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Young Caribbean fashion designer and entrepreneur Christal Oliver describes herself as “creative, industrious, and witty”.

She could also add “resilient” to that list after managing to keep her small accessories business operational for the past 12 years despite severe disruptions caused by tropical storms, a global pandemic, and the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano on her home island of St Vincent.

Christal and her small enterprise have been understandably shaken by these recent events and she admits that it is currently “a struggle” to keep going while everything remains so uncertain.

She is also dealing with a major change in her personal life after becoming a first-time mother in October 2020 to a baby boy called Zephan.

“I am 16 months into motherhood (post-delivery),” Christal says. “So, that has been a major readjustment for me personally.

“There were times I heavily questioned the way forward. What do I do with the business? Do I work alone or continue as is? Do I change the products? Do I consider design and trade, instead of designing, producing, and selling?

“So, I’m just trying to restructure, and basically start over, or even rebrand, but even that has been difficult. The future is just so much more uncertain these days”.

As a fledgling business owner, Christal has obviously faced many uncertainties before. In fact, even though she started on the road to entrepreneurship from early on in life, she was actually considering becoming a pediatrician or a chef.

“Entrepreneurship was never in my mind,” Christal explains. “But, since I was young, I’ve always been making or selling something, or hand sewing some random craft project.

“Then in late 2009, I was working as a lab technician at my alma mater (the St. Vincent Girls’ High School). During the downtime, because I couldn’t find any bags in Kingstown that matched my needs and taste, I decided to buy all the material and make a bag myself. The finished product got many compliments and it got me thinking. I made a small investment in a domestic Singer sewing machine, and that’s what led to me finding a way to turn my passion into income and opportunities.”

Christal had found her calling and says she never saw designing or sewing as “work” but initially she only sold her creations to friends and family.

“The start of the business wasn’t grand at all,” she recalls. “I just experimented with fabrics and designs and practiced. I would tear apart existing bags to figure things out. I also did a lot of reading and researching and sold most of the final products to people close to me.

“I even had a challenging time coming up with a name!”.

Olive Art Designs (OAD) was the one she eventually chose; utilising her own surname as inspiration. At the start, OAD was a slow-burning passion project but after 2017, when Christal decided to commit to the business full-time, it steadily grew it into a distinctly Vincentian brand with a reputation for superior design, attention to detail, and exceptional quality.

Christal’s influence on her island as an aspirational entrepreneur also advanced over the years, and was further underpinned in 2019 when she won the inaugural Invest SVG ‘Pitch it Vincy’ initiative, with the help of the Caribbean Export Development Agency, which assisted her through workshops.

Christal describes that experience as “one of the proudest achievements” in her life so far. She adds: “This journey has not been easy but it has been a lot of fun. I’ve learned a lot of lessons and there’s some I’m still learning.”

Right now, Christal is continuing to settle into her role as a new mum, and keeps her finger on the pulse with her other occupation as a morning radio co-host on the ‘Wake Up Call’ on Xtreme 104.3FM.

Christal says she loves being a radio personality because it’s a “really fun but challenging job”.

She states: “Although the shift is only four hours long, there is a lot of talk. Being on the radio gives me the opportunity to air my views, to understand our people better, and to make a positive impact. It’s a really exciting job that adds to my personal and professional growth.”

In terms of Olive Art Designs, Christal is hopeful that by repositioning the business, and utilising new avenues for marketing and exposure, as well as revenue, she will be able to keep the brand fresh and exciting for her and her customers.

Currently, Christal employs one person on a “needs-only basis” but has plans to expand and improve productivity and increase regional exports. She pivoted into producing facemasks because of the COVID-19 pandemic and says that transition taught her the importance of keeping an open mind.

Christal adds: “It wasn’t all bad because as there was a reduced demand for one product, demand for other products increased, so it was just a matter of shifting focus really.

“The trouble with the pandemic was all the uncertainty it came with, of what was to come, and the constant repositioning. But I’m happy for the hands-on experience it gave me, especially in terms of figuring out what things are really important in life and business, and which businesses, or even models, are more vulnerable and how to best position yourself for any eventuality.”

And Christal has this advice for would-be Caribbean entrepreneurs.

“Your mindset can be the difference between success and failure, so be patient and persistent.”

She adds: “Sign up with your local business support organisation and take short courses if necessary, or take advantage of workshops, even if they look like they don’t apply to you. Never stop learning. There’s always something to learn.

