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Zongo Adama

Fruiteq

Hello, my name is Zongo Adama and I grow organic mangoes for Nature & More in Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast, Afrika. Thank you for buying our fruit!

I am the export manager here at Fruiteq, the exporting company. It was established in 2005 in order to give small mango producers from this country access to the European market. Today we work with five producer organizations representing 1200 farmers from 2 countries (Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast).

This area is one of the best places in the world to grow mango's. They grow everywhere, but of course not all the varieties are suitable for export. A typical organic mango is the Amelie variety, that has a distinctive citrus accent to the taste. Our mango farmers also cultivate cashew nuts, oranges and cereals. The mango is a forest product for us, which grows quite naturally.

At our warehouse (based near the town of Bobo-Dioulasso around 800 km from the coast) we collect, wash, sort and pack the mangoes. From there we transport them in a cooled container by road transport to the port of Abidjan (Ivory Coast) from where they are shipped to Europe.

With your purchase you support several projects in the rural area's of our country. One of them is the purchase of equipment for schools and hospitals in the villages of Beregadougou, Ferkessedougou and Doussoudiana. Another is a project for improvements in sanitation and hygiene, including a special training program for women. Thank you for that!

How 'bout taste?
Posted by Kristi, Estonia at May 19, 2011:
"Thank you very much for the yummy mango! :) I am very grateful for being able to eat this delicious fruit here in Northern Europe :) And I am very glad to see, that you appreciate the nature while you grow these yummy mangos :) Thank you and all the farmers.

Interview with Zongo

Why are there so many mango trees in this part of West Africa?

Basically because the conditions are right! Mango trees have always been part of the local farming system as early settlers can claim land by planting different trees such as cashew, mango and citrus. The trees and the fruit they bear are used for fuel, erosion control and of course for food when the fruit is ripe.

What are the challenges of growing mangoes in West Africa?

The challenge is not so much growing but much more getting the fruit to the market in the right condition. Once the fruit is picked they sometimes have to travel more than 100 km over terrible roads before reaching the pack house in Bobo-Dioulasso. After washing, sorting and packing the fruit once again goes on a long journey southwards to the port of Abidjan and from there are shipped to Europe.

How important is the export of mangoes for Burkina Faso?

It is very important. Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world and relies heavily on the export of cotton. New stable exports particularly from the rural areas is extremely welcome and important. The problem however is that mangoes can only be harvested and exported for around 3 months of the year.

What mango varieties are grown ?

Actually there are more than 160 different varieties of mangoes that are grown in this part of Africa. Some are better for drying, others for making puree and juice. Only three are suited for the export and these are the green skinned typical African Amelie mango as well as the more common Kent and Keitt varieties.

One Cent for the Future
I want to thank you for buying our organic mango’s particularly because through your purchase you are directly supporting the children of the town of Bobo Dioulasso. Let me explain, through the Nature & More 1 cent for the future campaign we are now able to buy and install 20 solar panels at two different schools. These panels provide light for the School Yard and for 10 class rooms meaning that 600 children will finally have a safe place to make their homework when the sun has gone down.

This season the 1 cent for the future campaign also served to buy a pump and solar panels. The electricity from the solar panels help to pump water from the borehole to provide clean water to the village. (See pictures attached). Even they got a small garden because with the pump and the panels they have got more than enough drinking water. This was not imaginable few years ago! Therefore, on behalf of all the children, their parents, the growers and the whole community we want to send out a big thank you to everyone who bought our mango’s.

What am I growing?

Recipes with this ingredient

Maracuja-mango-physalis smoothie

Noodle salad with bok choy

Geolocation is 12.2111801915, -1.93359375

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soil

Fruiteq growers feed the soil organically, to maintain and improve the health of the soil. This improves soil structure and prevents erosion. Zongo: “We make sure that there is always something growing on the area in question, planting ground nut for example. We use peanuts as ground cover a lot. Being leguminous plants, they also fix nitrogen in the soil. Furthermore, we feed the soil by adding decomposing herbs and leaves.”

biodiversity

Generally speaking the mango farmers also keep livestock including chickens, cows, goats and sheep. The manure that these animals produce is consequently used as compost for the trees.

Furthermore, since organic farmers are prohibited from using agro chemicals, the local fauna is not negatively affected by such unnatural materials in the ecosystem.

The farms do not only grow mangoes for export but also have many local varieties. Many farms cultivate oranges, ground nuts, millet, maize, cotton or other crops too. A mango tree takes 12 years to mature, so most of the mango farmers are older than 40!

society

Personal development and education leads to freedom of the mind. The farm workers are ensured a good price for their products which allows them to live in the area, put food on the table, and keep their children in school. These workers can not only survive but create a better future for their families. The premium provides the extra income to buy school equipment. Furthermore the premium has been used to set up a special training program for women, to improve sanitation and hygiene.

Fruiteq works according to international and local labour laws and ensures that employees are guaranteed equal opportunities. The international human rights declaration is respected by the company. There is an open communication between the workers and the manager. Adama explains: “When there are problems, these are addressed through direct communication with employee and his/her supervisor. If they don’t find a solution, a meeting with employee and management team is organized.”

Acknowledging other peoples basic needs (food, income, housing, safety) leads to solidarity. It allows them to provide a better and more stable supply of water for the villages, and to maintain small village pharmacies. Equipment has been bought for rural hospitals in Beregadougou, Ferkessedougou and Dousoudiana villages, such as two ambulances. Permanent employees have access to health insurance and social securities; seasonal workers have access to social securities and the company pharmacy.

climate

Mango trees rely on mother nature. In conventional farming, the dominant energy inputs are indirect and come from for the manufacture and transport of fertilisers (specifically nitrogen) and pesticides. Depending on the crop these can account for as much as 80% of the energy input. Since Fruiteq growers farm organically and therefore do not use chemical fertilisers, pesticides or other agro chemicals, it comes as no surprise that these fruits are considerably more energy efficient than their non organic counterparts. The mango's are transported to Europe by ship.

Air in Western Burkina Faso is clean. By growing organic products such as mangoes, cashew nuts and citrus fruits farmers contribute to a better air quality. Carbon emissions are low since no fertilizer is used and most of the work is done by hand. The mangoes are harvested by hand: the farmers use a knife on a stick to cut them out of the tree and catch them when they fall. By using green manure (leguminous plants) to feed the soil, Fruiteq growers reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well.

water

Since mango trees need very little water, the trees in this part of Africa are not irrigated. Consequently the farmers rely completely on the “water from the skies!”

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