30.01.2025
From limes to dried fruit: High-quality organic products for Germany and Europe
GIZ works! Together with the Import Promotion Desk (IPD), GIZ supports organic producers worldwide. At the BIOFACH trade fair in Nuremberg, their products are attracting buyers from across Germany and Europe.
Their dried fruit can be found in tea blends on shelves across Germany. This is the fourth time that Bio-Tropical Products from Ghana has exhibited at the BIOFACH trade fair in Nuremberg. The organic agricultural enterprise produces products including dried lemon and orange peel from its own plantation and sourced from smallholder producers. It is represented at the joint stand of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Import Promotion Desk (IPD).
The company’s presence at the trade fair is very helpful, says Gloria Obeng-Mensah, head of sales and certification at Bio-Tropical. ‘With support from GIZ and IPD, we were able to overcome the high entry barriers to the European market. Customised training and a presence at BIOFACH have raised our visibility and significantly expanded our network.’ Thanks to GIZ training courses in organic cultivation and in the correct processing, packaging and storage of fruits, Bio-Tropical has obtained the necessary organic certifications.
Success through training and contacts
Dr Julia Bellinghausen, head of IPD, explains how efforts were split between GIZ and IPD. ‘While GIZ established the foundation with tailored training courses in certification, product quality and marketing, IPD provided support in the final stages.’ IPD advised the company on how to meet EU standards and initiated contact with potential buyers in Europe. Today, Bio-Tropical’s dried tropical fruits comply with European quality and sustainability standards and are certified Fairtrade. Buyers include three private producers of organic tea. They refine the fruits and add them to their speciality tea blends.
This is the tenth time that GIZ and IPD have collaborated at BIOFACH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). This year, 50 international organic producers are exhibiting their products in Nuremberg, and they have good prospects for new contacts and contracts with buyers.
An advantage for German consumers
Whether it is moringa from Madagascar, jojoba from Egypt or millet from India: German and European consumers benefit from the collaboration between GIZ, IPD and organic producers worldwide. They gain access to high-quality, sustainably produced organic products. These products not only comply with strict ecological and social standards – they also provide the market with more choice and greater quality.
Information for visitors to the trade fair
The joint IPD/GIZ stand is located in Hall 1, Booth 251 at BIOFACH in Nuremberg, from 11 to 14 February 2025.
Click here for the information brochure on the 50 exhibiting companies.