“Be passionate about what you’re doing because that will give you an extra push when you feel like giving up. Plan and write down your goals so that you can measure your progress and success. Be creative and keep moving forward.”

Suriname – located in the north-eastern coast of South America, is one of the fifteen countries that make up CARIFORUM and has been the location for our executive team this week.

Our Executive Director, Deodat Maharaj together with Damie Sinanan, Manager for Competitiveness and Export Promotion held high-level meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business & International Cooperation – Min. Albert Ramchand Ramdin; the Min. of Finance and Planning – Armand Achibersing and the Minister of Economic Affairs, Entrepreneurship and Technological Innovation – Min. Saskia Walden (MBA, CFE) to present the new strategic direction of the Agency and build relations to support private sector development in Suriname.

Caribbean Export, with funding from the European Union has been providing support to Suriname.   Since 2017, some 187 people from Suriname have participated in Caribbean Export activities and over US$147K has been awarded to businesses via our various grant programmes so far.  As we look to build business, transform lives for a stronger Caribbean, investment is a critical requirement to realise our vision.  As such, the facilitation of a Suriname Virtual Investment Summit has been proposed and may well be on the cards soon.

Dr Sinanan also met with several stakeholders on the ground including De Associatie van Surinaamse Fabrikanten (ASFA), Vereniging Surinaams Bedrijfsleven (VSB) and the Suriname Business Development Center in an effort to expand the reach of our interventions with more Surinamese firms in the future.

Caribbean Export continues to work assiduously to strengthen our relationships with key stakeholders and foster new partnerships that can expand our portfolio of services to support private sector development, the transformation of our economies and the creation of jobs for our people.

St Lucian entrepreneur Gidden Augustin always dreamed of starting his own company after growing up on his parents’ farm and seeing his father manage the family business.

Gidden initially considered a career as an architect but was “bitten by the IT bug” after completing his ‘A’ Levels in 1992 and landing his first job at Caribbean conglomerate J.Q. Charles Ltd.

“J.Q. Charles was the second largest enterprise in St Lucia at the time after the government,” Gidden recalls.

“I worked in the fledgling IT department and helped to create and deploy the first Point-of-Sale system while we were computerising our processes and moving over from the old-fashioned cash registers. I had a good boss who inspired me, working with him really got me interested in IT.”

Four years later, Gidden left his job to study Computer Science at the University of West Indies. He graduated with first class honours in 1999 and returned to J.Q. Charles as a Systems Administrator while building up his IT consultancy portfolio.

“I actually drew the logo for my business when I was still employed at J.Q. Charles because I knew that I did not want to spend my whole life being an employee,” Gidden says.

“I was doing consultancy as a side business until 2005 when I went off on my own. I have to say that the first six months were rough, because I did not have an established client base, and I regularly asked myself “what was I thinking?”. But eventually I got more clients through word-of-mouth.”

Gidden slowly built up a reputation for excellence through personal recommendations and officially registered his company, called ‘islandTEK’, in 2011.

Some of islandTEK’s main services include wired and wireless network design; PBX system design; CCTV installation and maintenance; onsite and remote IT support; PC maintenance and repairs; and IT and project management consultancy.

Gidden, and his two part-time employees, aim to supply customers with “high quality, value-added technology solutions that enhance their productivity and competitiveness, and drive strategic business growth.”

He adds: “We provide a service package that is custom-made and tailored to the clients’ specific needs. Part of our ethos is that we do not compete on price but we compete on quality. So, we are not the cheapest but when we offer a solution it’s for life. It’s a permanent solution; not a stop gap.”

Over the years, Gidden has worked with large and small residential and commercial clients, government departments, and international agencies.

One of his proudest achievements to date was serving as a consultant IT manager for the International Cricket Council (ICC) at the 2007 Cricket World Cup and the 2010 World T20 Cup in St Lucia. The St Lucia Ministry of Agriculture, St Lucia Distillers Ltd, and the Saint Lucia Air & Sea Ports Authority are also listed among some of islandTEK’s customers.

Gidden’s long-term goal is to position islandTEK as “the go-to, high-end IT services company in the region”. He also aims to enhance his export capabilities after attending various workshops hosted by the Caribbean Export Development Agency, including the ‘Services Go Global (SGG) programme,’ which empowered him to “rethink my vision for the company and create a draft export plan”.

