Entrepreneurial extraction: making the juices flow

Inspiration, support and organization are behind the tales of "success with surplus" in Malawi, Mauritius and Tanzania. A juice drink is proving popular in Malawi and is providing an alternative income for village communities. In Mauritius, a problem has been turned into a product with potential and in Tanzania, women with a determination to succeed are producing an array of foods and drinks for every occasion. Women in many regions, using only simple household equipment and members of their own families to help with the work, have a tradition of transforming an array of excess fruits and vegetables into a variety of foods and drinks for family consumption. But to take it a step further, to invest and expand in order to supply regular customers with a consistent, well presented, quality product requires courage and conviction to recognise a market opportunity and be able to follow it through.

Just a juice?

In Malawi, as elsewhere in Africa, one of the most distinctive features of the landscape is the imposing presence of the Baobab tree. Growing up to 40m high, the Baobab stands out in a region that is suffering one of the highest rates of deforestation in Africa. The high water content of the Baobab renders it useless for charcoal or fuelwood unless it is left to dry for over two years. However, it has many other uses: its fibres are used to make sturdy ropes, cloths, mats and fishing nets; its leaves are cooked as a vegetable relish; and its seeds roasted for snack food. It is also used in a range of traditional medicines. But in the village of Kamimwamba, it is the fruit which is mostly highly prized. The towering heights of the tree have to be scaled to harvest the yellow-green, oval-shape fruit and once collected they are taken to a small roadside-processing centre and the pulp extracted to make into juice. The drink lasts up to six months and is rich in energy, vitamin C, calcium, iron and other minerals, so is ideal for children, pregnant women and is also recommended as a cure for hangovers. The villagers now make more from the Baobab drink than they did previously from selling charcoal or firewood. In addition, the communities have taken a vested interest in protecting existing Baobab trees as well as planting more for use by future generations.

Making the most of the market

On the island of Mauritius, Baijabye Mahadou has been farming her 18 acres for years, growing mainly sugarcane intercropped with beans and tomatoes. But, it was the unsold fruits and vegetables being dumped from neighbouring farms that gave her the idea of setting up a new enterprise. Now, when the market price for certain horticultural crops plummet, her new on-farm business swings into action turning waste into wine and a variety of other products that are sold from door to door, to friends and at trade fairs in Mauritius. Farmer, processor but, above all, entrepreneur Baijabye Mahadou is part of a co-operative which buys excess fruit and vegetables from its member farmers. The processing business has been a valuable means of generating income to raise the standard of living of members within the co-operative but Baijabye still has high hopes for the future and is keen to see the products in local supermarkets and even promote them for export.

From sideline to market managers

In Tanzania women, who have a long tradition of food processing for home consumption, are now producing a vast range of popular marketable products whilst also learning about cleaner production and waste management. Products range from mango pickle, to local breads and cakes, wines from banana, papaya and other fruits, to sausages, meats and dairy products, such as cheeses, yoghurts and butter. By receiving business skills' development and technology transfer for food production, women across Tanzania are being supported by The Integrated Training Programme for Women Entrepreneurship Development. The collaborative project between SIDO, TAFOPA and UNIDO has been established since 1993 and now has a particular emphasis on developing new business products, broadening product variety and range, and improving marketing.

To receive training as an entrepreneur within the project, some experience and/or motivation is required for setting up and maintaining a business. Information, training and counselling are available through a Business Development Service Centre - but for a price. Payments may be adjusted according to available resources but a key lesson to be learned is that nothing in business comes free of charge. Credit facilities are also not available but assistance is provided to acquire inputs, such as packaging, or to co-ordinate bulk buying of raw materials. More than a 1000 women have been trained in short (1-5 day) or long (3 month) courses with the result that over 80% have started successful food processing businesses and the demand for training remains high.

Back to Menu