Exporters of organic +
fair fresh and dried
fruits from Uganda
About BioUganda
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BioUganda is Local Private Limited company.
Was established in 2003.
located at plot 165, Nganjo Entebbe Airport road.
It specializes in exporting fresh and dried organic products to
Europe and the USA.
• Works with small holder rural contracted farmers for whom it holds
the organic certificates, which is awarded by Naturland/IMO on the
basis of small-holder group certification and an operational Internal
Control System.
• Additional organic certificates include, Biosuisse, NOP
• It also holds Naturland fair trade cetificate awarded by Naturland
Company development
• The company started with 50 farmers based in Masaka
District .
• Received first organic certification in 2004
• Started organic fresh fruits exports to Germany.
• It later expanded to other three districts including
Mubende , Masaka , and Luwero districts.
• We are currently working with 250 farmers of which
120 farmers are certified organic by IMO to EU,
NOP.\/Naturland and BioSuisse Standards.
• In 2006, we widened the product range to include
organic dried fruits.
BioUganda Organic fresh Products
• The products include
various fruits namely:
avocado, papaya,
Jack fruit, apple
bananas, pineapple
cayenne, pineapple
victoria, passion fruit
and mango.
BioUganda organic dried fruits
The dried fruits include
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Dried Pineapples
Dried Apple Bananas
Dried Jack fruit
Dried Papaya
Dried Mango
Dried fruits Consumer packs
Project Certification
• Definition:
• A project is a number of producers organised by one
certified operator (that holds the certificate) that buys
all the (relevant) organic products
• BioUganda works with small holder rural contracted
farmers for whom it holds the organic and fair trade
certificates, which is awarded by Naturland/IMO
following EU, NOP, Naturland and BioSuisse standards
on the basis of small-holder group certification and an
operational Internal Control System headed by a
Project Manager
Annual external inspections and
certification by IMO Since 2002,
IMO Inspector
Trading Partners include
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1. DWP eG in Germany buys Naturland
+ Naturland fair certified dried fruits/
• 2. Morga in Switzerland
Buys Biosuisse certified dried Apple
Bananas
• 3. EWH Pirsch in Austria for dried and
fresh organic fruits
• 4. ProNatura Provence in France for
fresh organic fruits
• 5. Mavuno LLC, in USA For NOP certified
dried fruits
• 6. EgeSun GmbH Germany, buys dried
Organic pineapples
• 7. Libero Mondo from Itary
BioUganda Organic Cetification and Export
 Received first organic certificate in
2002 with a group of 40 farmers in
Masaka
 Started fresh organic fruit exports
in January 2002 to Germany
 Became Naturland organic certified
and Naturland member in 2007
 Acquired and installed first hybrid
indoor solar fruits dryer in 2007
 Started drying and export of dried
organic fruits to DWP in 2008
 Received Naturland fair certificate
in 2013
 Exports Naturland fair certified
dried fruits to DWP
Control of certification
• Project operator controls the certification (holds
the license)
• Producers/farmers can’t sell their products to
other buyers as certified products
• (Organic) Internal Control System (ICS)
Definition
• A documented system that guards the integrity of
the organic production and the organic products
within the project
Also called Internal Quality Assurance System
Organic farmer in Luwero
produce Cayenne pineapples and mangoes
Definition of grower groups
• The production by the various farmers is
similar in size, crops and techniques.
• The size of each operation is "family farm”
• The size of the group is sufficient to support a
viable internal control system
• The marketing is co-ordinated
• The production sites are situated in the same
area.
Potential Project Area
• Growing crop already?
Farmers experienced with crop
What is the local market for the crop
What is the local market prices
– Look at off season prices (peanuts)
– Get a history over several years of the price
– What is chemical usage in area
• What land do farmers have available, to
increase production
Steps to organic certification
• Establish field organisation( Project Staff) to
implement the ICS
• Mobilise, Register , train and contract farmers
• Registration and Contracting: Start slowly
• Do not register more farmers than you can
expect to buy from
• Its better to go slowly and ensure that all the
farmers understand what is expected of them
• Staff know what is expected of them
Small scale farmer development
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BioUganda mobilizes, registers and
contracts farmers following procedures
laid down in BioUganda internal control
system.
It offer extension services to farmers and
training in organic farming practices. They
include but not limited to
Principles of organic agriculture (OA)
Soil fertility management/nutrient
balancing in OA
Hands-on crop management and crop
agronomy
Pest control in OA (useful cultural
practices, natural pesticides, scouting)
Weed management
Hands-on post harvest handling
OA Market quality requirements
Farm records keeping
The Farmer trainings include information about
the Naturland Fair Standards and certification
BioUganda implements the
Naturland Fair trade standards
under three main categories;
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social responsibility in production
and processing, at the level of
workers and associated individual
farmers (from the approved
farmers list) supplying the
company
Supporting good trading
relationships with supplying
farmers and buyers ensuring that
concerns of these stakeholders
are taken care of,
Transparent sharing of economic
benefits from fair trade for the
workers and farmers.
Monitoring
• Make frequent visits to the project areas
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Meet staff
Meet farmers
Meet local leaders
Quality training for producers/farmers
• It develops confidence of the farmers
• Ensures transparency
• The project will need close supervision at first
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That means regular monitoring visits
Get to the field
Check accounts
Check stores
Check packaging
• The fact that you come regularly, have contacts with the staff, and
the farmers will reduce the chances of things going wrong.
• A group project is a big investment do not leave it to chance
Why Organic Certification?
