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]

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Biofach 2023 Recap

2023-06-13T13:53:53+00:00March 3rd, 2023|Tags: , , , , , , |

BioFach 2022 last July feels like just a couple of weeks ago. The turnaround was short, but we were delighted to be in Nuremberg once again this February, hosting the Organic Africa Pavilion and the Biotrade Asia Pavilion. At these pavilions, we hosted 16 companies, 6 study tours, and thousands of people along the value chain to talk about organic agriculture, regenerative principles, and new opportunities for collaboration. Who Was At the Organic Africa Pavilion This year, we hosted co-exhibitors from Togo, Liberia, South Africa, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, The Philippines and Sri Lanka. They showcased a wide [Read more]

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Creating Good Jobs in Ethiopia

2022-11-24T08:46:24+00:00November 22nd, 2022|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Export and Business Development for Ethiopian Agribusinesses The backbone of the Ethiopian economy is agriculture, which provides employment for approximately 68% of the working population and represents 30% of GDP. With over 40% of the Ethiopian population being under the age of 15, the Ethiopian government must facilitate the creation of millions of jobs a year to ensure the reduction in the labour surplus. Consequently, and for the past two decades, the Ethiopian government’s strategy for economic development is the structural transformation of the economy from low- to high-productivity agriculture, value-addition and industrialisation. In conjunction with the GIZ project, [Read more]

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Social certification Trends

2022-06-14T08:24:40+00:00June 14th, 2022|Tags: , , , , , , , |

  Social issues across global value chains have received more attention over the past years. Standards serve as a tool to ensure good social practices. But with over 400 sustainability schemes to choose from, how do you find the best one for your business? ProFound consultants Lisanne Groothuis and Jolanda van Hal researched just that. On behalf of CBI, the Center for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries, they identified current trends in social standards, compared the main standards on the market and developed guidelines to help exporters find the best one for them. The study and webinar [Read more]

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How to choose the right social certification for my company?

2022-07-05T09:56:42+00:00June 14th, 2022|Tags: , , , , , , , |

As an exporter, you should choose a social certification standard that fits your company best. To determine which standard fits your needs you will need to determine your objectives and compare the different standards available to see which one helps you meet them. We have developed three important steps to guide you on this process. Determine your needs and objectives You should look for standards that help you achieve your objective and goal. Maybe you have a buyer that wants you to certify according to a specific standard before you can become a supplier. You can also use standards [Read more]

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Linking Ethiopian Gums and Resins to international markets

2021-06-10T09:35:51+00:00May 11th, 2021|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

  For the last ten months, ProFound’s experts together with a local Ethiopian team have been working on establishing sustainable Gums and Resins supply chains in Ethiopia and linking them to international markets. As the project is coming to an end we want to share with you some of our main achievements and learnings. Strengthening Drought Resilience in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lowlands of Ethiopia (SDR-ASAL) Ethiopia's rural areas face enormous environmental and socio-economic challenges that put the livelihoods of small farmers and pastoralists at risk (Humboldt Universität Zu Berlin, 2017). These environmental pressures have become evident through the [Read more]

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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]

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ProFound will link Gums and Resins collectors to markets

2021-06-10T09:35:53+00:00July 29th, 2020|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

ProFound is proud to announce that we recently won the tender for a programme focusing on Gums and Resins, supported by GIZ – Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH Ethiopia. The GIZ Programme is called “Strengthening Drought Resilience in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lowlands of Ethiopia (SDR-ASAL)”. Amongst other objectives, the programme aims at building capacities amongst Government institutions and partners in the field of planning and natural resource management and utilization. The Gums and Resins market in Ethiopia Gums and Resins such as Frankincense, Myrrh, Gum Arabic play an important role in the daily life of many Ethiopians. [Read more]

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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]

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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]

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