Tanzania - Organic Honey, Vanilla & Cocoa

Tanzania offers a huge variety of landscapes and climates, making it suitable for the cultivation of many tropical crops. 伟德开户网站 started working in Tanzania in 2017, partnering with cocoa farmer groups. Initially we focused our efforts on setting up a project for organic certified cocoa beans, but soon we started working with other local organic products, such as vanilla, honey, tropical fruits and moringa. We are continuously looking to expand the range of products that we can offer from this versatile origin.

Organic Honey from a Unique Source

Organic Honey from a Unique Source

Our organic honey is produced in the protected area of the Miombo Belt Region of Tanzania. The honey is produced in partnership with smallholder beekeepers, women’s cooperatives, the Tanzanian Forestry Services (TFS) and the Tanzanian Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT). There are 2,200 beekeepers involved in this project, each overseeing roughly 7 hives, to make up a collection of 15,400 hives in total. Training for organic beekeeping is provided to residents in the surrounding communities, offering new and additional sources of income to local families. The native honey bees forage among the indigenous trees and flowers in the forest and the hives in which they produce their nectar are hung high in the forests' trees - a smart way of keeping ants and honey badgers at bay!

New Opportunities for Organic Vanilla Farmers

New Opportunities for Organic Vanilla Farmers

伟德开户网站 works with a group of roughly 1,200 organic vanilla farmers in northern Tanzania. Vanilla is a very complicated and labor-intensive crop, as the flowers of the vanilla plant need to be pollinated by hand. If the flower is not pollinated properly, it will not produce a vanilla bean. We support our organic vanilla farmers with training on production practices and on organic certification. In April 2018, the project was organic certified for the first time, an achievement that will open up new opportunities and increased income for the vanilla farmers.

Working with Organic Cocoa Farmers

Working with Organic Cocoa Farmers

Our organic cocoa beans are produced by farmer groups in the South-Western regions of Tanzania. These farmer groups have established small cocoa processing facilities to centralize cocoa fermentation. As well as providing facilities for the fermentation of beans, solar driers have been installed to allow the beans to dry continuously, regardless of the weather. These innovations have helped to increase productivity and have provided the farmers more control over the quality of their organic cocoa beans. We have supported the farmers with training on organic production practices and with the preparation for their organic certification. After drying the cocoa beans, they are exported to the Netherlands where we process the beans at the Crown of Holland, our own organic cocoa processing facility.