The lack of information about specific market demands can be a challenge for food processors to enter new market segments. To address this issue, USAID, in partnership with the Association of Fruit and Vegetable Processors of Kosovo (PePeKo), supported the Food Sector Forum, to promote expansion of Kosovo’s agricultural sector. This was the second edition of the Food Sector Forum conducted with USAID’s support, resulting in new, sustainable supply chain partnerships among Kosovo's food processing industry, franchise businesses, contractors, and retailers, which is crucial for economic growth.
One of the successful collaborations resulting from the Food Sector Forum is the recent partnership between local eco-friendly packaging producer, OrtoPaper, and the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Kosova franchise. This partnership resulted in a contract to supply KFC Kosova with new packaging products.
“The success of this collaboration has opened new doors for us, as our company is now listed in KFC’s official database of suppliers,” said OrtoPaper owner Hashim Thaçi. The Business-to-Business (B2B) meetings, held as part of the Food Forum and supported by USAID, helped Thaci’s company meet with local and foreign buyers for the first time. Equipped with new technology and certifications, OrtoPaper is also in negotiations to supply packaging to other franchises they met at the second edition of the Forum.
In addition to supporting Kosovo’s food processors to link with local and foreign buyers, the USAID Kosovo Compete Activity is also working with producers and processors to acquire the necessary product quality certifications to meet the demands of buyers. This support is expected to enable many more collaborations and sustainable business partnerships between suppliers and buyers, further contributing to the growth of the local economy and improving competitiveness in both local and foreign markets.
DT Global for USAIDKosovo