Supporting partner countries in achieving compliance with EU organic standards: the case of Zimbabwe
- 03/11/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
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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… +Social sustainability through SMETA 4-Pillar certification: The example of Chisel Investments in Zimbabwe
- 03/11/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
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… +Strengthening the bankability and strategic use of business plans: the example of Coldiron in Zimbabwe
- 03/11/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
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… +Strengthening plant biosecurity: example of a successful pilot internal audit mission with the NPPO in Zimbabwe
- 08/04/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
As part of the FFM+ programme, a successful pilot internal audit mission was conducted with the National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO) of Zimbabwe. This initiative represents a significant step forward in strengthening plant biosecurity and facilitating trade in the country. Over the course of three days, the team combined field visits to citrus production and processing facilities (two days) with analysis and reporting at NPPO border offices (one day). The goal: to establish an efficient and sustainable internal audit system… +Sustainable agricultural practices in Zimbabwe: the case of Greenstone Foods and Mdusoutpost
- 06/03/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
As part of a mission to strengthen sustainable agricultural practices in Zimbabwe, Greenstone Foods and Mdusoutpost have received targeted technical support to implement GLOBALG.A.P. standards through the FFM+ programme. This post-training support enables them to structure their activities with a view to certification and access to international markets. Mdusoutpost: laying the foundations for future exports Mdusoutpost is a farm specialising in the production of tomatoes, onions and cabbages. Looking to enter the UK and EU markets with snow peas and… +The FFM+ programme is running at full speed on the ground: 17 OACPS member countries were visited this month
- 04/12/2024
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
The FFM+ programme is running at full speed on the ground: 17 OACPS member countries were visited this month The FFM+ programme is running at full speed on the ground, with 17 OACPS member countries visited this month. In total, COLEAD has received almost 1,100 applications for support and has implemented more than 500 development projects since the launch of the FFM+ programme. In November, COLEAD carried out technical missions in 17 countries as part of the FFM+ programme.… +Strengthening cooperative governance: Zimbabwe’s Rusitu Valley leads the way
- 04/12/2024
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Strengthening cooperative governance: Zimbabwe’s Rusitu Valley leads the way The Rusitu Valley Fruit Growers and Marketing Trust (RVFGMT), a cooperative of 1,400 growers in Chimanimani, Zimbabwe, is undergoing a transformative journey to strengthen its governance and sustainability. With targeted support from the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, RVFGMT is addressing critical governance challenges to better serve its members and position itself as a beacon of sustainable development in the region. RVFGMT aggregates and markets the produce of its… +Zimbabwe: “I’ve learnt a lot about training programmes”
- 19/07/2024
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Zimbabwe: “I’ve learnt a lot about training programmes” From June 10th to 14th, 2024, the Fit For Market Plus programme provided an intra-organizational training to the Horticultural Development Council (HDC) and ZimTrade, two key business membership organizations in Zimbabwe. The global objective was to enhance the training capacity of HDC and ZimTrade on how to define their training offer to their members through a viable and sustainable training model. The support was delivered in two phases. First, HDC and… +Conversion to organic farming through training and coaching
- 29/01/2024
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
Case studies from Ghana and Zimbabwe Launched in 2022, the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme is committed to assisting the agriculture sectors of African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries in transitioning to more sustainable agricultural and food systems. This aligns with the action priorities outlined in the EU Green Deal’s Farm to Fork strategy. To date, we have responded to 870 applications for support under the FFM+ programme and implemented of the first development projects is well underway, through a… +FFM SPS supports Farm Fare Produce in implementing the SMETA 4-Pillar quality standard
- 10/01/2023
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: Zimbabwe
From September to December 2022, the Zimbabwean company Farm Fare Produce – a family-owned horticultural business supplying fresh vegetables mostly to retailers and supermarkets – was supported by the Fit for Market SPS programme in implementing the SMETA 4-Pillar quality standard, demonstrating the company’s efforts in good practice on social compliance, environment, and business ethics. A local Zimbabwean expert was assigned to conduct a needs assessment in preparation for the upcoming audit and to train the staff on the SMETA… +