STDF Penja Pepper Project (Cameroon): sustainability confirmed three years on
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
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Implemented under project STDF/PG/593, support to the Penja pepper value chain in Cameroon aimed to sustainably strengthen the application of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) best practices. At the heart of this approach was the co-development of practical tools tailored to the needs of field actors. Guides to SPS best practices, educational brochures, practical fact sheets and structured training modules were developed and rolled out throughout the project. Three years after the project’s official closure, the results speak for themselves. Training… +Multi-country Programme for Strengthening Trade Capacities (PRCC): support to MSMEs and professional organisations, and launch of bottleneck studies
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
In March 2025, COLEAD signed a new contract with the French Development Agency (AFD) under the Trade Capacity Building Programme (PRCC). The programme aims to contribute to poverty reduction and to the improvement of food security and nutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa by supporting the development of a fairer, safer and more sustainable agricultural sector. The specific objective of the PRCC is to support smallholders, farmer organisations and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in maintaining and improving their access to… +Flashback 2015 : Training: sharing to ensure sustainability- an example from Ethiopia
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Source : HORIZONS Magazine n°4 “With the development of value chains, many professional associations and organisations are building up experience and diversifying the services they offer to their members, in particular training and the popularisation of improved agronomic practices. COLEACP needs to take this development into account. Firstly, to make sure it does not find itself in the position of competing, despite its best intentions, by offering support that these organisations already provide to companies. Secondly, because, unlike aid programmes… +Market access for fresh citrus, juice, essential oils and peel valorisation – new sector study now available
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
This sector analysis, achieved through the FFM+ programme, combines technical and economic approaches to provide a comprehensive overview of opportunities and requirements on the European market. This type of sector study is designed to be directly operational for COLEAD partner-beneficiaries: producers, packhouses, processors and ingredient suppliers. It enables quick answers to very practical questions such as: what do European buyers expect for fresh citrus? which formats and specifications are required by juice bottlers? how can by-products (peel, essential oils) be… +Strengthening the resilience of the ginger value chain in Nigeria: the strength of a structured partnership between public and private actors
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Following the major crisis triggered in 2023 by a ginger wilt outbreak that caused production losses of up to 80% in some key producing areas of Nigeria, particularly in Kaduna State, COLEAD, through the FFM+ programme, continued and strengthened its support to the sector in 2025. This new phase builds on the initial actions implemented in 2024 and aims to restore farmers’ confidence, improve the sustainability of production systems, and enhance the competitiveness of the sector. In partnership with CBI’s… +Pilot plot, fruit value chain: how a living laboratory is transforming agricultural practices in Nigeria
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Reelfruit, one of Nigeria’s leading dried fruit processors, has reached a major milestone with the establishment of a one-acre demonstration plot at its Abeokuta site. Supported by COLEAD under the Fit for Market Plus (FFM+) program, this plot serves as a living laboratory for best agricultural practices for mango, coconut, pineapple, and banana—four key crops for the company’s processing activities. Affiong Williams, founder of Reelfruit, explains that this initiative addresses the critical challenge of accessing quality raw materials: “Fruit farming… +Nigeria: strengthening the SPS quality management system through capacity development of the national plant protection organisation (NAQS)
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
As Nigeria’s National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO), the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) plays a central role in safeguarding plant health, preventing the introduction of pests, and certifying agricultural products for export. To strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to meet international phytosanitary requirements, COLEAD, under the Fit for Market Plus (FFM+) programme funded by the European Union and the OACPS, implemented two consecutive training sessions aimed at improving both the organisation and the implementation of official controls. These activities form part of… +Tanzania: integrating the management of gender dynamics at the heart of horticultural companies
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
In December, COLEAD organised its first face-to-face training in Tanzania on managing gender dynamics in the workplace, held in Arusha as part of the FFM+ programme. This session is fully aligned with COLEAD’s Gender Strategy and Action Plan (2024–2027), which aims to systematically mainstream gender equality across all interventions and ensure equitable benefits for women and marginalised groups within agricultural value chains. Gender is a key lever under Result 2 of the FFM+ programme, which focuses on strengthening the capacity… +Sierra leone: collective training as a lever for access to formal horticultural markets
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
COLEAD recently successfully concluded a strategic collective training session dedicated to market access, held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in November 2025. This face-to-face training was delivered by a COLEAD expert based in West Africa, as part of the FFM Plus programme. The main objective of the training was to strengthen the capacities of horticultural companies and producer organisations currently operating in informal or semi-informal markets, but aiming to transition towards higher-value formal, regional and international markets. The session primarily targeted… +Strengthening access to organic markets in the Pacific: the case of Kokonut Pacific Solomon Islands
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Under the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, the COLEAD continues its commitment to strengthening the capacities of agri-food SMEs and supporting their sustainable access to international markets. In 2025, the COLEAD notably supported Kokonut Pacific Solomon Islands Ltd (KPSI) through a pre-audit of the National Organic Program (NOP), followed by certification support. This assistance builds on earlier engagement, in particular through the completion of the Sustainability Self-Assessment (SAS). This diagnostic highlighted numerous strong sustainability practices, while also identifying areas… +