ProFound supports project formulation for Colombia+Competitiva

2018-06-26T12:39:27+00:00September 26th, 2017|Tags: , , , |

As part of the SECO-funded Colombia+Competitiva programme, ProFound’s Gustavo Ferro was invited by Swisscontact to support Colombian applicants to formulate proposals for cocoa and natural ingredients projects. An expert panel will assess these proposals and choose projects that will be co-funded by the programme. Gustavo travelled to five locations in Colombia, and discussed extensively with project partners. With the organisations, he addressed broad subjects on market developments, access requirements, segmentation and, most importantly, how to translate the problems therein into practical interventions. Gustavo answered questions, shared experiences and assisted the applicants in structuring their thinking into a market systems approach. The Colombia+Competitiva [Read more]

Training Tunisian producers – How to access the European cosmetics market?

2017-09-22T11:26:52+00:00September 22nd, 2017|Tags: , , |

On behalf of the German Import Promotion Desk (IPD), ProFound’s consultant Robbie Hogervorst provided a two-day training in Tunisia on the European cosmetics sector. During the first day, Robbie brought a group of business support organisations up to speed on European market dynamics and requirements for cosmetic products and ingredients. Based on these insights, the participants developed a storyline for Tunisian cosmetic products on the European market, and translated this into ideas and actions for future trade fair participations.      On the second day, more than 80 participants from the private sector learned about cosmetic market trends and market [Read more]

Spices and herbs buyers stress the importance of sustainable sourcing

2017-06-21T13:19:44+00:00June 8th, 2017|Tags: , , |

At ProFound, we highly value direct contact with buyers. We use our extensive and international network of buyers and other industry experts to always know what’s going on in the market. ProFound consultant Sharifa Zaidi visited two spices and herbs companies, VNK Herbs and Euroma, to discuss the latest market developments. She will use these insights in the Spices and Herbs market analysis for CBI – Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries. See our Market Analysis solution for more information. Both VNK Herbs and Euroma confirmed our findings that sustainability is a key topic in the spices [Read more]

ProFound Market Potential Tool now covers both US and European market

2019-03-28T11:45:59+00:00May 3rd, 2017|Tags: , , |

ProFound continues to tailor its products to the real needs of the natural ingredients sector. With our market potential tool, now expanded to the US market, we can do a quick assessment of natural ingredients’ potential on the European or American markets. The tool covers cosmetics, food, food supplements, pharmaceuticals and herbal medicine. The development of this tool stems from ProFound’s tradition to provide Market Analysis solutions to natural ingredient companies. With more than 25 years of expertise, we have access to numerous sources and contacts which enable us to base our conclusions on market realities.  “ProFound identified which of our products had [Read more]

Finalising the inception phase of the Regional BioTrade Project

2017-08-16T10:31:31+00:00May 3rd, 2017|Tags: , , , , |

Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation and ProFound collaborated closely on an Export Potential Assessment (EPA) in the Regional BioTrade project in Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar). Since September 2016, ProFound consultants and Helvetas national teams have identified bottlenecks and possible interventions through desk research, fieldwork and verification missions. ProFound worked together with the Helvetas teams in researching the possibilities for BioTrade. Their help with the desk research, field work and reporting has been very useful in the completion of the inception phase of the project. - Tuan, Le Anh, Deputy Project Manager, Regional BioTrade Project Southeast Asia, Helvetas Vietnam The combination [Read more]

ProFound wins World Bank tender: Developing Economic Clusters in Eastern Indonesia

2019-04-16T12:04:08+00:00May 2nd, 2017|Tags: , , , |

ProFound won a World Bank tender, together with our Indonesian partners Setara Foundation and several experts from the Gadjah Mada University. In the coming six months, we will develop strategies for innovative clusters of economic activity with key Eastern Indonesian agricultural products. This is one of our activities in Market Analysis (see our Solutions page for more information). “Together with our partners, we have unique expertise in adding value to agricultural production and identifying Indonesian potential products for export markets, as well as in SME development. Our recommended strategies will bear relevance for both the national and international context.” – [Read more]

Adding value to rice products in Pakistan and Cambodia

2019-04-16T11:49:29+00:00April 3rd, 2017|Tags: , , , |

Pakistan and Cambodia are among the largest rice producers in the world. They are already some of the biggest suppliers to Europe with brown and milled rice. However, their industries for value added rice products lag behind global competitors. On behalf of CBI, ProFound and ingredient expert Freek Jan Koekoek are working on a feasibility study to find out how to change this situation and find opportunities to develop the rice industries in Pakistan and Cambodia. Global competitors India and Thailand are both much better than Pakistan and Cambodia at adding value to rice products. India and Thailand produce more competitive rice varieties, and also [Read more]

Now online: European market opportunities for tea, coffee, cocoa, spices and herbs

2017-05-31T11:49:09+00:00March 16th, 2017|Tags: , , , |

Are you looking for opportunities on the European market for tea, coffee, cocoa, spices and herbs? Our work for CBI in these sectors can now be downloaded from the CBI website. Here, you can find information on market trends, requirements and competitive sources. The analyses also identify opportunities in specific countries, such as Italy and Germany, and for specific products, such as specialty tea and coffee, vanilla, pepper and cloves. Looking for opportunities for other natural ingredients? On the CBI website, you can also download our analyses for: Honey and Sweeteners, Natural Food Additives, Natural Ingredients for Cosmetics, Natural Ingredients for [Read more]

ProFound´s first verification mission to Vietnam for BioTrade project

2017-08-16T10:31:50+00:00January 23rd, 2017|Tags: , , , , |

ProFound consultant Robbie Hogervorst visited Vietnam as part of the Export Potential Assessment for the Regional BioTrade project in Southeast Asia with Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation. At the end of last year, we identified promising BioTrade products from Vietnam, Lao PDR and Myanmar, by assessing their export potential. BioTrade is defined as the trade of products that are native to a country and maintain or enrich its biodiversity. In Vietnam, Robbie and the local Helvetas team verified the outcomes of this research. The team talked to companies and other stakeholders, such as government institutions, through individual interviews and a roundtable. "During [Read more]

Promising Natural Ingredients in Regional BioTrade Programme Southeast Asia

2019-04-12T14:51:05+00:00December 6th, 2016|Tags: , , , , |

ProFound and longstanding partner Klaus Dürbeck Consulting have joined forces with Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation in a SECO-funded Regional BioTrade Programme in Southeast Asia, which started in September 2016. In the first stage of this Programme, we are identifying promising natural ingredients from Vietnam, Lao PDR and Myanmar, by assessing their export potential. Teams in the respective countries are interviewing local companies and stakeholders to provide input from the field. In October 2016, ProFound’s BioTrade expert Bert-Jan Ottens and associate consultant Nuning Barwa travelled to Hanoi to train and prepare these local teams for their fieldwork.   ProFound calculated the Export Potential Index of BioTrade products [Read more]

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