Burkina Faso

Our partner project in Burkina Faso is a development organisation with currently approx. 2,500 entitled members divided in 25 groups. Most of the grower families live in the south western region of Cascades. 

With the start of activities in the 1970s the organisation had a vision: To cultivate products without chemical substances and to use all the processes available at the time to produce food consistently and organically. The main aim of our project partner was and is to stabilise the local agricultural ecosystem so that it is in balance with the surrounding nature and to create independence for the farmers from outside influences.

Our project partner has produced organically since 2002 and was certified organic ECOCERT and FLO in 2005. Since then, they have successfully launched their products on the local market and have started to develop further.

The raw goods, mainly mangos and cashew nuts are directly obtained from the farmer's trees/fields cultivated over generations. Payment takes place directly to the farmers themselves. Whilst men are paid for the cultivation of the fruits and nuts, mostly women are employed in the processing facilities who are able to provide additional income for their families.

The organisation in its present structures aims for a sustainable network of organic farmers in order to preserve local nature, culture and society and to offer the members of the organisation as well as the integrated population lasting support in all areas of life and in their activities.

Currently, we are providing our partner project with technical support and expert knowledge, amongst other things.

To successfully implement the requirements currently applicable in international organic trade and food processing, our agricultural engineer Klaus Merckens is on site for our partner. His tasks include supporting the organisation of cultivation and harvest planning through to educating the farmers in controlled organic cultivation, amongst other things. Our processes and food – technologist Marcel Bogaers is also regularly on site and provides assistance in processing, quality assurance and during inspections and audits in close cooperation with the certification authorities responsible on site.

With the processing and sales of products from our project partners we help to ensure the continuing existence of this cultivation project and that of the farmers.

Additionally we try to sustainably expand the existing infrastructure as part of our company opportunities and with the help of external partners.

The motivation of those responsible at this organisation is: To see that a regular income is available to the member families through organic fruit and processing using their healthy operations and farms, therefore contributing to the sustainable improvement of their living conditions.

Canada

We obtain cranberries from Quebec, the largest Canadian province by area. The project, founded in 1997, is organically farmed by ten farmers on around 300 hectares. This acreage provides a harvest of 14,000 tonnes of organic cranberries per year. The fruit is certified through the Canadian ECOCERT. Close quality management as well as tracking from field to shipping ensure excellent goods.

Sri Lanka

The main quantities of pineapples for the tin manufacturing grow in the west of the country. Our project partner is certified since 2005 by CONTROL UNION. 370 hectares are cultivated by 84 farmers under conditions of the (EC) Eco Basis Regulation 834/2007. 93 firms are involved in the processing of canned pineapple.

The raw coconuts for our organic coconut milk are delivered from an organic coconut plantation, which are under the management of 350 contract farmers and their families. Additional 85 workers are engaged in processing. This plantation exists since 1992 and is also checked by CONTROL UNION.

In both projects, all employees work on base of good social and production conditions which are continuously supported in our part. Thanks to a traceability system the way from the farm to the finished product can always be traced.

California

In the Sacramento Valley, near Yuba City, the fruits of a large plum grove thrive in a Mediterranean climate. The producer family, now in its third generation, is one of the biggest organic producers of Californian plums. The company is CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) certified and member of the Organic Trade Association.

We obtain pistachios from a producer family who has been farming its land in the west of the San Joaquin Valley for three generations. The company is CCOF certified and works according to NOP guidelines, which corresponds to the (EC) Eco Basis Regulation 834/2007.

Burkina Faso

Our partner project in Burkina Faso is a development organisation with currently approx. 2,500 entitled members divided in 25 groups. Most of the grower families live in the south western region of Cascades. 

With the start of activities in the 1970s the organisation had a vision: To cultivate products without chemical substances and to use all the processes available at the time to produce food consistently and organically. The main aim of our project partner was and is to stabilise the local agricultural ecosystem so that it is in balance with the surrounding nature and to create independence for the farmers from outside influences.

Our project partner has produced organically since 2002 and was certified organic ECOCERT and FLO in 2005. Since then, they have successfully launched their products on the local market and have started to develop further.

The raw goods, mainly mangos and cashew nuts are directly obtained from the farmer's trees/fields cultivated over generations. Payment takes place directly to the farmers themselves. Whilst men are paid for the cultivation of the fruits and nuts, mostly women are employed in the processing facilities who are able to provide additional income for their families.

The organisation in its present structures aims for a sustainable network of organic farmers in order to preserve local nature, culture and society and to offer the members of the organisation as well as the integrated population lasting support in all areas of life and in their activities.

Currently, we are providing our partner project with technical support and expert knowledge, amongst other things.

To successfully implement the requirements currently applicable in international organic trade and food processing, our agricultural engineer Klaus Merckens is on site for our partner. His tasks include supporting the organisation of cultivation and harvest planning through to educating the farmers in controlled organic cultivation, amongst other things. Our processes and food – technologist Marcel Bogaers is also regularly on site and provides assistance in processing, quality assurance and during inspections and audits in close cooperation with the certification authorities responsible on site.

With the processing and sales of products from our project partners we help to ensure the continuing existence of this cultivation project and that of the farmers.

Additionally we try to sustainably expand the existing infrastructure as part of our company opportunities and with the help of external partners.

The motivation of those responsible at this organisation is: To see that a regular income is available to the member families through organic fruit and processing using their healthy operations and farms, therefore contributing to the sustainable improvement of their living conditions.

Canada

We obtain cranberries from Quebec, the largest Canadian province by area. The project, founded in 1997, is organically farmed by ten farmers on around 300 hectares. This acreage provides a harvest of 14,000 tonnes of organic cranberries per year. The fruit is certified through the Canadian ECOCERT. Close quality management as well as tracking from field to shipping ensure excellent goods.

Sri Lanka

The main quantities of pineapples for the tin manufacturing grow in the west of the country. Our project partner is certified since 2005 by CONTROL UNION. 370 hectares are cultivated by 84 farmers under conditions of the (EC) Eco Basis Regulation 834/2007. 93 firms are involved in the processing of canned pineapple.

The raw coconuts for our organic coconut milk are delivered from an organic coconut plantation, which are under the management of 350 contract farmers and their families. Additional 85 workers are engaged in processing. This plantation exists since 1992 and is also checked by CONTROL UNION.

In both projects, all employees work on base of good social and production conditions which are continuously supported in our part. Thanks to a traceability system the way from the farm to the finished product can always be traced.

California

In the Sacramento Valley, near Yuba City, the fruits of a large plum grove thrive in a Mediterranean climate. The producer family, now in its third generation, is one of the biggest organic producers of Californian plums. The company is CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) certified and member of the Organic Trade Association.

We obtain pistachios from a producer family who has been farming its land in the west of the San Joaquin Valley for three generations. The company is CCOF certified and works according to NOP guidelines, which corresponds to the (EC) Eco Basis Regulation 834/2007.