Project update: Market entry expert for value chain work on black cardamom

2020-10-28T07:36:06+00:00October 28th, 2020|Tags: , , , , , , |

Our work as a market entry expert for the project “Improving the incomes and nutrition outcomes of rural poor in Northern Kayin State” has come to an end. Workshop in Thandaunggyi township Scope of the project This project not only aimed to improve the nutritional status and WASH conditions of these farmers but also focused on improving their incomes. With the objective of improving the farmer's incomes, the project supported them to “step-up” and improve their position in agricultural value chains. ProFound´s role was to provide support as a market entry expert. We focused on black cardamom, and [Read more]

Workshop with farmers and traders in Myanmar to find alternative cardamom markets

2020-03-20T15:26:12+00:00March 20th, 2020|Tags: , , , , , , |

Cardamom producers in Myanmar are facing challenges in accessing markets. Their main market is China, but, in recent years, prices have been dropping significantly. ProFound is supporting these producers and traders to find alternative markets. For that purpose, our consultant Jolanda van Hal travelled to Myanmar to prepare them for participation at international trade fairs. Preparing cardamom traders for trade fair participation Jolanda gave a training to the Multi-Stakeholder Platform created by SNV in the project “Improving the incomes and nutrition outcomes of rural poor in Northern Kayin State”. This training focused on different aspects related to trade fairs [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]

Building capacities of business support organisations in Southeast Asia

2020-01-17T12:58:50+00:00January 16th, 2020|Tags: , , , , , , |

Last year, in our work for the Regional BioTrade programme from Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation we focused on building capacities of business support organisations in Southeast Asia. Our consultant Jolanda van Hal travelled to Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam in October and December last year. She worked with these business support organisations to develop their market access service portfolio. They have strong ambitions and ProFound is helping them to reach those. Myanmar Tea Association's ambitions: Take the example of the buisness support organisation such as the Myanmar Tea Association. Their aim is to put Myanmar on the map as a quality [Read more]

Workshop in Myanmar to develop market access for cardamom and turmeric

2020-01-14T08:18:02+00:00January 14th, 2020|Tags: , , , , , , |

A project to fight rural poverty through selected value chains End of November ProFound's team members Bert-Jan and Geertje visited Myanmar to train the Multistakeholder platform (MSP) for cardamom and turmeric. This MSP has been established by SNV under the project “Improving the incomes and nutrition outcomes of rural poor in Northern Kayin State”. That project was implemented by a consortium of CDN-ZOA, World Concern Myanmar, CORDAID and local partners since 2016 in Thandaunggyi township in Kayin State. The project is amongst others helping the rural poor to “step-up”. It aims at improving their position in selected value chains, [Read more]

Marketing and Innovation 2.0: Export Marketing training at Natural Products Expo West

2019-05-24T16:18:27+00:00March 21st, 2019|Tags: , , , , , , |

Many Myanmar companies want to enter the American market. They feel their innovative and speciality products will have the best chances in this highly dynamic market. That the American market is indeed dynamic we saw during a study visit to the Natural Products Expo West trade fair in Anaheim, California. Here we joined the Helvetas Myanmar team, 6 companies and 2 business support organisations. At the same time, the show also showed how fierce the competition is. Products and marketing concepts need to be very strong to stand out in this market. ProFound consultants Jolanda van Hal and Robbie Hogervorst [Read more]

South East Asian producers getting ready for BioTrade exports

2019-02-07T14:16:57+00:00December 21st, 2018|Tags: , , , , , , , |

ProFound experts Robbie Hogervorst and Aafke van Sprundel conducted a series of market entry strategy trainings in Kuala Lumpur, Yangon and Mandalay for the Helvetas Regional BioTrade Project South East Asia. More than 20 Vietnamese, Lao and Myanmar companies were trained and supported to develop their first market entry strategy. A second objective was to build capacities of business associations to start developing market entry services to their members.    During the workshop, the participants were guided to define how they wanted to position themselves on the market. Do they want to be a high end, a sustainable, ethical, unique [Read more]

2 ethical organic buyers, 8 suppliers, 3 countries: Buyer mission shows Biotrade potential in South East Asia

2019-04-12T12:59:42+00:00October 23rd, 2018|Tags: , , , , , |

ProFound senior consultant Robbie Hogervorst joined the Helvetas buyer mission to South East Asia to identify business opportunities for Biotrade products and actions needed to make business happen. Organic buyers Traditional Medicinals (USA) and Organic Herb Trading Company (UK) met with companies from Vietnam and Laos. Organic Herb Trading company also visited suppliers in Myanmar. BioTrade products in Southeast Asia  The main focus of the mission was on suppliers producing indigenous spices and organically produced local varieties of commodity spices, such as turmeric and ginger. The buyers also explored options for medicinal and aromatic plants and local herbal medicine traditions. In general, there [Read more]

Trading prospects for Biotrade suppliers after match-making with international buyers

2019-04-16T10:48:42+00:00December 20th, 2017|Tags: , , , , , |

Susan Curtis was one of three buyers on the buyer’s mission for the SECO-funded Regional BioTrade Project Southeast Asia with Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation facilitated by ProFound. As Director of Natural Health at Neal’s Yard Remedies, Susan visited Myanmar and Vietnam and explored the possibilities to cooperate with suppliers of BioTrade ingredients. The mission inspired her to consider some of these ingredients for the products of Neal’s Yard Remedies, including both high quality spice essential oils and a cosmetic ingredient that would be new to Europe and has the potential to lead to some exciting and innovative new product development. “I was [Read more]

The business case for BioTrade markets

2018-06-26T12:34:59+00:00October 31st, 2017|Tags: , , , , , |

ProFound’s consultants  Bert-Jan Ottens and Sacha Handgraaf supported a Helvetas training on sustainable certification schemes in the context of the Regional BioTrade Project Southeast Asia with Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation. The Helvetas country teams came together in Bangkok to discuss certification trajectories for the tea, spices and thanaka value chains. This will help the teams to design strong business cases for BioTrade with business support and private sector actors in Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. During the two day-training the teams learned more about: Food safety and sustainability certifications relevant for the international market How to make the link between the BioTrade principles [Read more]

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