Organic exports from Africa to Europe. The experience of small scale farmers from Ghana

Summary

Wad is the acronym of Weija Agricultural Development limited, the company is an associative enterprise; it works exclusively with small scale farmers from the rural areas in Ghana. The company doesn’t owe farms. It depends on farmers for its products. The farmers it works with also depend on the company for marketing of their products. There is therefore a synergy between the company and the farmers groups it works with.
It works with various farmers groups, for example Ekumfi Atwia Wad organic farmers association for pineapples from the Ekumfi district of the central region of Ghana EAWOFA.
The company is export based; all its products are exported to Switzerland and Germany.
Background and main chapter
The company started processing in the year 2003 and in 2004 it got an order from a big importer in the organic products in Switzerland. The condition for purchase is that products are certified organic. The company faced initial challenges to get certified.
Historically the pineapple fields, were the Ekumif Atwia Wad Organic Farmers Association members grows their crop has not been treated with chemical fertilizers and pesticides. However documentations were very important in the EU regulations which were missing with the farmers.
Third party certification was also very expensive among other hurdles that the farmers have to pass through to get their products exported.
Solutions were found for the hurdles with time. Today the export of products from the small scale farmers has greatly increased and continues to increase due to the organic exports.
Core message and conclusions
The author will like to discuss how, those solutions were found and how that can help other small farmer groups that are interested in organising themselves and export their products, from developing countries to Europe and Switzerland.
The experience of Wad African foods limited with the Ekumfi Atwia Wad Organic farmers could help some small scale farmer organisation to adopt appropriate approach to their business.