Our expertise in agricultural industries by country in Africa and Asia

Famboléna gained a great knowledge of Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia through many years of collaboration with smallholders, local and governmental authorities, international organizations and numerous operators. Its activity has developed in many French-speaking, English-speaking and Portuguese-speaking countries such as:

West Africa: Mali, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Burkina Faso, Senegal;
Central Africa: Chad, Central African Republic;
Madagascar ;
South East Asia: Laos, Vietnam.

Ivory Coast

Production of sustainable cocoa in Ivory Coast

2013 to 2016. On behalf of the CEMOI group

Elaboration, writing and launch of the "Cocoa Transparency" sustainability program. Identification of technical and financial partners

Operational management of PACTS program and its fermentation centers ;

Elaboration and launch of an Organic certified cocoa production program.

Feasibility study of the opportunity of direct export for cooperative

2021. On behalf of TDC/ENABEL

In partnership with AKA Zebra, JMK and Betsaleel International Partners,

Interviews with the Café Cacao Council, with cooperatives with players in the cocoa sector in Côte d'Ivoire and with traders and chocolatiers in Europe;;

Descriptive study of the regulations and the export process;

Drafting of a practical "go-No go" guide for cooperatives;

Export margin analysis.

Tchad

1992 to 1994. On behalf of the National Office for Rural Development (ONDR)

Head of Agronomic Services of the Sudanese zone of ONDR which covers the whole of southern Chad from Léré on the border with Cameroon in the west to Kyabé on the border with Sudan in the east;

Collaboration with CotonTchad for the organization and supervision of cotton production ;

R&D, pre-vulgarization tests and diffusion of Good Agricultural Practices ;

Training of farmers and members of village associations;

Farmers' supply with seeds, inputs and agricultural materials.

Cotton sector & food crops. Support to productors

Guinea Bissau

Relaunch of the cotton sector

1995 à 1997. On behalf of Compagnie Française pour le Développement des Fibres Textiles (CFDT)

Relaunch of cotton production and management of the Unidade de Gestão Algodoeira;
Organisation of technical support for farmers and supply of seeds, inputs and equipment;
Organisation of cotton purchasing and collection;
Management of the Bafata ginning plant;
Execution of lint and cottonseed sales contracts.

Tchad

1992 to 1994. On behalf of the National Office for Rural Development (ONDR)

Head of Agronomic Services of the Sudanese zone of ONDR which covers the whole of southern Chad from Léré on the border with Cameroon in the west to Kyabé on the border with Sudan in the east;

Collaboration with CotonTchad for the organization and supervision of cotton production ;

R&D, pre-vulgarization tests and diffusion of Good Agricultural Practices ;

Training of farmers and members of village associations;

Farmers' supply with seeds, inputs and agricultural materials.

Cotton sector & food crops. Support to productors

Relaunching the cotton sector around Diffa

2018. On behalf GEOCOTON et the MADR of the Centrafrican Republic

Drafting of the 3-year Development Plan for the Projet de Relance de la Production Cotonnière dans le Centre;

Burkina Faso

Cotton sector

2013. On behalf of SOCOMA & GEOCOTON

Support to the cotton purchase campaign ;

Mali

Dairy production

1983 to 1987. On behalf of CIDR

Management of the Dairy Production Development Project around the city of Kayes. Fundraising and relations with donors;

Organization of technical support and supply for a group of sedentary breeders

Management of the logistic for milk collection and transport to Kayes. Creation of a mini dairy and organization of the sale of the milk in Kayes;

Trial of cheese production with Peulh breeders.

Kenya

Macadamia nuts production

2022. On behalf of the LDN fund

Realization of a technical due diligence mission on the 5-year development plan of a company exporting EOS/NOP and WFTO certified macadamia nuts. Our work focused on the production potential of macadamia nuts, the analysis of the collection from small producers, the adequacy between the processing tool and the objectives of the development plan and the reliability of the traceability.

Benin

Cotton value chain analysis

2022. On behalf of AATIF

Fambolena collaborated with Nitidae in the cotton value chain analysis in Benin in the framework of an investment project. More specifically, Fambolena provided assistance in mapping the actors of the sector, analysing the performance and organisation of the value chain and assessing the environmental and social risks affecting the sector.

As the mission was unable to meet with the main actors in the cotton sector, this analysis was based on a literature review and information obtained from Nitidae and Fambolena network.

Indonesia

Design schemas cacao agroforestiers

2023. On behalf of Barry Callebaut

In collaboration with Eco Act. Design of agroforestry cocoa systems
After a literature review and 3 weeks of surveys with cocoa farmers and field technicians on Sumatra and Sulawesi, islands, proposal of 5 complex agroforestry schemes adapted to the situations encountered, proposals for implementation and draft of a 5-year budget.