• The system is there not to help the farmer
• The system is not there to help the exporter
• The system is a means to guarantee to the
customer that the product on the shelf in the
shop is really organic
• The system is there for the customer
The company maintains high standards of food
and organic quality through Trained personnel
processing and handling of food
• Processing workers
are trained in
• Personal Hygiene and
sanitation at all levels
of handling food
• Quality management
and control
• Market requirements
• Technical knowhow
in fruit drying
The Social responsibility to workers at
BioUganda include
1.Human rights
2.No forced labour
3.Freedom of
association,
4 Equal treatment
and opportunities
5.No child labour
6.Health and safety
7. Employment
conditions
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The Social responsibility to
farmers of BioUganda include
To support small scale farmers
with long term contracts and
trainings
• Fair producer prices
• Supporting organization of
individual producers into groups
• Farmer support, communication
and follow up visits
• Quality assurance with farmers
• Planning about quantities to be
bought
Social involvement
To give knowledge about
environmental protection, balanced
diets and other useful topics.
Sustainable and renewable
energies to dry fruits
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A system of photovoltaic panels
and solar heat collectors was
constructed on the roof of our
factory
BioUganda is endeavoring to
ensure fulfillment of the required
quality and quantity through
investing in appropriate
technologies to dry fruits using
renewable energies.
Solar dryers with supplementary
heating with biogas at night to
complete drying cycles
Solar batteries for electricity to
run motor fans.
Is this possible for small holders
• Cost of certification higher than total gross
production of small holder
• Small farmers lack ability to document
activities at farm
• Not possible for small farmers to
communicate directly with certification body
• Difficult for small farmers to understand
official standards
Group Certification
• Group Certification developed for a “group of small
farmers
• Either working together or organised by exporter
• Farmers based in the same area, growing the same
crops
• Central marketing of organic crops
• BioUganda is committed to working closely with its
outgrowers formed into groups so that together they
can supply a consistent product to the market.
• BioUganda is keen that the out growers form
themselves into groups. BioUganda believes that such
groups will ease communication, help insure
production quality and quantity, and be a channel of
support between himself, as the exporter, and the
wider community
The ICS
• Internal Control System
• The ICS is a living document changing to meet the
different requirements of both the importer and
the farm situation
• By having an ICS the project takes responsibility for the produce
being organic
• Project role is to monitor farmers and make internal inspections,
monitor processing and ensure separation of organic products
• The role of the certification body
– Ensure that the design of the ICS ensures that the produce will be organic
– The Certification body ensures that the ICS is implemented
• Reduces the costs of certification for small holders, not necessary to
have external inspectors visiting every farmer
Functions of the ICS
• Documents to the project staff what
procedures they will follow to ensure that the
project exports organic produce
• Demonstrates to the certifier how the project
will ensure that the products are organic
• Shows the competent authority that the
products entering the EU, US, Switzerland etc
have been produced in an organic standard
BioUganda ICS
• We will look at the standards
• Government Organic
– EU Standards
– NOP (USA)
To enter a country the product must meet Government standards
• Private Label Organic
– Naturland ( Germany)
– BioSuisse (Switzerland)
Fair Trade
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– Naturland fair
The Standard has many sections
Social Development
Economic Development
Environmental Development
Trade Standards
Make a revision on the ICS
Why Organic Certification?
• The system is a means to guarantee to the customer that the
products on the shelf in the shop is really organic
• The system is there for the customer.
With the valid certificates the importers can now identify the
certified products as described in organic and Fair Trade Standards
and place them on the market .
It helps to improve market access to the company giving an
opportunity to the participating farmers to sell their fruits to a more
lucrative organic and fair trade market in the EU/USA, that give a
better price than the local conventional market price,
Importers have a long term commitment to regularly buy the fruit
and pay premium price to the farmers.
A contract between the company and its importers is the best way
to pursue a long term relationship. A contract make safer this
relationship for both.
Certification labels
EU Bio (Reg. 834/2007 & 889/2008)
Naturland Fair
BioSuisse
NOP
products are labeled according to achieved
certification.
has opened up markets to BioUganda in the EU
countries, Switzerland and USA
Trade Relationship with Buyers
• BioUganda has
possibility of having
longer trading
relationships with dwp
Ravensburg in
Germany and other
importers .
• Joint planning of
quantities required
each year
• Overall quality
improvement is
discussed
Technical and financial support to
BioUganda
• From BTC and other supporting partners
Eligibility of applicants: who may apply should
provide evidence for the link of the organisation with
Fair Trade/ Sustainable Trade/ Organic
BioUganda easely obtain trade finance from Shared
interest UK, Oko credit Germany, Tridos Netherlands,
this is arranged through its importing partners
Directly, SIDI from France in form of sustainable loan
Promotion and meeting Old + new buyers at
Biofach since 2004
• BioUganda has been
participating at the Worlds
biggest organic trade fair,
BioFach in Nuremberg
Germany
• To promote the organic
trade
• To establish personal
contacts
• Negotiations for fair trade
prices even higher, that will
also translate in better pay
to the producers
• All only possible with valid
certificates
Naturland Fair
Fair prices for our farmers allowing them to earn an
adequate profit
Long-lasting and reliable trade relations based on
reciprocal respect, transparency and dialogue
Social responsibility – fair wages to workers
Social commitment – creating new jobs, enhancing
projects for the safeguard of the environment and
culture
Thank you for your kind attention
For further information
www.biouganda.com