advertising industry according to the advertiser's interests and concerns.

LAMA Mission Statement:

• Is established in Lebanon in 1995
• Is a non profit organization and shall not deal with any political issues
• Advertising Industry in Lebanon is witnessing a downturn
• Advertisers were left on the sidelines because of the lack of a formal Association to streamline their prerogatives to defend their legitimate causes.
• LAMA was created to fill this gap. In 1996, a general assembly was elected from affiliated members who represented around 60 % of total advertising spend in Lebanon .

Much more info rmation at: www.wfa-lb.org

MEFOSA is a partner in a consortium joining AUB and USJ for the Business Incubation Project (AGRIPOLE).

AGRIPOLE mission focus on:

• 80% delivering of Incubation services with business hosting facilities, it will operate as an INCUBATOR CENTRE and Business Accelerator

• 20% delivering of Business Support Services and Business Development Services for SMEs, it will operate as a BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTRE (BDC )

• Generating successful companies and accelerating the growth and success of entrepreneurial companies by providing them with a comprehensive and integrated range of business support resources and services, including (incubator space, business support services, and clustering and networking opportunities) that after graduating will leave the program financially viable and freestanding.

• To contribute to the economic growth of the Beirut and Mount Lebanon country, by supporting the Agro-Economy Sector.
• Creating New Job s:

1. by providing fresh graduates and executives with a fighting chance to set up and start their own companies and in turn provide openings for other professionals.

2. By providing new Job opportunities to young professionals and preventing them from seeking careers abroad.

MEFOSA experts are participating in establishing Lebanese Association for Geographic Appellation (LAGA); its Geographical Indications Conclusions and Recommendations are:

• The elaboration of a Legal Framework for Quality Labels
• The creation of an Organism for Protected Designations. It may be an Institute or a National Council. The National Institute of Geographic Appellations
• The institution is supposed to be able to provide instruments and education to the Agro- Food producers and to watch their work and to protect the Designations of Origin in the inside and outside of markets
• Setting up, as soon as possible, a mechanism for surveying the existing geographical indications and exploring the available potential
• The creation of supervisory mechanisms for geographical indications (such as an ad hoc commission and/ or a provisional delegation to qualified bodies, etc.) may be created at the same time as the Institute or National council of designations.

Landell Mills signed the Technical Assistance Contract for the Agricultural Development Project in Beirut Lebanon dated 27 December 2004, with the Ministry of Agriculture.

Landell Mills was assisted by MEFOSA in the process of bidding and interviews prior to Contract award. MEFOSA has continued to support the start up process for team mobilization.

This proposal sets the Framework of duties and responsibilities between Landell Mills and MEFOSA as “Associates” for the implementation of the Agricultural Development Project in Lebanon.

The main objective for the involvement of MEFOSA is to extend its experience to the project team in areas such as food safety, agricultural processing, the food industry, etc.

Landell Mills believes that MEFOSA’s mix of skills and experience is well suited to serve Landell Mills as its Associate in the implementation of the Agricultural Development Project in Lebanon.