Linking Nepalese Natural Ingredients Producers to European Markets

2023-06-29T13:17:05+00:00June 26th, 2023|Tags: , , , , , , , |

On the 8th June, Nepalese exporters of a range of natural ingredients, including Nepalese essential oils such as jatamansi, valerian, juniper, chamomile, and mentha partook in an online matchmaking event. Our event was part of ProFound’s work with UK-based NGO called TRAFFIC, who are promoting the sustainable cultivation and export of wild-harvested Nepalese ingredients. Our Work on Nepalese Essential Oils Over the last two years, we have been working with TRAFFIC, FairWild, and ANSAB to ensure the longevity of Nepalese essential oils by implementing sustainable trade practices and resource management. Our project's backbone is the FairWild Standard. [Read more]

Boosting sustainable and equitable trade of Jatamansi

2021-11-25T07:13:38+00:00April 22nd, 2021|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

  Sustainable and equitable trade of Jatamansi For the last three years, ProFound´s consultant Jolanda van Hal worked together with our partners TRAFFIC International and ANSAB on the project “Succeeding with CITES: Sustainable and equitable trade of Jatamansi from Nepal”. This project, funded by the Darwin Initiative through the UK Government, just came to an end. Time to reflect on it and share its main achievements. About Jatamansi Jatamansi (Nardostachys grandiflora) only grows naturally in the Himalayan range, mainly in Nepal, India and China. The root of this plant is used in traditional medicine. Its essential oil is also [Read more]

Towards Fairwild certified Jatamansi; ProFound’s participation in the project

2021-11-25T07:13:40+00:00February 6th, 2020|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

ProFound’s consultant Jolanda van Hal just returned from a mission to Nepal for the project “Succeeding with CITES: Sustainable and equitable Jatamansi trade from Nepal”. A good time to reflect on activities and developments in the past months. As a reminder: In this project funded by the Darwin Initiative, we are working with ANSAB, the Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources and TRAFFIC International. One of the project aims is to produce FairWild certified Jatamansi by the end of 2020.  Pre-audit assessment for the Jatamansi harvesting In order to see how far the project still has to go [Read more]

Biodiversity coffee from Myanmar

2020-07-23T07:40:28+00:00January 17th, 2020|Tags: , , |

In November and December 2019, ProFound experts Geertje Otten and Bert-Jan Ottens travelled to Myanmar for a range of activities. They visited actors in sustainable business development, such as SNV, World Bank, Helvetas, ZOA, Solidaridad, WHH and FCA. In Taungoo, they had an exciting 2-day training with a team of SNV and ZOA. The training was geared to a multi-stakeholder platform of farmers and relevant actors working towards the sustainable and value-added supply of cardamom and curcumin.  Another focus of the trip to Myanmar was a project on biodiversity coffee. Nathalie Manac’h from Nat Coffee and Bert-Jan Otten [Read more]

Diving into sustainable wild collection at FairWild Forum

2020-03-02T17:52:28+00:00May 14th, 2019|Tags: , , |

Did you know that commercial wild-collection in Europe is alive and kicking? ProFound senior consultant Robbie Hogervorst participated in FairWild Forum 2019 in Budapest. During the forum he visited wild collection sites near the Hungarian-Croatian border. Here Roma collectors benefit from working for FairWild-certified operations: At the time of visit, the group was collecting wild garlic. better working conditions, better and more stable incomes and fair trade premiums to invest in community projects.   At the FairWild Forum, Robbie also presented how FairWild certification can support compliance to the Nagoya Protocol for Access and Benefit Sharing. Other speakers [Read more]

Re-enforcing Jatamansi trade in Nepal

2021-11-25T07:13:43+00:00October 18th, 2018|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

The project “Succeeding with CITES: Sustainable and equitable Jatamansi trade from Nepal” was just launched in Kathmandu, Nepal. This project address the sustainability and legality of international trade of the medicinal plant Nardostachys grandiflora (Jatamansi). ProFound consultant Jolanda van Hal attended the launch: Great to see the strong support in Nepal from private sector companies and governmental organisations such as the Department of Plant and Resources and Ministry of Forests and Environment. This bodes well for our aim to develop equitable and sustainable Jatamansi trade from Nepal. At the launch, Dr. Bishwa Nath Oli, Secretary of the Ministry of Forests and Environment, [Read more]

‘Sweet and Spicy’ Organic Africa Pavilion 2018 hosts 11 entrepreneurs at BioFach: stand 4-359

2020-03-04T11:40:15+00:00January 11th, 2018|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

11 suppliers from 5 African countries will exhibit their sweet and spicy products at the Organic Africa Pavilion 2018 hosted by ProFound at BioFach 2018, stand 4-359. The fair will take place 14 – 17 February 2018 in Nurnberg Germany. Buyers and other visitors are welcome to smell and taste fresh papaya wild pepper fresh ginger tiger nuts cocoa beans and chocolate moringa baobab pineapple and lychee juice vanilla green and yellow beans ProFound organises the Organic Africa Pavilion for the third time in a row as interest and satisfaction from both suppliers and market keeps growing for natural ingredients [Read more]

Sustainable collection standards for Pakistani pine nuts cheaper and easier with NI-CheckApp

2020-03-04T11:50:40+00:00December 22nd, 2017|Tags: , , , , , |

Hunza Organics, based in Northern Pakistan, has just passed its first inspection for FairWild certification, of wild-collected, organic pine nuts. We expect the certification decision to be made in January, which would make Hunza Organics the first company with multiple certified products in the pilot that CBI and ProFound designed for Northern Pakistan. We are proud that Hunza Organics used our total compliance tool, NI-CheckApp, to make the implementation of sustainable collection standards cheaper and easier. Our IN2NI colleague Michael Schwegler provided technical support throughout this process. In their final step towards the European market, Hunza Organics will exhibit their products at the BioFach trade [Read more]

Pukka Herbs and ProFound ready to pilot NI-CheckApp

2018-02-07T11:14:32+00:00September 12th, 2017|Tags: , , , , , , |

Pukka Herbs and ProFound are ready to pilot our Natural Ingredients (NI) CheckApp for wild ingredients in India. We will use this tool to help Pukka Herbs establish clear, agreeable sustainability best practices and minimum guidelines with their suppliers. “One of the challenges faced by some of our suppliers is that we require both organic and FairWild certification; this currently requires two separate audits and two sets of documents, making it a time-consuming and costly undertaking. It is exciting to see that ProFound has created a tool that harmonises and simplifies some of the key certifications in our supply chain.” [Read more]

CBI and ProFound awarded for Natural Ingredients work in Pakistan – preparing companies for multiple certifications

2020-03-04T09:47:29+00:00August 25th, 2017|Tags: , , , , , , |

ProFound executive director Bert-Jan Ottens and IN2NI colleague Michael Schwegler just returned from a CBI mission in Pakistan, in the context of CBI’s Natural Ingredients programme. During the mission, Bert-Jan and Michael trained five companies on traceability and sustainability requirements, and the certification thereof. Three companies are prepared for certification in 2017/18, using ProFound’s NI-CheckApp. The companies are getting ready for FairWild and organic certification audits later this year, and aim to present their dual-certified pine nuts at the BioFach trade fair in Germany in February 2018. At a trade Expo in Gilgit-Baltistan, the team received an award from the [Read more]

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