République Centrafricaine

Relance de la filière Coton autour de Diffa

2018. Pour le compte de GEOCOTON et du MADR

Rédaction du Plan de Développement à 3 ans du Projet de Relance de la Production Cotonnière dans le Centre;

Laos

Management of tobacco production

2008 à 2012. On behalf of Imperial Tobacco

At Lao Tobacco Ltd, we were responsible for tobacco production and processing in Laos, as well as managing blends for cigarette production.
We led a network of small-scale partner growers of Flue Cured Virginie and Burley tobacco, and organised their technical support: definition of the technical itinerary, training of growers, supply of seeds, fertilisers and organic insecticides).
We supported the organisation of these growers into farmers' groups
We organized the purchase and approval of tobacco, with the development of an application to manage the purchases and the growers' database
We have modernised the stripping/redrying chain and organised the storage and processing of tobacco leaves for cigarette manufacture.
We supervised the export of surplus tobacco to Europe and Vietnam.
We set up ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certification for the tobacco processing unit and implemented CSR actions as part of the SRITP programme.

Madagascar

Tobacco leaf production

2004 à 2007. On behalf of Imperial Tobacco

Operational management of SOCTAM, a subsidiary of the Imperial Tobacco group in charge of tobacco production in Madagascar to supply the Antsirabé cigarette factory.
We organised the production of Flue Cured Virginie, Burley and dark tobacco according to the forecast needs of the cigarette factory. Production was carried out by a network of independent growers supported by SOCTAM and by 10 industrial farms of several hundred hectares each, operated directly by SOCTAM.
Our role covered farm management (drawing up and implementing annual cultivation plans, managing human resources, managing supplies and equipment maintenance), growing firewood for drying Flue Cured Virginie, defining technical itineraries and setting up technical support for growers (training, supply of seeds, inputs and equipment). We were also responsible for relations with the Office Malgache des Tabacs (OFMATA), defining investment plans and annual budgets, and financial and technical reporting.

Tobacco processing

2002 à 2007. On behalf of Imperial Tobacco

Operational management of SITAM, the subsidiary of the Imperial Tobacco group responsible for processing the tobacco produced by SOCTAM.
We finalised the installation of the new threshing line in Mahajanga, drafted the operating procedures and recruited and trained the teams. In a second phase, we took over the operational management of SITAM.
Our role covered the organisation of tobacco collection, purchasing and grading in liaison with OFMATA, the establishment and monitoring of production and maintenance schedules, the management of blends to make up industrial grades, the management of quality and health and safety conditions, the definition of investment plans and annual budgets, and financial and technical reporting.
We have implemented ISO 19001 and OHSAS certification for the unit.

Sourcing for extraction units

2022. On behalf of the LDN fund

Carrying out a technical due diligence mission to analyse the supply network development plan of two companies based in Fianarantsoa and producing plant extracts.
The first of these companies buys artemisia leaves and other plants from a network of small producer partners and plans to double its production.
The second produced quinine extracted from Chinchona bark imported from DR Congo and planned to develop a local supply network.
Through field visits, meetings with producers and teams from the companies concerned, we analysed the production potential for artemisia and chinchona, the support system for small producers and the strength of relations with producers.

Saudi Arabia

Feasibility study for a mango production in the Al Ula oasis

2024. Subcontracted to Apexagri

On behalf of the French Agency for Al Ula (AFALULA) and the Royal Commission for Al Ula (RCU), participation in the in-situ diagnosis of the initial situation of mango production and marketing in the oasis.
Participation in the definition of development scenarios for the sector, taking into account the preservation of water resourc

Cameroon

Support for a start-up to create a pineapple supply chain

2024.

Fambolena supports a Cameroonian start-up in the diversification of its activities. This young company wishes to develop the production of pineapple juice intended for the Cameroonian and regional market. The project is in its very early stages. It is based on the observation that pineapple producers have difficulty finding reliable and profitable outlets for their production.
The start-up, which already successfully markets other agri-food products in Cameroon, believes it can develop industrial production of fruit juice intended for the national market. It is initially targeting a monthly production of 500,000 liters of pineapple juice.
Based on the information communicated by this company, supplemented by a documentary review and videoconference meetings with the managers of this company as well as with the producer identified to be their future focal point, Fambolena carried out a pre-diagnosis of the feasibility the creation of a local sourcing chain. The report which includes 18 recommendations for the development of a network of reliable producer suppliers.