Towards Rainforest Alliance certification for lychee exporters in Madagascar

In brief

• COLEAD supported two Malagasy lychee exporters, QUALITYMAD and GASYFRUITS, in their compliance journey towards the Rainforest Alliance standard.
• The support was delivered under the Fit for Market Plus (FFM+) programme, building on training the companies had already completed.
• The method: field visits, document reviews and assessment tools, covering management, traceability, agricultural practices and the social and environmental dimensions.
• QUALITYMAD reduced its non-conformities and consolidated its management tools; GASYFRUITS is pressing ahead despite the damage caused by Cyclone GEZANI.
• The aim: step-by-step continuous improvement, towards certification.

Why this support?

Under the Fit for Market Plus (FFM+) programme, COLEAD supported two lychee-exporting companies in Madagascar in their compliance with the Rainforest Alliance sustainable agriculture standard. The intervention built on training the beneficiaries had already completed on this standard. The objectives: reviewing the diagnostics carried out, identifying gaps against the standard’s requirements and formulating practical recommendations with certification in view.

The support combined field visits, in-depth document reviews and Rainforest Alliance assessment tools. The work covered management systems, traceability, agricultural practices, social aspects and environmental requirements. Beyond identifying non-conformities, it strengthened the companies’ understanding of the requirements and set them on a progressive path of continuous improvement.

QUALITYMAD: consolidating progress

For QUALITYMAD, active in the export of lychee and other agricultural products, the support focused on its east coast lychee supply chain and its network of more than 45 producers already engaged in certification processes. The review, conducted both in the field and on documents, identified seven non-conformities — mainly relating to system management, traceability, agricultural practices and social aspects. Recommendations covered internal governance, stronger documentary procedures, production traceability and the formalisation of practices already in place. The company is showing encouraging progress: fewer non-conformities than in previous support missions, and several management tools now consolidated.

GASYFRUITS: pressing ahead despite the cyclone

The support to GASYFRUITS — which specialises in the production, collection and export of lychee and cloves — took place in a difficult context, marked by the damage caused by Cyclone GEZANI to its infrastructure. Despite this, the mission enabled a detailed analysis of practices and the identification of the main gaps. Recommendations focused on strengthening management mechanisms, formalising inspection and monitoring procedures, improving traceability and documenting agricultural practices. With its GLOBALG.A.P., GRASP, Fairtrade and Tesco certifications already in hand, the company has a solid foundation from which to move towards Rainforest Alliance.

What is at stake

Setting both companies on a path of step-by-step continuous improvement, towards a certification that conditions access to demanding markets — while strengthening their resilience to climate shocks.

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.