In 2018, Gidden was selected by Caribbean Export to be part of a three-member delegation from St Lucia to attend the 8th Annual ALES Convention in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. This event created networking opportunities with Latin American countries and opened his eyes to what it would take to become a global player in the ICT and services sector.

Gidden has also been involved in the INTERREG Trade Enhancement for the Eastern Caribbean (TEECA) programme which is facilitated by the Chamber of Commerce in Martinique, the OECS Commission, and Caribbean Export.

He states: “TEECA encourages businesses in the OECS to do more business with companies in the French Caribbean territories and we’re making some good connections with French companies through that programme.”

Despite a recent slowdown in large-scale projects because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gidden is hopeful that several initiatives in the pipeline will get under way in 2022. He says his short-term goal for the new year is to “get back into the black” and hire two more highly-trained employees.

Gidden’s advice to Caribbean business owners, especially during this uncertain time, is “keep the faith” and “don’t give up”.

He adds: “Always go for small wins because that keeps your morale up and don’t take ‘no’ for an answer because eventually someone will say ‘yes’!”

Earlier this week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) revised its forecast for global growth in 2022, projecting a revised figure of 4.4% which is a 0.5% reduction from the estimate it made in October 2021. It is expected that the developing world will be most affected by this contraction.

This news from the IMF comes whilst the coronavirus pandemic continues to take its toll on the global economy and wreak havoc in our region as it enters its third year. Simultaneously, the clock is ticking on action to tackle the climate crisis. The steps we take now will determine how our region will evolve in response to these urgent challenges shaping the global trade landscape.

In short, the world is changing fast and so must we. Given the clear emergence of new powerhouse economies in places like Asia, we need to create new opportunities in these new times, whilst consolidating existing markets.

Since independence, the Caribbean has relied on traditional markets for goods and services, focused largely on the United States (US), European Union (EU) and Canada. According to the International Trade Centre (ITC), the CARIFORUM Caribbean’s (CARICOM and the Dominican Republic) largest export market in 2020 was the US, with an export value of approximately US$10.583 billion, followed by the EU, valued at US$2.8 billion in the same year. We buy more than we sell in these markets, according to ITC data. Consequently, we remain acutely vulnerable to changes in the economies of these major trading partners.

It is evident that Asia is a new global growth pole, with some claiming that this is the Asian century. We have a well-established commercial relationship with China, but there are other big opportunities on the continent. For example, India, like China, belongs to the world’s largest 20 economies or the G20 group. However, our exports to India and a market of over 1.4 billion people amounted to an estimated US$413.4 million in 2020.

Similarly, Indonesia, another G20 country and the world’s fourth largest country in terms of population, with an estimated 270 million people receives a paltry US$23.8 million in exports from CARIFORUM countries, according to the ITC. Both India and Indonesia offer opportunity, as well as the lucrative Japanese market.

Rising Africa offers huge trade potential. Yet, despite historical and cultural ties, in 2020 CARIFORUM countries exported just US$595.4 million to Africa.

However, we cannot only look to non-traditional markets in Asia and Africa. We need to look right next door as well and intensify trade with neighbouring countries in Latin America. In 2020, we exported US$4.6 billion, but imported US$8.9 billion the same year. Latin America represents a good possibility for CARIFORUM exporters, particularly in the services sector, including tourism, given that Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico are also G20 countries.

There are some clear steps required to enter or grow in these new markets. For distant and large markets, we need to accept that branding as individual jurisdictions will produce sub-optimal results. Therefore, our countries need to pool resources and promote “Brand Caribbean” or goods and services that are “Absolutely Caribbean”. Having worked in both Asia and Africa, my experience is that with some exceptions, we are simply not well known as individual jurisdictions in much of Asia and Africa. A “Brand Caribbean” positions us much better.

Governments have a vital role to play in advancing the trade and investment agenda of our region. This includes a stronger focus on economic diplomacy, ensuring missions prioritise trade and investment. To make inroads in these new markets, it is essential for us to pool resources and organise joint diplomatic missions with a focus on trade and investment in these countries. The cost of having separate and individual overseas representation is just too high for most of our countries. The CARICOM decision to establish a CARICOM mission in Kenya is a good example and a step in the right direction.

At the end of the day these steps will not yield the maximum results unless we support the establishment of business-to-business linkages with these new markets. Our business support organisations such as chambers of commerce and exporters association have a valuable role to play connecting with their counterparts in Asia and Latin America. It is about businesspeople connecting with their peers. Finally, we need to ramp up our collection of data to give a more in-depth understanding of the trading opportunities in key and niche sectors.

