Progress has been made in areas such as textiles and floriculture including the drafting of the Informal Economy Policy and Workplan.

In Uganda, fresh flowers, plants, fruits and vegetables now account for $19 million worth of exports annually, with floriculture exports growing 475 per cent in value since 1995.

The Foundation for Agrarian Innovation (FIA) provided assistance to 721 women in 2000, for projects relating to llama breeding, floriculture, organic horticulture, beekeeping, management and agrotourism, and it sponsored 19 technological extension missions for a total cost of US$543,000.

The female contingent is generally highest in intensive agriculture, such as intensive horticulture and floriculture, and in processing warehouses, i.e. activities where it is easier to reconcile family and working life.

On market access, the Uruguay Round reformed the rules of agricultural trade but did not result in significant liberalization in bulk commodities, although there were some useful tariff cuts for higher value added horticultural and floricultural products.

To his credit, child mortality was reduced by 40% under hisgovernment; Ethiopia’s economy became more diversified, with newindustries like car manufacturing, beverages, and floriculture; andmajor infrastructure projects, including Africa’s largesthydroelectric dam, were launched.

They suggested, for instance, gearing agroforestry more towards incentive-oriented land management and soil conservation schemes by focusing on (i) aromatic and medicinal plants, (ii) floriculture and fruit crops and (iii) on-farm post-harvest product processing, and (iv) crops to generate incomes for rural farmers.

The International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO conducted a survey on the role of Palestinian women in the floriculture industry (1998), which assessed the extent to which gender-specific factors determine how Palestinian women perceive and articulate their development needs and participate in development activities.

The purchase of UCB by Stanbic, which has had a major impact on the banking sector; The arrival of Eskom and Globeleq as holders of the UEGCL and UEDLC concession; The arrival of Sheltam as holder of the Uganda and Kenya railways concession; The purchase and complete refurbishment of the former Nile Hotel by the Serena Group; MTN's investment in mobile telecommunications; Crystal Clear Software's investment in producing micro-finance software; Fiduga Limited's investment in floriculture.