OUR GLOBAL PARTNERS
We buy our organic and fair trade raw materials directly from smallholder organisations wherever possible and not from intermediaries. It is important to us to form long-term partnerships and to accept our social responsibility.
By buying directly from growers, we are not only aware of the working and production conditions on site, but we also understand the day-to-day and long-term challenges of smallholders. We are able to support producers and their families in a targeted way and together we implement measures to improve living conditions, productivity and quality.
Since 2022, we have been processing certified organic and fair trade cocoa beans into premium-quality cocoa mass, cocoa butter and cocoa powder at our own plant PRONATEC Swiss Cocoa Production in Switzerland. The cocoa comes from different countries of origin, but we mainly use organic cocoa beans from the Dominican Republic (YACAO / FUNDOPO).From procurement from small-scale farmers, through fermentation and export to processing and sale of the finished product, all stages of the process are in our hands. The PRONATEC supply chain is unique and guarantees full traceability of all our products back to the original smallholder farms.
PREMIUM SPICES - Madagascar
PREMIUM SPICES is our local partner in Madagascar and PRONATEC has held a minority shareholding since 2010. The company was founded in Madagascar in 2005 and is managed by Swiss national Jürg Brand.
PREMIUM SPICES collaborates with five different smallholder organisations. Over 2,300 producers, some of which are based in very remote areas, cultivate the finest Bourbon vanilla, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric and cocoa beans according to organic and fair trade standards.
Three of the cooperatives – COOPPVM, KOMAM and CPVM – are located in the UNESCO Mananara Biosphere Reserve, a large tropical rainforest close to the east coast.
The cultivation of vanilla and other spices complements small-scale subsistence agriculture very well and enables a harmonious coexistence between people and nature. The traditional knowledge of the local population as well as the humid and tropical climate of the rainforests are an ideal foundation for the production of the finest Bourbon vanilla. Over 1,700 smallholders in this region primarily produce Bourbon vanilla and spices. They work according to organic guidelines and are fair trade certified.
Partner profile PREMIUM SPICES - Mananara_vanilla_cloves
The cooperative – MITSINJO – is close to the port city of Toamasina in eastern Madagascar. Over 600 farmers cultivate organic and fair trade certified turmeric, ginger and cinnamon here.
Partner profile PREMIUM SPICES - Anivorano_turmeric_cinnamon_ginger
The fifth cooperative – CPCS – is based in Ambanja in the northern part of Madagascar. We have been supporting the young cocoa cooperative CPCS (Coopérative Premium Cacao Sambirano) from Madagascar since it was founded in 2017, helping with organic and fair trade certification and buying the entire cocoa harvest. 357 smallholders from 12 villages cultivate around 680,000 cocoa trees. For many farmers, growing cocoa is their main livelihood.
Partner profile PREMIUM SPICES CPCS cocoa
LA FELSINA - Paraguay
La Felsina is a small sugar mill in Paraguay with which we have been in partnership since 1998 as part of a joint venture. Our many years of cooperation have not only involved large investments in production facilities, but also the exchange of important findings relating to organic cultivation.
Today, La Felsina has all the important certifications and produces high-quality raw cane sugar which is distributed exclusively by PRONATEC across Europe. La Felsina and the “Asociación de Cañicultores Orgánicos de la Zona Central” (ASOCACE) cooperative of sugar cane famers have also been fair trade certified since 2004.
The certification means that smallholders receive a better price as well as fair trade premiums for their sugar cane. The premiums are used for community projects such as building schools or improving local infrastructure or healthcare.
FURTHER PARTNERS
ACOPAGRO
Cocoa from Peru
PRONATEC and ACOPAGRO have been close partners since the cooperative was founded. At the time, cocoa from Peru was little known on the global market. Thanks to the close cooperation, ACOPAGRO has access to many international customers. ACOPAGRO now has around 2,000 members and is the largest and probably most successful exporter of organic cocoa in Peru.
COCABO
Cocoa from Panama
COCABO, the first cooperative to be registered in Panama, is one of PRONATEC’s long-term partners. COCABO is a pioneer in sustainable resource management and has established itself as one of the most important representatives of the indigenous population in the north of the country. The plots of smallholder family businesses integrated into the forest cultivate a variety of crops.
EL QUINACHO
Cocoa from Peru
The “Cooperativa Agraria Cafetalera El Quinacho” cooperative was established in 1970. PRONATEC has been working closely with El Quinacho since 2000 and has helped it to achieve organic and fair trade certification. Since then, we have been buying the entire cocoa harvest from El Quinacho and supporting the cooperative by pre-financing the harvest and contributing to various projects.
FORTALEZA DEL VALLE
Cocoa from Ecuador
Fortaleza del Valle is a recognised and well-positioned farming association in Ecuador which serves as an exemplary model for the region. The association was founded in 2005 with the aim of improving the working and living conditions of smallholders. Five grass-roots cooperatives from the Carrizal-Chone region with 633 farming families now belong to Fortaleza del Valle.
ASOCACE
Raw can sugar from Paraguay
For a long time, farmers in the Departamento Central in Paraguay worked separately and sold their sugar cane individually and at low prices to the local sugar mill. This is why PRONATEC campaigned for the foundation of the farmers’ organisation ASOCACE in 2002 as well as its organic and fair trade certification, subsequently arranging access to the European market.
ASSUKKAR and APOYA
Whole cane sugar from Costa Rica
PRONATEC has been sourcing SUCANAT organic whole cane sugar from Costa Rica since 1997. Our local partner is ASSUKKAR, a company with modern production facilities which meets the high quality and safety requirements of the European market. The sugar cane can be harvested here without interruption as the climate in the Turrialba region is tropical and humid throughout the year.
ECOFARM
Raw cane sugar from Mozambique
EcoFarm from the Chemba district in Mozambique is our new trading partner for the SYRAMENA brand of organic raw cane sugar. EcoFarm is located in a pristine, rural area on the Zambezi River in the heart of Mozambique and produces organic sugar of the highest quality.
MOLIENDA REAL
Whole cane sugar from Colombia
Molienda Real from Medellín is our new trading partner for SUCANAT. The marketing organisation was founded in 2013 in order to market “Panela”, as the whole cane sugar is known in Colombia, in cooperation with committed smallholders. Three smallholder cooperatives with around 150 members are now involved and they cultivate organic and SPP certified sugar cane and process it to form SUCANAT.
