ProFound and Sandra Kruger and Associates help save endangered rooibos

2016-11-01T16:27:56+00:00August 16th, 2016|Tags: , , , |

The rooibos sector is under pressure. Volumes are going down because of drought and a lack of investment in production, value addition in South Africa remains low, and incomes for workers and small farmers in the sector are insufficient to support their families and communities. To make the sector more sustainable ProFound and Sandra Kruger Associates are developing an intervention to tackle these issues in an integrated way: increasing production, achieving CSR compliance and adding value through certification and CSR marketing. To support this effort, the team visited Carmien, a rooibos farm and processor in South Africa, to identify and [Read more]

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PF brokerage service delivers steel drum packaging for Ethiopian honey suppliers

2016-11-01T16:27:56+00:00August 4th, 2016|Tags: , , |

After ProFound brokered a deal for the supply of steel drums to Ethiopia, the first container with drums for honey packaging arrived at the processing company Babichi. The empty drums came from ProFound’s partner in Europe who is interested in supplying drums in return for quality honey. The drums are crucial for Babichi and other Ethiopian honey suppliers to successfully export to Europe, because many European buyers only accept honey packed in steel drums. The use of plastic drums poses a higher risk of quality deterioration during transport and storage and they may collapse when stacked. ProFound studied various options [Read more]

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New model for sustainable trade

2020-03-04T09:43:00+00:00July 21st, 2016|Tags: , , , |

Voluntary private standards flourish as a governance tool for sustainable trade, but do they really work? There are serious limitations to these standards, which limit their effectiveness and impact. A joint effort by Utrecht University, CBI and ProFound is re-evaluating the performance of private standards as a governance tool and looking into a new governance model. Last week, Bram van Helvoirt of the Utrecht University presented this joint paper at the International Sustainable Development Research Society Conference, in Lisbon. Bram presented several governance mechanisms that can be used as alternatives: Action, Collaboration, Transformation; the Participatory Guarantee System; and Access and Benefit Sharing. He talked about the challenges to implement these systems in sustainable [Read more]

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Making high quality products for Europe

2016-11-01T16:27:56+00:00June 9th, 2016|Tags: , , , , , , |

ProFound consultant Kasper Kerver prepared ten Ethiopian entrepreneurs for their exports to international markets. He coached honey, pulses and seeds producers on quality and Food Safety Management and what international buyers expect from them. During the training, Kasper Kerver explained international buyers’ specific requirements for high quality products and Food Safety Management. The participants exercised with HACCP planning and received recommendations on their options for certification. Food Safety Management is a critical bottleneck to export honey, pulses and seeds to international markets. Many Ethiopian producers understand that international buyers want ‘high quality’ products, but don’t know exactly what they mean by that. [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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Market Orientation Training at Vitafoods

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

ProFound consultants Bert-Jan Ottens and Jesse Bloemendaal visited Vitafoods 2016 to give a Market Orientation Training to Pakistani and South African producers of natural ingredients. In classroom trainings, the companies drafted their market entry strategy. They learned to make an analysis of their strengths and weaknesses. The companies also received training on obtaining market information so they can identify opportunities and threats on the European market. ProFound also showed the participants how natural ingredients are used and sold on the European market by visiting retail outlets. In the last days of the training, participants visited the trade fair Vitafoods to validate their market entry strategies. At the fair, they met with potential [Read more]

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Supporting Pakistani companies at Biofach 2016

2016-11-01T16:28:02+00:00February 18th, 2016|Tags: , , |

ProFound assisted three Pakistani companies that have organic certified products at the CBI stand on Biofach 2016. The companies presented a wide offer of natural food products and ingredients, ranging from dried fruits to liquorice. The first results of the trade show look very promising: one company was able to materialise an offer and the total potential orders well exceeded our initial expectations. The exhibiting companies are taking part in the CBI Export Coaching Programme for the natural ingredients sector in Pakistan. This programme builds the capacities of SMEs in Pakistan by providing tailored assistance and trade fair support. We [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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Promoting sustainable sourcing in Pakistan

2016-11-01T16:28:03+00:00December 22nd, 2015|Tags: , , |

Northern Pakistan has a rich biodiversity which is threatened due to poverty and limited options for sustainable livelihoods. ProFound joined up with the UNDP-GE Mountains and Markets project, which aims to improve the livelihoods of local communities, by providing sustainable solutions to use the rich biodiversity. In early November, ProFound trainers visited Northern Pakistan together with the Dutch government agency CBI (promoting imports from developing countries) and the Mountains and Markets project. To promote good collection and processing practices as well as sustainable sourcing from these mountain areas, the team visited local cultivation and wild collection areas as well as local processors [Read more]

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CSR improvement in South Africa

2016-11-01T16:28:03+00:00December 17th, 2015|Tags: , , |

ProFound helped develop company action plans for participants in the South African export coaching programme, as well as a sector strategy to improve sustainability in the country’s natural ingredients sector. We supported a sector analysis and company audits focusing on corporate social responsibility. Together with CBI’s CSR manager, experts and Sandra Kruger and Associates in South Africa, ProFound adjusted existing CSR tools to cater to realities on the ground in South African natural ingredients – particularly for wild-collected ingredients. These tools will also prove useful in other natural ingredient programmes. The outcomes of the analysis were quite clear: although awareness [Read more]

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