Organic Palm Oil from Africa – Bio Suisse certified palm oil from small-scale farmers in Ivory Coast

Coop’s palm oil vision implies that Coop's suppliers either substitute palm oil with other fats and oils, or use Bio Suisse certified palm oil. In collaboration with a local partner and a rather small oil mill sourcing palm fruits exclusively from smallholder farmers in Côte d’Ivoire, this project aims at developing sound sourcing structures for ‘truly sustainable’, Bio Suisse certified palm oil. The project has three objectives:

1. support of Bio Suisse certification (i.e. organization and implementation of an efficient Internal Control System, production systems design to ensure good yields, traceability and sound biodiversity management, support of annual inspections and certification processes),
2. improving of organic production practices (i.e. upgrading of cover crop & weed management, soil fertility management, efficient mitigation and regulation of pests and diseases),
3. upgrading and consolidation of farmer services (i.e. building up of organic extension expertise and structures, development of an optimal organic fertilizer using empty fruit bunches and palm oil mill effluents.

• Coop Sustainability Fund - Plants, animals and soil

• Coop Sustainability Fund

• Pro Fair Trade AG
• Nutriswiss AG

• Cotter Marc (Department of International Cooperation)
• van den Berge Paul (Department of International Cooperation)

• Bernet Thomas (Department of International Cooperation)
• Fuchs Jacques (Department of Crop Sciences)

• Project management and implementation

fibl.org: Project description "Organic and Fair Palm Oil Production"

• Value chains & Markets (Department of International Cooperation, FiBL Switzerland)