Latest news with #cooperatives
Reuters
5 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Small Ivory Coast cocoa firms say EU deforestation rules might bankrupt them
ABIDJAN, July 24 (Reuters) - Small players in Ivory Coast's cocoa industry say they fear they will go out of business due to the cost of complying with new European Union regulations on the import of commodities linked to deforestation. The proposed law, which aims to end the estimated 10% of global deforestation fuelled by EU consumption, requires companies importing goods such as cocoa, soy, beef and coffee to prove their supply chains do not contribute to the destruction of the world's forests, or face hefty fines. In order to meet the regulations, Ivory Coast has opted for a digitalised sales and purchasing system to facilitate verification. However, cooperatives and small local exporters are concerned they will not be able to compete with Western multinational companies, which have better financial and human resources to handle the additional cost and workload. Two sources at Ivory Coast's Coffee and Cocoa Council regulator said around 900,000 out of 1 million cocoa farmers had already received their digital ID cards, which will also serve as bank cards. Under the new system, farmers will be paid via mobile money operators by exporters after buyers or cooperatives deliver their beans to ports - effectively cutting out the usual cash payments to middlemen. "With this card, the traceability of Ivorian cocoa is 100% guaranteed," one of the sources told Reuters, adding that all the data on farmers will be stored online. The second source said the new system, which was tested on a sample of producers, cooperatives and exporters, would be rolled out and become mandatory from October 1. The EU has delayed the launch of the law by a year, to December 2025, following complaints from trading partners, and cut back on reporting rules after industry criticism. "Compliance with the regulation requires investments that we cannot make," said the director of an Ivorian trading company who fears it could go bankrupt. The president of a cocoa export cooperative said multinationals planned to spend at least 200 CFA francs ($0.3604) per kilogram to comply with this regulation - a cost cooperatives are unable to bear. Cocoa players say the new rules might kill off vulnerable cooperatives or local exporters if Ivory Coast's government doesn't step in to protect them. "We are not opposed to traceability and sustainability. What we are criticizing is that the EU only protects its own industry and citizens, not those of other countries, and this regulation will kill local businesses," the director of an Ivorian export company told Reuters. "If we don't get help from the government, there won't be any cooperatives or local exporters left in two years," the director of another cocoa cooperative said. "We'll all disappear." The company leaders all declined to be identified to avoid the possibility of pressure or threats to their businesses. ($1 = 555.0000 CFA francs)
Zawya
6 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Agricultural cooperatives in Senegal: Driving the sector's modernization
With an agricultural sector that employs more than 909,000 households, according to ANSD, organizing Senegal's producers into well-equipped, operational cooperatives is a key lever for achieving the goals of the Senegal Vision 2050. The West Africa Competitiveness Programme in Senegal (PACAO-Senegal) serves as a relevant model as it supported the creation or compliance of 29 cooperative societies as well as strengthened their managerial and organizational capacities. Together, these cooperatives bring together over 545 producer organizations active in the mango and onion value chains. Among these 29 cooperatives, the Cooperative Society for Support to Production, Processing, and Marketing (SCAPTC) of Pout (Thiès) perfectly illustrates the impact of this support. Created in 2021, the Cooperative SCAPTC covers four municipalities in the Thiès region (Pout, Diander, Keur Moussa, and Moroland) and brings together almost 2,940 members, including 20 producer organizations and over 20 individuals. Specializing in onion production, the cooperative was born from an urgent need to structure and professionalize producers who previously worked in a scattered manner, without coordination or appropriate management tools. Doudou Diop, President of the Board of Directors of the SCAPTC, recalls the difficult beginnings: 'Before our cooperative society was born, our groups were not even structured. We didn't have statutes or internal regulations. We each worked on our own, without a common strategy.' With support from PACAO-Senegal, SCAPTC benefited from training in financial management, leadership, conflict resolution, and strategic planning, which enabled its members to transform an informal structure into a high-performing, sustainable organization. Mamadou Lèye, a doctoral student in applied physics at Cheikh Anta Diop University committed to agriculture, combines his studies with farm work and serves as the Secretary General of SCAPTC. He says: 'We learned to manage our cooperative like a business. We now organize our meetings efficiently, manage our finances rigorously, and resolve internal conflicts constructively. All these skills, acquired through PACAO-Senegal's support, are key to our success.' Today, SCAPTC is cited as an example in the region for its rigorous management and effective organization. 'Other cooperatives and even the supervising ministry send experts to study our model and draw inspiration from it,' adds Mamadou Lèye proudly. Amy Ndiaye, hired by PACAO-Senegal as a community development officer, confirms this transformation: 'Meetings are held regularly, the General Assembly is organized every year, and members have become autonomous in managing their activities. SCAPTC has become a benchmark model in the region.' The members of SCAPTC have improved their yields and incomes. 'Today, we have full control of our activity from A to Z, from production to marketing. It has changed our lives,' says Doudou Diop. From informal to a benchmark model, SCAPTC illustrates the transformative potential of cooperative societies. Thanks to targeted support, they become frameworks for structuring, formalizing, and strengthening agricultural value chains, thereby contributing to achieving the goals of Senegal Vision 2050. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Trade Centre.
