• Towards circular waste management: example of support for Jacarandas in Madagascar

    • 03/11/2025
    • Posted by: Sandra Borma
    • Category: News
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    As part of the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, Jacarandas, a company specialising in the production of spices and essential oils in Madagascar, benefited from technical assistance to update its Waste Management Plan (WMP). The mission, carried out jointly by LONO (Côte d’Ivoire) and SOATY, a Malagasy expert trained under the programme, aimed to provide the company with a plan aligned with international standards and oriented towards a “Zero Waste” policy, through the recovery or treatment of all waste… +
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  • Supporting agribusinesses in developing bankable business plans: the case of Produhort in Malawi

    • 03/11/2025
    • Posted by: Sandra Borma
    • Category: News
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    As part of the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, COLEAD supports agribusinesses in developing bankable business plans, essential tools for growth and long-term sustainability. In this context, a post-training support mission was conducted with Produhort Investments Ltd, a horticultural enterprise based in Lilongwe (Malawi). As a participant in the “Develop a Business Plan for Your Agribusiness” training, Produhort received tailored coaching to finalise and strengthen its 2025–2030 business plan. A business plan to guide growth The mission’s objective was… +
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  • Sustainable products for healthy living: Thanthwe Enterprises (Malawi) leads the way towards regional and international markets

    • 03/11/2025
    • Posted by: Sandra Borma
    • Category: News
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    Thanthwe Enterprises, an innovative agri-food company from Malawi, has benefited from strategic support through the FFM+ programme, aimed at strengthening its competitiveness and structuring its expansion into regional and international markets. This support provided the company with strategic guidance and in-depth market analysis to inform its approach to market entry in Southern Africa, notably South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique, with a longer-term goal of expanding into the European Union. The study revealed the strong potential of Thanthwe’s diverse product portfolio,… +
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  • Social sustainability through SMETA 4-Pillar certification: The example of Chisel Investments in Zimbabwe

    • 03/11/2025
    • Posted by: Sandra Borma
    • Category: News
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    As part of the Fit for Market Plus (FFM+) programme, COLEAD recently carried out a follow-up mission at Chisel Investments Pvt Ltd, a horticultural company based in Headlands, Zimbabwe. The objective was to assess the progress made in implementing the SMETA 4-Pillar standard and to identify the remaining steps required to achieve certification. Encouraging progress over one year Since the first assessment in 2024, Chisel Investments has made significant progress, particularly in developing internal policies and procedures that align with… +
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  • Strengthening the bankability and strategic use of business plans: the example of Coldiron in Zimbabwe

    • 03/11/2025
    • Posted by: Sandra Borma
    • Category: News
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    As part of the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, a post-training support mission was conducted for Coldiron, a horticultural company based in Zimbabwe. This support followed the company’s participation in the training “Create a Business Plan for Your Agribusiness.” Objectives The overall objective of the post-training mission was to assist Coldiron in reviewing and finalising its business plan so that it reflects its current operations and meets the requirements of financial institutions. More specifically, the mission aimed to: clarify… +
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  • COLEAD eLearning: new training pathways to strengthen the skills of 36,000 platform users

    • 09/09/2025
    • Posted by: Sandra Borma
    • Category: News
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    COLEAD’s eLearning platform continues to grow as part of the FFM+ programme, offering new self-paced training pathways for professionals in the agri-food sector. Since 2024, four additional pathways comprising five courses have been added to the training offer. Business plan (available in English and French since June 2024) Financial planning (available in English since June 2024 and in French by the end of 2025); Fruit and vegetable preservation, Processing and Packaging (already available in French and due to be available… +
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  • Derrick Sarfo turns plastic into sustainable opportunities

    • 09/09/2025
    • Posted by: Sandra Borma
    • Category: News
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    In Ghana, a young entrepreneur is proving that a committed vision can turn environmental challenges into opportunities for inclusive development. Derrick Sarfo, founder and director of DercolBags Packaging Ltd., has made the fight against plastic pollution a driver of social and economic innovation. His entrepreneurial journey stems from a tragedy. In 2015, the devastating floods in Accra, worsened by plastic waste clogging drains, left a deep mark on Derrick and pushed him to act. Three years later, he founded DercolBags,… +
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  • María Elsy Abreu turns Dominican cacao into a driver of sustainability and inclusion

    • 09/09/2025
    • Posted by: Sandra Borma
    • Category: News
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    In the Dominican Republic, a new generation of entrepreneurs is transforming agricultural value chains. María Elsy Abreu, co-founder and director of Cacao Mae, is one of the movement’s leading figures. With a background in marketing and an in-depth understanding of international markets, she is working to showcase the exceptional quality of Dominican cacao and to leverage it for sustainable and inclusive development. From agricultural roots to a global vision Born into a family of farmers who cultivated cacao, tobacco, and… +
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  • Rwanda : study on the potential of the organic fruit and vegetable local market

    • 09/09/2025
    • Posted by: Sandra Borma
    • Category: News
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    As part of the FFM+ programme, COLEAD recently published a groundbreaking study on the potential of the domestic market for organic fruit and vegetables in Rwanda. The report assesses the prospects for developing the organic sector in Rwanda, focusing particularly on the feasibility of a participatory guarantee system that would offer new certification options tailored to small-scale producers. An emerging market. The study analyses consumer and hospitality sector demand, current market conditions, and the challenges to be overcome to promote… +
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  • Tanzania: meeting with 2,000 avocado value chain actors, a promising sector for smallholders

    • 09/09/2025
    • Posted by: Sandra Borma
    • Category: News
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    As part of the FFM+ programme, COLEAD took part in a Southern Highlands Development Alliance (SHDA)-organised workshop dedicated to the avocado sector in Njombe, Tanzania. Over 2,000 value chain stakeholders, including producers, exporters, suppliers of inputs, transporters, and farmers’ associations from the Njombe, Iringa, Ruvuma, and Songwe regions, came together to discuss the future of this thriving sector. A promising sector for smallholders. With over 25,000 small-scale producers organised within SHDA groups, the Southern Highlands are emerging as a promising… +
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