Supporting partner countries in achieving compliance with EU organic standards: the case of Zimbabwe

As part of the FFM+ programme, COLEAD recently supported the Rusitu Valley Fruit Growers and Marketing Trust (RVGMT) and the Pineapple Growers Agricultural Cooperative Society Limited (PGACSL) in aligning their Quality Management System (QMS) and Internal Control System (ICS) with the new EU Organic Regulation (EU 2018/848).

This revision of the European framework introduces stricter requirements for group certification, traceability, and transparency, which are essential for maintaining access to EU organic markets.

The assignment involved close collaboration with the RVGMT and PGACSL teams to review existing documentation, identify compliance gaps, and develop an updated and fully compliant QMS manual, complemented by new internal inspection and risk assessment tools.

The support also helped clarify the structural relationship between the two entities: RVGMT, responsible for multiple fruit value chains, and PGACSL, now focused exclusively on organic pineapple production and certification in line with the new EU rules.

The beneficiaries praised the expert’s “professionalism, technical rigour, and practical approach”, highlighting that the gap analysis and subsequent improvements “laid a solid foundation for enhanced compliance and optimal readiness for organic certification.”

Thanks to this intervention, PGACSL is now better equipped to regain its organic certification and resume exports of Zimbabwean organic pineapples to the EU. Continued training, strengthened market partnerships with Greenstone Foods, and ongoing collaboration with ZimTrade will help ensure the sustainability of these achievements and the lasting recovery of access to international markets.

This activity is supported by the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, implemented by COLEAD within the Framework of Development Cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union. This publication receives financial support from the European Union and the OACPS. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or the OACPS.