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Merger of Scottish farming co-operative approved
Two Scottish farming co-operatives have merged their operations after the plan was approved by its Ringlink Scotland Ltd and Highland Business Services Ltd (HBS) now have a combined membership of more than 4,000 farmers and crofters, and an annual turnover of £ the name Ringlink (Scotland) Ltd, HBS will continue to manage local services from Tore, near new company also said all Ringlink offices - including Laurencekirk, Cupar, Coupar Angus, Oldmeldrum and Elgin - would remain open. In the farming industry, "rings" enable farmers to pool resources such as machinery and workers, and first started taking off in Scotland about 50 years Machinery Ring was the UK's first when it was set up in 1987, and Ringlink Scotland became the second when it was established a year later. Ringlink (Scotland) Ltd involves about 450 workers in total, and the new business will operate in the Highlands, Moray, Argyll, Angus and members voted on the merger last week.
Telegraph
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Steve Coogan claims working class is being ‘ethnically cleansed'
Steve Coogan has claimed working-class people are being 'ethnically cleansed'. The Alan Partridge actor told BBC Breakfast that the redevelopment of major northern cities did not 'actually benefit' the working class. Coogan, who endorsed the Green Party in last year's general election, appeared on the programme to promote co-operatives, which he said fought back against 'big business'. 'The problem with all these cities like Liverpool and Manchester is they've got all these big shiny buildings,' he said. 'But all the people who are disenfranchised have been ethnically cleansed from the area. They don't actually benefit. 'What the Co-operative movement does is tries to keep that money in the area and empower people and try to mitigate and push back against the effects of big business.' Coogan's remarks appeared to be a criticism of gentrification rather than mass migration. Going on to accuse Reform UK of ' racist rhetoric ', he added: 'What it's about is the system, the political system isn't really working for most working people. 'From the economy to public services, it just isn't having any kind of effect for ordinary people. 'The Government leans into big business and cosies up to them without actually delivering for working people. So people are struggling. They're ignored.' 'Reform's racist rhetoric' Coogan continued: 'We've seen all these benefits cuts from the party that is supposed to represent ordinary hard-working people and the Co-operative movement is basically the best way out of that. 'If the Government want to stop Reform making all these gains, instead of dealing with the symptoms of the problem by leaning into the racist rhetoric of Reform, they can deal with that by helping working people and the best way of doing that is to support the Co-operative movement.' Coogan is a former Labour supporter who endorsed Jeremy Corbyn in the 2017 and 2019 general elections. He signed a letter in October 2024 saying Britain was 'aiding and abetting' alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza. During the interview, he also took aim at supermarkets and other large companies, which he said had 'driven out' smaller businesses in 'dying' post-industrial areas. He said: 'If you're a small business owner you're going to get driven out of business by people like Tesco who come along, build a huge. 'Any money that's generated [by a Co-operative] is kept in the local economy so it supports local business, supports social initiatives, so the money doesn't get sucked out by huge extraction that takes place on a global scale so that you create microeconomies where people support each other both socially and economically. 'And these towns in the post-industrial landscape that are dying can be reinvigorated. And the Co-op has demonstrably done that throughout the world and yet it started in this country and it's largely ignored in this country. 'So what I'm trying to do is shine a light on it and say local Co-operative movement. That's the best way out of any dire economic situation.' Coogan previously attracted criticism for calling Conservative voters 'ill-informed' and 'ignorant' before the 2019 election and saying earlier this year that Margaret Thatcher was so lacking in empathy that she would be diagnosed with a disorder today.
