AARINENA has launched the Post-harvest Initiative in the West Asia and North Africa (WANA) Region four years since the Cairo consultation. The region is a pioneer in confirming the importance of post-harvest, marketing and enterprise related activities. Four commodity networks (olive, date palm, cotton, and medicinal plants) have been established and form the key elements of the Initiative.

In March 2005, a meeting was held in Antalya, Turkey to identify cross-cutting needs of four commodity networks in the AARINENA region in the area of post-harvest handling and marketing and enterprise development. Three project ideas were elaborated during the meeting:
a) market-orientation; b) innovative and effective market-oriented and demand-driven extension services; and c) organic production and markets.

The ad hoc committee met in Abu-Dhabi during 22-23 February 2006 to promote the three project ideas and to review the actions taken since Antalya meeting. The respective conveners concluded that the concept notes share similar elements that can provide the basis for a unified set of proposals for an inter-regional proposal. The ad hoc working group established prioritizing criteria for subsequent selection of commodities, countries and, within countries and regions, candidate research and development interventions that could become an integral part of an inter-regional program. During the period of March to September 2006, efforts will be made to develop an action plan that will serve as a background document and an input for the inter-regional project planning workshop to be held in September.