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From: soren.groth@mailbox.swipnet.se (Soren Groth)
Newsgroups: alt.sustainable.agriculture
Subject: GUINEA-CONAKRY
Date: Tue, 12 Mar 1996 20:21:45
Organization: MANA-FOUNDATION
GUINEA-CONAKRY: CePATA - Organic Farmers in Guinea
" My NGO represents rural small producers of raw coffee, black
and green tea, pineapple fruit, mango fruit at time dry, banana fruit
and frozen red palm oil and dehulled peanut, all ecologically grown.
For the past years, our major difficulties have been how to get
these products certified because mr. Gabriel Guet of Nature et
Progress (France) only is certifying the two exporting French
companies of Bio-Guinée and Project Agricole de Timbi-Madina.
In April 1994, Mr. Bruin,Niclas of SERVID (Services for
Development) visited CePATA in Guinea and was very pleased of its
activities. Upon his return to Netherlands, he has made tremendous
efforts to assist CePATA in finding a certifying agency. Despite his
efforts, Mr.Guet has been an opposing force to the certification of our
products.
We would ask you to assist us in finding a certifying agent and/or
an organisation that can promote our products.
In counting very much on your support and cooperation, it is our
strong desire and wish to have future relationship with MANA-
FOUNDATION according to the World Economy with Ecological and
Social Responsability, rather than the exploitation by the few.
Greenly yours Dr.Gaoussou Fadiga, CePATA President
CePATA B.P. 530 Conakry GUINEA - CONAKRY
Action:
EMAIL 22/2 1996
to: IFOAM-SECRETARY@OLN.COMLINK.APC.ORG
From: soren.groth@mailbox.swipnet.se (Soren Groth)
Subject: Guinea Conakry
Dear friends.
The following letter reached us from Guinea Conakry. We send it to
you, for your information.
We are aware that IFOAM (International Federation of Organic
Agriculture Movements) has added social criterias to their policy
regarding ecological/organic products from the South.
But this makes us wonder how serious these efforts are.
We will be happy to get an answer to this question from IFOAM and
Nature ét Prógres, before taking any further actions.
ANSWER:
From: IFOAM-SECRETARY@OLN.comlink.apc.org (Int.Fed.of
Organic Agriculture)
Subject: reply to your e-mail dated 22-2-96
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 1996 13:21:00 +0100
Dear Soren Groth,
Many thanks for your e-mail message from last week. We had been
informed about this as well from CePATA in Guinea directly. I have
sent already a response to Mr. Fadiga. Additionaly will I ask Mr.
Gabriel Guet for his comments.
Please keep us updated informed about the further development of
organic farming and your support for the movement in Guinea.
Friendly yours
Bernward Geier
**********************
Answer from Mr.Guet to IFOAM 6/3 1996
"The Facts:
1. First of all, I have absolutely nothing to do with inspection or
certification anywhere since the founding of ECOCERT some 5
years1 ago and the consequent complete seperation between
inspection and consultancy. I act only as independent consultant; my
work with Nature et Progres stopped at the same time.
2. As far as I know Nature et Progres are very "small grower" minded;
and I should be very surprised by a neocolonialistic attitude on their
part. There is a confusion between Nature et Progres (a trade mark)
and Ecocert, the certifying body.
3. I have not been to Guinea for three years, and have not met
Gaoussou Fadiga for about 5 years.
Now my comments:
I don't know Bruin Niclas, of Servid, and don't know if he speaks
French, the official language in order to collect firsthand information;
nor what is his training and experience in tropical agriculture or in
inspection; nor how long he stayed with CePATA, nor if he saw
Gaoussou's book-keeping. Certification has a very rigid procedure (
too rigid in my personal opinion)
I would appreciate from Gaoussou:
1. to update his information
2. not to fight the wrong adversaries
3. to send as soon as possible a copy of this answer on the same
channel, as I read the letter has already been circulated in the internet
newsgroup alt.sustainable.agriculture.
CC: Mana Foundation, CePata
Forwarded by MANA-FOUNDATION c/o S.Groth
Erikshallsg. 40, 15146 Sodertalje, Sweden
soren.groth@mailbox.swipnet.se
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