Sourcing for trade companies and food industry
The national and international organic markets grow steadily. How do you as a trading or manufacturing company get reliable, high-quality, certified organic ingredients? We have decades of experience in many countries in agriculture, horticulture, fruit farming, aquaculture and animal husbandry. Since 1986, we assisted more than 500,000 farmers in more than 70 countries with conversion plans, training and advice on market-related conversion to organic production. In our way of working we strive to ensure that the farms and groups of farms develop a corporate culture in which the quality of organic production and of the product and continuous development and improvement are key. The principles of ‘organic 3.0’ are certainly in our work.
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Marketing for organic producers
Projects for farmer groups, governments and ngo’s are in general covering the entire chain, from agro-technical advice, and internal control systems to market research, and linking producers with buyers. This approach has contributed to hundreds of (regional, national and international) value chains with a combined annual turnover of several billion euros.
Feasibility studies
The organic sector is innovative (and we certainly try to contribute to that). With new products and new services it is always the question whether there is a market for it, whether it is willing to pay the required price and how to penetrate the market. Is the quality good, is the production process efficient, how about competition? A feasibility study provides more insight and a more reliable basis to start.
Conversion plans
The conversion from conventional to organic farm management is a process of thinking, re-orientation, consultation within the family and with colleagues. A conversion plan puts everything in perspective, provides an overview of the necessary investments, changes in labour demand, potential bottlenecks and solutions, marketing prospects and business implications. It can be a guide to the conversion period and farm development thereafter. And sometimes it is also a requirement of the bank to get the credits that are needed for investments.
Project management
Information for producers, training of farmers and agricultural extension workers, preparation for certification, setting up an internal control system (ICS), setting up or improving logistics and processing, linking the best possible production and marketing. Whether it is for (large) groups of farmers and/or gardeners that have to be informed about conversion to organic farming or should be advised during the conversion or later on improving the organic production, good project management is crucial. With decades of experience in dozens of countries with a great diversity of production systems products, we can serve you with project management and technical assistance.