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Orientierung an Führungslinien.

Quality management along organic agri-value chains

in developing countries

Scientific coordination: Prof. Dr. Oliver Hensel, University of Kassel in Witzenhausen

Administration: Dr. Christian Hülsebusch, DITSL Witzenhausen

Programme coordination & management: Markus Frank, DITSL Witzenhausen

International Alumni-Winter School, held February 3rd – 11th 2014

at the University of Kassel in Witzenhausen / Germany

Trade of organic products is a worldwide expanding sector with a volume of more than 40 billion US$. Especially in developing and emerging countries establishing value chains in organic production is of prior importance to contribute to sustainable development. This requires an increased demand for expertise and scientific exchange to create international certification- and trade-networks.

Therefore the University of Kassel and the German Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture (DITSL) have developed a training programme, which was held in the framework of the International DAAD-Alumni Winter School “Quality management along organic agri-value chains in developing countries: Production, post-harvest technology, processing, marketing and trade” in Witzenhausen, Germany.

The program was organized and hosted by the Department of Agricultural Engineering in the Tropics and Subtropics of the Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences of the University of Kassel (Prof. Dr. Oliver Hensel) and DITSL Witzenhausen with financial support of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

The group visited the wholesaler company “Naturkost Elkers- hausen”. The guided tour through the warehouse with more than 9000 organic products provided insights into logistic- and quality management concepts for trading organic products.

The programme: After an introductory session and a welcome meeting with the mayor of Witzenhausen in the town hall, the participants presented on the current state and perspectives of organic agriculture in their home countries, and about concrete projects, ideas and experiences in this field. A wide spectrum of scientific and practical approaches and challenges for adding value within the organic sector was presented, which underlined the necessity of networking in the international context. The subsequent interactive work programme (including lectures, workshops, discussions and excursions) addressed the following major thematic fields of organic value chains in developing countries:

Theory and practice amalgamated:

Besides lessons and talks, practical presentations and demonstrations enabled the participants to get insights into the organic sector in Germany, covering the whole value chain. Diverse excursions pro- vided a practical view on organic farming and processing practices, direct marketing concepts and on-farm training (university’s experimental farm “Hessische Staatsdomäne Frankenhausen”, Dottenfelderhof), inter- national trade alliances, marketing con- cepts and product distribution (wholesalers Natur- kost Elkershausen, Mibusa AG) and fair trade concepts for food and non-food products (Contigo Göttingen)

Networking and social events:

A welcome dinner and informal group activities gave room for intensive discuss- ions and networking. An intercultural evening wrapped up the scientific part and enabled to learn more about the home countries of the other participants.

To top off the program in Witzenhausen, the group visited the “Bio Hotel Werratal” and were introduced to a concept of implement- ing certified sustainable management practices and organic standards within the service sector and enjoyed a dinner with organic ingredients before leaving to Nuremberg for the BioFach 2014.

- Production: Principles and concepts of organic agriculture with special focus on options and constraints for organic production in developing countries.

- Processing: Special requirements and challenges for processing organic products; quality management and standards; added value and strategies for minimizing post harvest losses in quality and quantity.

- Marketing and trade: Concepts and standards for certification of organic products, organization of smallholder cooperatives, strategies for establishing national and international value chains, export planning to EU markets, marketing channels, business plan development.

The winter school targeted alumni of German universities from developing countries (DAC country nationals) who are professionally involved in the sector of organic agriculture in the framework of rural or urban, public or private sector development, and/or who are working for academic, educational or development organizations. A total of 25 alumni from 16 countries, all of them multipliers in a position to spread the acquired knowledge and experience and/or take decisions on implementation, spent an intensive week of international networking: Theoretical debate, practical demonstrations and scientific exchange all led to a deeper insight into working concepts for the development of organic agri-value chains.

After the welcome meeting with the mayor of Witzenhausen in the town hall

At the organic farm “Dottenfelderhof”, the organic cheese dairy was presented, followed by a cheese degustation

Place for lectures, workshop, discussions and exchange: the winter school venue at the Faculty of Organic Agriculture of the University of Kassel in Witzenhausen