Zawya
23-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
With farm co-ops, Senegal improves its agri-food value chains
Agricultural cooperatives let farmers pool their resources so they can get better prices for their produce and access more markets, including international ones. In Senegal, nearly one-third of mango and onion producers belong to one of 29 new or modernized cooperatives established by the PACAO programme. These cooperatives have forged new links among farmers, businesses that process foods, and exporters who can sell those goods abroad. Improving these value chains boosts food security, stimulate economic growth, and create sustainable jobs. 'Before forming our cooperative, we each worked on our own, with no coordination,' said Cheikh Mbacké Mboup. He's an agricultural engineer by training with 42 years of experience in farming. 'This prevented us from pooling our resources and negotiating better prices. We were scattered, and that limited our ability to produce and sell effectively.' He's currently serving as the chairman of the Fruit, Vegetable, and Livestock Producers' Cooperative, known by its French acronym (COOPROFEL). Based about 70 kilometres from the capital Dakar, in Keur Mbir Ndao, the cooperative now has 635 members. Created in 2007, COOPROFEL overhauled its organizational structure and operations in 2021, with support from the International Trade Centre (ITC) though the Programme of Assitance for Competitiveness in West Africa – Senegal Component (PACAO-Senegal). It's one of 29 cooperatives that worked with the programme, bringing together nearly 70,000 producer-members who work with mangoes and onions. These cooperatives alone account for 31% of national onion production and 29% of mango production. COOPROFEL, which operates in the mango and onion value chains, faced many challenges before teaming up with PACAO-Senegal. Better organization in value chains With the programme's support, COOPROFEL members received training on good agricultural practices, marketing, leadership, communication, organizational management, and financial management. These trainings were complemented by the development of a financial and accounting procedures manual, allowing for better traceability of operations. Organization is essential to the competitiveness of value chains and improves producers' access to markets and inputs. Marianne Diattara has been a producer for over 25 years, and is now deputy general treasurer of COOPROFEL. 'Now, the market is much more accessible. Recently, we took part in major trade fairs organized in Dakar,' she said. 'Today, our mangoes are exported to countries like Belgium, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and Morocco. As for onions, the cooperative has helped us better organize our production and sell at higher prices. We now have more stable incomes,' said Amadou Thiam, Vice President of COOPROFEL. A business partner of COOPROFEL, Mamadou Ndiaye, Sales Manager at TropicaSem, confirms this success. 'We've been working with COOPROFEL since 2023. Last year, we sold them over 78 tons of seeds. The cooperative is one of our best clients.' The cooperatives can steer their produces through the value chain so the mangoes and onions can be turned into new products. Those processed goods fetch higher prices than the fresh fruit, creating jobs and growing incomes. Mangoes are sold fresh but also as purée, jam, smoothies, flour, vinegar, and more. Processed onion products are also found in supermarket shelves across Senegal and in weekly markets. These products go through several stages: the farmer who harvests them, the cooperative that aggregates and sells them, the factory that processes them, and the distributor who places them on shelves or exports them. By organizing agricultural cooperatives, PACAO-Senegal strengthens a vital link in this chain and facilitates market access for cooperative members. But the value chain is not just about products. It's also about people, like Cheikh Mbacké Mboup, Marianne Diattara and Amadou Thiam. It's about the farmers that PACAO-Sénégal has supported, whose incomes have risen thanks to better organization. It's about their business partners – customers and suppliers – whose operations have expanded. And it's about the consumer, who has access to quality local products. By structuring value chains, PACAO-Sénégal creates a virtuous circle by promoting agricultural cooperative societies. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Trade Centre.
