SESAME FROM ETHIOPIA. An integrated Supply Chain

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1 SESAME FROM ETHIOPIA An integrated Supply Chain 1

2 NATURALLY ETHIOPIA Tradin Organic is dedicated to offering certified organic sesame of the highest quality from Ethiopia. We offer the Humera type of sesame, which is known to be a premium variety. Native to the Humera district in northwest Ethiopia, it is prized for its white color, large size and special sweet, nutty taste. For cultivation, Selet Hulling s operations engage two farmers cooperatives - a total of 1500 farmers. Tradin Organic s staff agronomists liaise with the farmers to check the crops, provide training on organic pest control and natural alternatives to agrochemicals, fertilization and best practices to increase production according to organic farming standards. After the labour-intensive harvest organic seeds are transported to our processing factory in Addis Ababa in Central Ethiopia. 2

3 STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY The modern facility in Addis Ababa applies the dry-hulling method that uses less water, which minimizes the impact on the environment and ensures product integrity as only sterilized water is added to the process. The production consists of a sesame cleaning line, a sesame dry-hulling line including color sorting and several storage spaces on a total area of 2200 m 2. Selet Hulling operates state-of-the-art machinery made in Europe and the US. 3

4 QUALITY Tradin Organic has over 20 years of experience in sourcing certified organic raw materials. EU Organic, USDA - NOP and JAS are the certifications we offer for the products from our Ethiopian operation. The factory in Addis Ababa operates according to SO :2005 (DQS) standard. Our dedicated on-site quality team in Addis Ababa oversees production to align with our customers specifications and highest international quality demands. 4

5 TECHNOLOGY IS NOT ALWAYS CRUCIAL Traditional farming methods often involve a lot of manual labour due to the small size of operations. This type of agriculture aims at maximizing natural occuring benefits, such as using rain water or light when the sun shines, hence contributes little to greenhouse gas emission. The bundels of sesame are positioned in stacks and left to dry on the field in the sun. After a few days, the workers gather the dried plant bundels and shake out the sesame seeds onto a large plastic sheet. These sheets are tied together into bags and stored in Tradin Organic s communal warehouses until they are transported by truck to the factory in the center of the country. 5

6 SOCIAL FACTORS While we succeed in sourcing the finest Ethiopian organic sesame, we are also dedicated to improve the lives of 1500 families in the cooperatives. The combination of specialized training and financial support through pre-financing with no interest provides farmers with an attractive safety package allowing them to stay dedicated to strictly organic farming practices. In order to further support the farmers families, Tradin cofinanced the construction of a school in Humera, so that children can attend high school closer to home, which will open up the possibility to attend university for more of them. Humera Factory staff at Selet Hulling works under good conditions with fair pay, health insurance and benefits such as an intensive in-house schooling program. Addis Ababa 6

7 1500 FARMERS - ONE OPERATION Ethiopia is a country of mostly smallholder farmers. It s population is mostly rural. Its agricultural systems mix animal and crop production. It is one of the 12 major Vavilov centres of crop genetic diversity in the world. Because of these strengths, it has suffered relatively insignificant crop genetic erosion. This makes it easy to intensify agricultural production in Ethiopia without resorting to industrial agriculture. ( The Future for Organic Agriculture in Ethiopia Dr. Tewolde G/Egziabhe) Sesame growing is labor intensive, which is why a total of 1500 farmers, organised in two cooperatives, are engaged with Selet Hulling s operation at farming level in the very remote area of Humera district in the Tigray Region in North-West Ethiopia. This number is not including at least 3000 seasonal workers during harvest season. In Addis Ababa, 50 permanent employees work in the factory, predominantly female. Selet Hulling s production line was a pioneer of using the dry-hulling method in Ethiopia, with a capacity to produce 1,500 1,700 kg of organic hulled sesame seeds per hour. Afrika: Development of organic agricultural land Source: IFOAM, FiBL and SOEL, surveys

8 ETHIOPIA - FACTS Population GDP (PPP) 86.8 million $ billion 7.8% growth in year compound annual growth 8.7% Addis Ababa Unemployment n/a $1.191 per capita Inflation (CPI) 22.8% FDI Inflow Public Debt $970.4 billion 21.6% of GDP Source: Index of Economic Freedome heritage.org

9 MORE SUSTAINABLE SOURCING EXPERTISE Vietnam: Pineapple Indonesia: Coconut sugar Bulgaria: Sunflower kernels 9

10 MORE INFORMATION Commercial Inquiries: Tradin Organic Agriculture B.V. Stationsplein AB Amsterdam The Netherlands T +31 (0) E info@tradinorganic.com W Factory Address: Selet Hulling, Private Limited Company Legetafo, Legedadi Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1074 T (+251) E info@selethulling.com W Credits: All copy (unless stated otherwise) 2014 Tradin Organic Agriculture B.V. Certifications (amongst others): 10