A year ago, a pineapple project was launched in Tsévie in the African country of Togo, launched by the Italian company Agrintesa based in Emilia Romagna and under the Brio organic brand. The Dolcetto-branded organic pineapple project has reached the halfway mark, with 500 hectares in production in Tsévie, Togo (Africa), and now, after a year of activity, despite some slowdowns due to Covid, an initial assessment can be made.
"The guaranteed purchase price of a Dolcetto pineapple is 25% higher than that of similar Fairtrade certified pineapples, with a positive impact on farmers, their families and the entire community. In addition to the positive results on the economic front, we are pleased with the real growth of the Togolese cooperative, the quality of life of its members and their community. Thanks to the project, the CPJPPAB-ZIO can now export its product and we are convinced that in the near future it will be able to operate independently in other international markets," said Gianni Amidei president of Brio.
Togo is a country where 32.3% of the population lives below the poverty line and 75% of the labor force works in the fields.
"By the end of 2020, the local cooperative CPJPPAB-ZIO (Coopérative Préfectoral des Jeunes Producteurs Professionnels d'Ananas Biologiques-Zio) in Tsévié has gathered more than 1,500 growers, which is 500 more than a year earlier when the project started. Now there are about 500 hectares with organic pineapples. Until now, there were many different growers, with no shared goal or common activities," said Aristide Castellari, president of Agrintesa.
"We provided agronomic training and periodic visits to Togo, as well as purchased and donated technical equipment and means of transportation. In addition, through a Togolese cooperative, we have employed 5 people to carry out quality control, commercial and administrative functions. Moreover, thanks to the support of Brio and Coopermondo, the local cooperative obtained the organic certification and in January 2021 the Fairtrade certification," concluded the president.
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