Compliance Archives - Page 7 of 8

FairWild training in Kosovo

Aafke van Sprundel2016-10-11T12:45:50+00:00December 5th, 2014|Tags: FairWild, GIZ, Klaus Dürbeck Consulting, Kosovo, wild-collection|

On behalf of FairWild, Bert-Jan Ottens examined the protocols and assessed the participants of the training in FairWild Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), conducted by Klaus Dürbeck and Stefan Lermer (Klaus Dürbeck Consulting) in November 2014. The training took place in the context of a GIZ-supported programme for sustainable wild-collection in Kosovo. Subjects covered the procedures for resource assessment and resource management by resource owners and users, including field training in transects for resource measurement.

CBI’s Natural Ingredients programme in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Aafke van Sprundel2016-11-01T16:28:08+00:00November 15th, 2014|Tags: Afghanistan, CBI, Export Development and Promotion Programme for natural ingredients, Klaus Dürbeck Consulting, Pakistan|

Together with its consortium partner Klaus Dürbeck Consulting (KDC), ProFound has won the tender for the CBI Export Development and Promotion Programmes for Natural Ingredients in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Covering a period of 4 years, the programmes aim to improve the export competitiveness of SMEs in developing countries, through tailored interventions at company and institutional level. The programmes affect the full value chain of the natural ingredients sector. To optimally improve export promotion, CBI integrates different services in the framework of its programmes. The integrated programmes are focused on the key actors, influencers and supporters of the export value chain. Services [Read more]

EXPRO Food Ingredients Asia

Aafke van Sprundel2016-10-11T12:48:43+00:00November 12th, 2014|Tags: CBI, EXPRO, food, IPD|

In the context of CBI's Food Ingredients Programme in Asia, ProFound supported companies from the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Pakistan during the EXPRO in France and Germany. The participants of the EXPRO focused on a wide range of food ingedients, including processed fruits, coconut oil, tea, coffee, cocoa, honey, spices and herbs, edible nuts and rice. Together with local experts, CBI experts Joost Pierrot and Jeroen Kruft, as well as trainer Julian Lawson Hill, ProFound consultants were responsible for guiding the companies through their market entry strategies. Gustavo Ferro focused on the companies handling processed fruits (incl. cashew nuts and coconut oil), while Kasper Kerver [Read more]

Natural Ingredients mission to Egypt

Aafke van Sprundel2014-09-18T15:42:30+00:00September 18th, 2014|Tags: CBI, Cosmetics, Egypt, Health, IPD|

The Egyptian natural ingredients sector finds itself at a crossroads. On the one hand, increasing quality requirements in the health and cosmetics sector put pressure on producers to step up; adding value to their products through quality improvement processing, documentation and certification. On the other hand, the weak organisation of the sector and the lack of awareness of value addition opportunities and market trends limits innovation. Ground water and soil contamination with pesticides and plastics adds to their difficulties. Within this context, ProFound natural ingredient consultant Robbie Hogervorst organised and facilitated a mission to Egypt for CBI in close coordination [Read more]

Ethiopia Mission June 2014: Counselling Sessions

Aafke van Sprundel2016-10-11T12:50:59+00:00June 2nd, 2014|Tags: ASPIRE, beekeeping sector, Ethiopia|

The Ethiopian honey sector is thriving. In 2011, the ASPIRE programme in which ProFound takes active part, counted 16 honey and beeswax processors. By now, in 2014, we are working with 26 members of the Ethiopian exporters association. Many businessmen and women recognise the opportunities in this sector. ProFound supports these entrepreneurs to develop their businesses by providing essential services: market analysis, analyses of capacities and strategic planning. In June 2014, we delivered services to individual entrepreneurs in a series of face-to-face counselling sessions in Ethiopia. It became evident from these sessions that, despite the many bottlenecks in the sector, [Read more]

Natural Ingredients for Food & SME Development in Afghanistan

Aafke van Sprundel2016-10-11T12:53:11+00:00June 1st, 2014|Tags: Afghanistan, CBI, Export Coaching Programme, food, SME Development|

From 7-9 May 2014, ProFound organised and conducted a strategic Stakeholder Conference in Abu Dhabi: ‘Natural Ingredients for Food & SME Development in Afghanistan’. The Conference was organised in close collaboration with representatives of CBI and UNITAR, as well as with other relevant Afghan stakeholders from a previous natural ingredients project. Aim of the Stakeholder Conference was to discuss the opportunities and constraints of the Afghan Natural Ingredients sector, and seek opportunities to address these through joint initiatives. Key-outcome of the Conference will be a framework of a programme of support activities to Afghan SMEs in the Natural Ingredients sector, [Read more]

South Africa: fact-finding and acquisition mission

Aafke van Sprundel2016-11-01T16:28:09+00:00March 26th, 2014|Tags: CBI, Natural Ingredients, South Africa|

South Africa is a biodiversity hotspot, offering a wealth of indigenous plants to produce natural ingredients. Next to these raw materials, South Africa also has a large food and wine industry; its waste materials, such as kernels, peel, seeds and low-grade materials can be used to produce a variety of extracts, essential oils and vegetable oils. Only a few companies in South Africa bank on these opportunities to supply export markets with innovative ingredients. Moreover, only recently are some public institutions becoming aware of the opportunities the sector offers for rural development and value addition. In this context, CBI is [Read more]

Market entry for Ethiopian honey processors

Aafke van Sprundel2016-10-11T12:55:49+00:00March 4th, 2014|Tags: ASPIRE, beekeeping sector, Ethiopia, marketing strategy|

Kasper Kerver and Jesse Bloemendaal of ProFound held a 3-day marketing strategy workshop for Ethiopian bee product processors in Addis Ababa. After short theoretical introductions of the different topics in a marketing strategy, the participants of the workshop developed their own marketing strategies through exercises and private counselling sessions with the consultants. This workshop was the kick-off for a long-term commitment by ProFound to support companies with their marketing strategy and business planning. Entrepreneurs delivering a high-quality marketing strategy are invited to participate in local and international trade fairs and other matchmaking opportunities. The first participants of the workshop have [Read more]

UNITAR training – Afghanistan

Aafke van Sprundel2016-10-11T12:56:25+00:00February 18th, 2014|Tags: Afghanistan, SME Development, UNITAR|

From 1 to 5 December 2013, ProFound and Mr. Christer Guldemond of the VU University Amsterdam conducted a workshop in Abu Dhabi on SME Development in Afghanistan, as requested by the UN Institute for Training & Research (UNITAR). Some 20 participants took part, from various government departments working on SME development (including 2 Deputy Ministers and Directors of Provincial Offices). Besides several lectures, the participants worked in groups on SME cases, among which practical cases related to Natural Ingredients in Afghanistan. To read more about this training, refer to the UNITAR website.

Supporting CBI in Egypt

Aafke van Sprundel2016-10-11T12:57:04+00:00December 17th, 2013|Tags: CBI, crafts, Egypt, engineering products, Export Coaching Programme, Natural Ingredients|

In 2013, ProFound developed a business case for the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI) which encompasses three sectors: natural ingredients, crafts and engineering products. This business case will be the basis for CBI’s Export Coaching Programme (ECP) in the next 5 years. In this contex, a first fact-finding and acquisition mission took place in December 2013, where consultant Robbie Hogervorst promoted the programme to local producers and exporters. He also had several meetings with key local counterparts to identify synergies and means of cooperation, as well as to broaden the local support base for the [Read more]