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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Successful participation at in-cosmetics

2016-11-01T16:28:02+00:00May 6th, 2016|Tags: , , , , , , |

ProFound consultant Robbie Hogervorst travelled to Paris for a very successful in-cosmetics trade fair. Together with CBI expert Andrew Jones, he supported 19 companies from South Africa, Colombia, Peru and Indonesia. They are part of the CBI export coaching programme for SMEs from developing countries. These companies offer a wide range of cosmetic ingredients, from luxurious oils and fragrances to innovative botanical extracts. The in-cosmetics team considered the 2016 edition the best attended ever, and the CBI stand was no exception. The number of business contacts the CBI participants collected exceeded expectations. All nineteen exhibitors were very happy with the quality of their new contacts and will follow [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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Celebrating the success of the Organic Africa Pavilion

2018-02-22T10:31:49+00:00February 18th, 2016|Tags: , , , , , |

We are back to the office after a successful week at Biofach where we organised the Organic Africa Pavilion for nine exhibitors from Ghana, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Senegal. The African companies took great strides at starting or even expanding their exports to Europe. Several companies received fixed orders at Biofach. In total, the exhibitors landed over 500 business leads, of which 70% represent concrete follow-ups! They presented value-added and speciality products to Biofach visitors, including baobab, honey, cocoa, desert date, neem and coffee. In the coming weeks, the exhibitors will be busy sending product and company information, quotations and samples to the potential [Read more]

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Introducing Kosovo to the market

2016-11-01T16:28:03+00:00December 15th, 2015|Tags: , , , , , |

As a follow-up to the inception phase, ProFound has been actively involved in the implementation of Swisscontact-PPSE's interventions for Kosovo's food processing sector in 2015. At Anuga (Cologne, Germany), ProFound provided support to 12 Kosovar companies dealing with a wide range of products, from smoothies and energy drinks to preserved vegetables and mushrooms. ProFound's role at Anuga went beyond creating business linkages, also including capacity-building aspects to the exhibiting companies. Food Ingredients Europe (Paris, France) was directly aimed at the non-wood forest product sub-sector, and served as a solid basis to define the strengths and needs of Kosovo's companies. At [Read more]

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ProFound supports Ethiopian pulse producers at Anuga

2016-11-01T16:28:08+00:00October 27th, 2015|Tags: , , , |

The ANUGA trade fair in Cologne, Germany provided an excellent opportunity for 3 Ethiopian farmer unions to meet with European companies. Previously, they only supplied products to the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange or Ethiopian companies. At ANUGA, they learned that European buyers are more demanding and require them to develop their business. ProFound and its partners SNV and Target are supporting the farmer unions with the necessary market knowledge, business planning and matchmaking. The study tour was part of the Cooperatives for Change (C4C) programme in Ethiopia. This programme aims to strengthen cooperatives and particularly the marketing of the farm products. [Read more]

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Ethiopian honey processors prepare orders

2016-10-11T12:42:29+00:00March 23rd, 2015|Tags: , , , |

Following their successful participation in BioFach and Gulfood with support from ProFound, Ethiopian honey processors are preparing orders from their buyers. During a visit to Ethiopia in March, ProFound gave advice to these processors on their action plans. While sourcing of honey during the next harvest season in May is already on their radar, processors still need to secure steel drums for the export of this honey. In cooperation with several processors and the Ethiopian Apiculture Board, ProFound is consolidating orders for cost-efficient import of steel drums to address this potential bottleneck. With many new inexperienced exporters entering the sector, [Read more]

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Bringing Ethiopian honey and beeswax to Biofach

2016-11-01T16:28:08+00:00February 23rd, 2015|Tags: , , , |

Biofach, the world’s largest trade fair for organic food, set the stage for the first trade fair participation of five Ethiopian honey processors, supported by ProFound. These companies are ready to start exporting honey to Europe: the trade fair in Nürnberg was the first, very successful, step to find buyers for their honey. We found an overwhelming interest in honey and beeswax from Ethiopia. On average, the exhibitors collected 25-30 business leads per company. We also brought four additional honey processors to the trade fair in Nürnberg for a study tour. Though not yet ready for exports, these companies are [Read more]

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Trade Fair Season

2016-10-11T12:43:37+00:00January 21st, 2015|Tags: , , , |

ProFound is very excited to participate in major trade fairs during the coming months! Our journey starts in Biofach, Germany, where five Ethiopian honey processors who we have supported, are ready to start supplying the European market. They will exhibit their products on ProFound’s Ethiopia pavilion. With our help, more Ethiopian honey processors have the chance to visit Biofach and to get introduced thoroughly to the European honey market. Next to that, our company will be contributing to the works of Gulfood, in Dubai, one of the world’s largest trade fairs for the food and hospitality industries. After a long [Read more]

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Ethiopia goes to Biofach

2016-11-01T16:28:08+00:00November 26th, 2014|Tags: , , , |

ProFound will bring 8 Ethiopian honey processors to Biofach 2015! Their participation is a reward for their outstanding progress through our Market Access Facilitation programme. This programme is one of the major components of ASPIRE, a honey sector development programme of ProFound and its partners SNV, Enclude and the Ethiopian Apiculture Board. During two years of intensive cooperation between ASPIRE partners and honey processors, ProFound audited these processors, educated them about European honey markets and prepared them for market entry. The processors developed marketing strategies and improved their capacities accordingly. At Biofach, 3 processors will be given a chance to [Read more]

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