OREANDA-NEWS. November 18, 2014. The EBRD is hosting a conference in the Croatian city of Dubrovnik about challenges for the fast-moving consumer goods, retail and agribusiness sectors.

International and local government, industry and financial sector representatives as well as experts will discuss questions like the strategic outlook for the agribusiness sector until 2020, ways of mobilising funds and strengthening growth. Speakers will include the ministers of agriculture for Croatia and Slovenia, Tihomir Jakovina and Dejan Zidan, Miodrag Kostic, President MK Group, Serbia, Vedrana Jelusic Kasic, EBRD Director for Croatia, and Miljan Zdrale, EBRD Head of Agribusiness, South- Eastern Europe.

The three-day conference is taking place under the auspices of the Croatian Ministry of Agriculture. For the EBRD it represents a continuation of the Bank’s leading role in promoting the agribusiness sector and, specifically, strengthening the role of the private sector. Around 10 per cent of the EBRD's annual investments are dedicated to the agribusiness sector.

The EBRD launched its Private Sector for Food Security Initiative in 2011 and the initiative champions the role of the private sector in boosting food production through technical assistance, policy dialogue and new financing. It also helps set incentives and creating an environment conducive to private sector support.

The initiative is supported through the EBRD’s long-established relationship with the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The EBRD-FAO collaboration promotes complementarity of approaches of international financial institutions and reduces duplication of activities.