Sustainability is in the heart of our business, our strategy and our culture
Sustainability
Sustainability is a major preoccupation of commodity trading companies. In an industry built around trustworthiness and long-lasting business relationships, sustainable development is much more than a concept. Rather, it stands for how it is put into practice every day on the ground. In the agricultural commodities sector, sustainability is often associated with the sharing of improved farming or processing techniques. For high-demand products such as speciality coffee or cocoa sourcing quality implies working hand in hand with local producers and striving to establish a win-win situation for producers, traders and consumers alike. This is where Trustineo comes in.
As traders, fair trade enablers, Trustineo plays a vital role in bridging market gaps and structuring the production chain with its e-trading platform . The strong growth in demand for fair trade agricultural products in recent years means that physical trading firms are able to work with certification bodies, improving living conditions for producers and enabling them to tap into growth markets with higher margins.
There is a lot more to do for producers who are still squeezed and not receiving enough money to survive and enhance their quality of life . On the other hand , the consumers and SMEs have to pay a premium. We are driven by our ambition to bring a new standard in the agricultural soft commodity and food supply sector, all our sustainability-linked initiatives have a real impact on the commodities sector. The effects of our sustainability-link initiatives are likely to manifest through Increases in (1) Demand from investors and businesses for supply chain transparency , (2) Development of sustainable commodity products and (3) The new normal and needs resulting from the COVID pandemic.
We aim to bring a new alternative to trade with the producers who are squeezed by the big Agro-industrial and intermediaries. We are promoting Win-Win Business, more transparency for a fair trade taking into account all the parties interested based on the new international balance of power.
We aim to achieve 4 outcomes with a multi-fold strategy :
Improve the Livelihoods
Improve the livelihoods of farmers , their families and communities through initiatives that enhance productivity and return. Eliminate Middlemen, direct connection producers end buyers (SMEs & End-consumers) and result in win-win solution
Collaboration & Formation
Develop local transformation and help improving process. Our vast networks and expertise are covering all aspects of the supply chain and product transformations. We are supporting our partners/suppliers in their development by offering them training and help to improve their processes.
Responsible Business Practices
We are doing a responsible and ethical business by promoting fair trade and slave/child-labor free businesses. We are auditing and selecting suppliers and partners who embrace our values and ethics. We are sourcing our products from regions that we have scrupulously chosen. We are particularly concerned about the safety and well-being of our partners and employees. We are applying Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures (Due Diligence, Identification Program, Ongoing Monitoring) in all of our agreement processes.
Diversifying Import Sources
Diversification of sourcing helps to reduce our reliance on any single source for any particular food item. We enable opening up of untapped markets. Many regions or markets are still unknown. Crops and productions are lost due to lack of buyers. We are exploring those regions and offering their products.
Our strategies …
Digital and fully automated Trading Platform
Accelerate the digital transformation of the food and commodity supply chain industry. We are offering digital trading platform and digital solutions by leveraging on African mobile revolution and new technology.
Transparency
Bring transparency, trust & security in each transaction.
Transformation
One of the greatest unresolved challenges facing African agribusiness sector is the lack of value addition. We are promoting the local transformation with a focus on standardisation of the entire supply chain. We are helping African countries and communities to transform / to add value through our experts network.
West Africa is the world’s largest producer of cocoa, with Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Cameroon and Nigeria producing over 70% of global output. Around 75% of the crop is exported as raw beans to Europe and Asia, with only a quarter staying in the region for processing into cocoa butter, powder and (a little) chocolate. This leaves the lion’s share of value addition to be captured by the confectioners and retailers at the end of the chain. And, in the case of cashews, barely 5% of the crop is processed prior to export, with 95% of nuts going raw to India and Vietnam for processing and consumption.
Creating Social Impact
One of our areas of focus is to develop the local market. Many African farmers don't even get to taste their products. We are working on developing the soft commodity value chains in Africa.
For instance, we are promoting coffee & cocoa culture in West Africa by implementing a program to help coffee and cocoa producers to know, taste and consume their coffee and chocolate . The coffee and cocoa industries will benefit better by fostering local demand and exporting value added products.
We are also helping the farmers to improve their processes (processing & drying methods, tasting etc).
Cotton is another mainstay of West African agricultural sector, yet 70% of the crop is exported raw to Asia where it is processed into yarn and fabric and re-exported back to Africa. This means that there may be African cotton farmers wearing Asian-manufactured clothes made of cotton they grew themselves !
Traceability
Trustineo recognises the importance of being able to trace supply flows from the source (farms) to the clients and we have put in place a solution to monitor the entire supply chain.
Quality Checks
We follow strict sourcing inspection and quality checks processes. Our standards guarantee access to purchase high quality raw as well as semi-processed & value-added food products which meet international production and quality standards. We work with experts, laboratories, experienced partners and reputed international companies for quality checks and inspection.