Climate-resilient business models: UN Women and COLEAD’s commitment alongside women entrepreneurs
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
No Comments
The collaboration between UN Women and COLEAD aims to support women entrepreneurs and business leaders from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP), as well as from other regions worldwide. In this context, the South–South online series was designed and implemented through the FFM+ programme, to foster cooperation and knowledge sharing, strengthen entrepreneurial skills, improve market access and encourage networking among women leaders. The sixth session of the series, dedicated to climate-resilient business models for women entrepreneurs, took place on… +ABIM 2025: direct access to emerging biocontrol technologies and meetings with manufacturers and partners
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
COLEAD participated in the Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting (ABIM), held from 20 to 22 October in Basel, Switzerland. Organised by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and the International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association (IBMA), ABIM is widely recognised as the leading global event for the biocontrol sector. The 2025 edition brought together 170 exhibitors and more than 2,000 participants from 65 countries, providing a unique platform to exchange on innovation, market trends and regulatory developments in sustainable agriculture. For COLEAD,… +Market dynamics in the fruit and vegetable sector: understanding the influence of supermarkets and large retailers
- 22/12/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Last November, COLEAD, in partnership with the OECD, organised the 11th session of the OECD–COLEAD series on the fruit and vegetable sector, focusing on market dynamics and the growing influence of supermarkets and large retailers on consumption trends and price formation. The session brought together public decision-makers, international experts and economic actors from across the sector. Launched jointly by COLEAD and the OECD, this series of sessions aims to create a structured and informed space for dialogue on the major… +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… +