Discussing market access with coffee roasters in Colombia

2019-04-16T14:57:29+00:00November 29th, 2016|Tags: , , , |

What was once perceived as impossible is now gradually taking shape. Colombian roasters have built the confidence and skills to pioneer on a highly competitive market. And they are now equipped with a map of the market and the tools to work on their individual roadmaps within the CBI programme on Speciality Roasted Coffee in Colombia. To support CBI’s programme, ProFound cooperated with expert Rafael Valcarce in producing a Tailored Intelligence to support Colombian coffee roasters in accessing the European market. This study was disseminated in Colombia (Bogotá and Pereira) to the target audience in October 2016, followed by in-depth [Read more]

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ProFound market research natural alternatives to sugar: Lucuma and Yacon opportunities

2017-03-16T09:01:14+00:00September 2nd, 2016|Tags: , , , , |

ProFound supports developing country exporters to bring their natural ingredient to the European market, providing market information regarding specific products that have a potential on the market. As more consumers are interested in a healthy diet, and as refined sugar has developed a bad name among several consumer groups, natural alternative sweeteners are an interesting product group. We therefore expect that lucuma and yacon will become more popular among European consumers. We have spoken to European importers and retailers of natural sweeteners and visited the ‘Free From Food’ fair in Amsterdam to discuss the European market of natural sweeteners with [Read more]

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ProFound joins Helvetas in regional BioTrade in Southeast Asia

2017-02-08T16:18:50+00:00August 19th, 2016|Tags: , , , , , , |

ProFound has joined forces with Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation and our partner Klaus Dürbeck Consulting for a Regional Biotrade Programme in Southeast Asia, specifically in Vietnam, Lao PDR and Myanmar. This four-year programme is funded by SECO, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. The programme aims to create biodiversity-related economic opportunities in Vietnam, Lao PDR and Myanmar, by creating business models for sustainably sourced, traceable and value-added natural ingredients. Such ethical Biotrade business models will aim to create functional economic relations between local communities, processing & exporting SMEs, and international buyers. The Biotrade business models will comply with national and international [Read more]

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Dissemination seminar in Tunisia: Olive Oil and the German market

2016-11-01T16:28:02+00:00May 30th, 2016|Tags: , , , , , , |

Commissioned by the GIZ project Initiative pour la Promotion des Filières Agricoles (IPFA) in Tunisia, Gustavo Ferro landed in Tunis for the Olive Oil Day. He disseminated the main results  of a tailored study on the German market for olive oil and composed the panel of experts. The study was completed in 2015, in collaboration with CBI, IPD and Klaus Duerbeck Consulting. It is available online on the CBI website. The Olive Oil Day (25 May) was attended by more than 45 participants, mainly composed of olive oil companies. Gustavo Ferro and other sector experts, importers and institution representatives engaged in a discussion on the opportunities and [Read more]

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What’s new in cosmetics

2016-11-01T16:28:02+00:00May 20th, 2016|Tags: , , , |

ProFound caught up with the latest trends for natural ingredients at in-cosmetics fair, in Paris. We saw that natural and performance are still key to the industry, and product launches are booming. Cosmetic manufacturers are always interested in new natural ingredients, which were presented at the fair. Producers are also using existing natural products in new ways: in new applications for existing products or processing natural ingredients into completely new functional or active ingredients. Brands continue to find inspiration for cosmetics in food ingredients. Think of a youth-activating serum that contains chia seed extract. Or an energizing face cream that actually smells like coffee. [Read more]

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Colombian flower growers prepare to gain share in Europe

2016-11-01T16:28:02+00:00March 3rd, 2016|Tags: , , , , |

The flower industry in Colombia is expanding its horizon. The USA currently accounts for around 75% of Colombia’s flower exports and still provides plenty of opportunities, but Colombian exporters are keen to supply other markets too. They are mostly interested in China, the Middle East and Europe. ProFound analysed the European market. We focused on the growing demand for hortensia and the topic of sustainability. In two separate studies for CBI/Procolombia and Solidaridad, we identified opportunities for Colombian exporters and provided recommendations. These included learning from European competitors to improve hortensia quality, breeding more and stronger varieties of hortensia, and lobbying [Read more]

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Is Colombian hortensia ready for Europe?

2016-11-01T16:28:02+00:00February 23rd, 2016|Tags: , , , |

Cut hortensia flowers are gaining momentum on the European market. In a study for CBI and ProColombia, ProFound explored the potential for Colombian hortensia exporters in the Netherlands, France, the UK and Switzerland. Colombia, the largest producer of hortensia for the cut flower market, is looking to expand its exports to Europe. CBI commissioned ProFound to assess the potential of Colombian hortensia in Europe, to facilitate the role of Asocolflores and ProColombia in guiding exporters. We analysed the market potential, competition, buyer requirements and business practices in Western Europe. Although European buyer and quality requirements are very strict, Colombia does have a competitive advantage. The country can [Read more]

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Roasted coffee from Colombia: Breaking the barrier

2016-11-01T16:28:02+00:00February 16th, 2016|Tags: , , , , |

Europe is the main market for speciality coffee worldwide, as well as home to the largest and most innovative coffee roasters. The European market demands a high volume of green coffee beans, but it presents several challenges to exporters of roasted coffee from producing countries. In partnership with organisations such as PROCOLOMBIA and the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia, CBI has launched a programme with Colombian coffee roasters whose aim is to enter the European market. In the context of this programme, ProFound is currently investigating the European market for roasted coffee with CBI expert Rafael Valcarce. The goal is to provide Colombian exporters [Read more]

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Introducing Myanmar to Europe

2016-11-01T16:28:03+00:00February 5th, 2016|Tags: , , , |

Myanmar is an important producer of pulses, beans and oilseeds. It is a market leader for sesame seed and one of the biggest players for (in particular black) mung beans. The country has a strong potential to become a significant source for Dutch and European buyers. Research by ProFound, done for CBI/RVO, shows that Dutch importers are quite interested to start working in Myanmar. However, there are strong concerns in terms of quality, in particular concerning food safety and traceability. Buyers are also concerned about CSR compliance. ProFound’s director Bert-Jan Ottens visited Myanmar in January 2016, to determine key bottlenecks [Read more]

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Exporting ingredients and fresh foods to Germany

2016-11-01T16:28:03+00:00January 4th, 2016|Tags: , , , , |

Inspired by cooking shows and the importance of healthy living, German consumers are more conscious about their food intake. They increasingly look for health, food and cosmetic products with natural ingredients and are switching to fresh foods in their cooking. For the German Import Promotion Desk, we looked into the markets for fresh beans and pulses, fresh herbs, baby vegetables, gums and resins and olive oil. For these products, we identified opportunities for developing countries by determining (potential) sources of competition, buyer requirements and relevant trends in Germany. These studies will be available on the CBI website, under the sectors Fresh [Read more]

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