GUINEA-CONAKRY: Neo-colonialism in organic certifying
Soren Groth
Dear friends.
The following letter reached us from Guinea Conakry. We send it to
you, for your information.
We are aware that IFOAM (International Federation of Organic
Agriculture Movements) has added social criterias to their policy
regarding ecological/organic products from the South.
But this makes us wonder how serious these efforts are.
We will be happy to get an answer to this question from IFOAM and
Nature ét Prógres, before taking any further actions.
>GUINEA-CONAKRY: CePATA - Organic Farmers in Guinea
denied certification for neocolonialistic reasons. !!!!
" My NGO represents rural small producers of raw coffee, black
and green tea, pineapple fruit, mango fruit at time dry, banana fruit
and frozen red palm oil and dehulled peanut, all ecologically grown.
For the past years, our major difficulties have been how to get
these products certified because mr. Gabriel Guet of Nature et
Progress (France) only is certifying the two exporting French
companies of Bio-Guinée and Project Agricole de Timbi-Ma
In April 1994, Mr. Bruin,Niclas of SERVID (Services for
Development) visited CePATA in Guinea and was very pleased of its
activities. Upon his return to Netherlands, he has made tremendous
efforts to assist CePATA in finding a certifying agency. Despite
We would ask you to assist us in finding a certifying agent and/or
an organisation that can promote our products.
In counting very much on your support and cooperation, it is our
strong desire and wish to have future relationship with MANA-
FOUNDATION according to the World Economy with Ecological and
Social Responsability, rather than the exploitation by the fe
Greenly yours Dr.Gaoussou Fadiga, CePATA President
CePATA B.P. 530 Conakry GUINEA - CONAKRY">
Forwarded by MANA FOUNDATION c/o S.Groth, Erikshällsgatan 40
15146 Södertälje Sweden
eMail: SGR...@NN.APC.ORG
IFOAM ANSWERED :
>Dear Soren Groth,
>Many thanks for your e-mail message from last week. We had been informed
>about this as well from CePATA in Guinea directly. I have sent already a
>response to Mr. Fadiga. Additionaly will I ask Mr. Gabriel Guet for his
>comments.
>Please keep us updated informed about the further development of organic
>farming and your support for the movement in Guinea.
>Friendly yours
>Bernward Geier