In summary, 2022 must be the year of action. Doing nothing or more of the same cannot be an option. Our people deserve better, and our emphasis must be to create jobs and opportunities for them.

The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) will finance a marketing consultancy to enhance the competitiveness of Jamaican coffee exporters in the European Union (EU) market.

The initiative was developed following a meeting between Jamaica’s Ambassador to Belgium, H.E. Symone Betton Nayo and Deodat Maharaj, Executive Director of the Caribbean Export.

The first phase of the consultancy will focus on an analysis of the EU coffee market, including market entry requirements and the penetration strategies of other major coffee exporters to the EU. The second phase will focus on developing a targeted marketing strategy for the EU coffee market.

The initiative will address issues raised at a meeting in May 2021 between Jamaican, Belgian and other EU coffee stakeholders about the need for a marketing strategy in the EU. Participants requested that the strategy provides guidance on sustainability, telling the story of the product and ways to appeal to young people, a growing EU consumer base.

The initiative is funded by the European Union under the 11th EDF Regional Private Sector Development programme.

The Jamaica Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade will host a launch event for this initiative on 27 January 2022, from 10 – 11 AM EST. The Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith, Her Excellency, Ambassador Symone Betton-Nayo, Deodat Maharaj and other key partners will participate in the event. The consultant, Windward Commodities will present a proposed review of the EU coffee market.

As we enter the festive season and end 2021 under the long shadow of the pandemic and escalating climate crisis, the Caribbean and its people have demonstrated commendable resilience.

Looking ahead, this resilient spirit will be required more than ever if we are to create growth, generate precious jobs and provide opportunity for our people. This is especially needed considering the pandemic and existential threat we face from climate change are not going away. The issue to confront is whether we continue with the same policy prescriptions and approaches. Quite frankly, business as usual has not served us well and will not work in an equally or even more challenging 2022.

To build a resilient Caribbean, business must play a central and important leadership role in both driving economic recovery and creating climate-friendly growth. In essence, a strong and vibrant private sector is core to help manage and solve the challenges we face, which will in turn create opportunities for our people.

From my standpoint, I am aware that we cannot do everything given the already heavy burden carried by administrations across our Region. However, doing more of the same or nothing at all are not viable options. Therefore, as a Region we must build on the core asset of our capable and resilient people so clearly demonstrated in these testing times to realise three practical goals that will help fast-track recovery and lay the basis for a resilient Caribbean.

1. Regional Capital Market

Caribbean countries are just too small to navigate an increasingly complex and challenging global landscape. Consequently, regional integration cannot be an option for small open economies as we have in our Region to survive in a global architecture where the giants are determining the rules of the game. There is indeed strength in numbers from both geopolitical and economic perspectives. I am also conscious of the need and scale to attract foreign direct investment at a level that can create the jobs and opportunity. Pooling our countries as one investment destination in areas such as AgTech or renewables can help achieve the scale required. Simultaneously, we need to facilitate the flow of capital from within the Region, so Caribbean people can have a stake in an enterprise regardless of location.

In a 2020 survey of around 450 enterprises carried out by the Caribbean Export Development Agency and Caribbean Development Bank, businesses across the Region cited lack of access to finance as their biggest constraint. Yet still at the end of 2021, we do not have a regional capital market allowing the free flow of capital across the Caribbean that can give the average citizen a stake in an enterprise in another jurisdiction. Whereas I recognise that foreign direct investment is vital to attract both technology and capital, there is an equally critical role for finance that is already within the Region. Consequently, we need to unlock capital already available in the Caribbean. Advancing a Regional Capital Market in the coming year will have a transformational impact on unleashing precious indigenous financing for business.

2. Improve the ease of doing business in the Caribbean

Quite simply, business cannot help drive recovery and play a leadership role in creating jobs and opportunity in the current business environment. It is difficult to do business in the Caribbean. Apart from Jamaica and St Lucia, the region is in the bottom half of the 200 countries globally assessed by the World Bank in its 2020 Ease of Doing Business Report. We need to look at areas where we can get quick wins such as registering a business. In Singapore, it takes one day. In Mauritius, it is usually not more than one week. Except for Jamaica, Caribbean jurisdictions lag behind the rest of the world, taking weeks or even months to register and start a business. A simple first step is pulling out all the stops to make it easier for national, regional and indeed international enterprises to register and start a business in our Region.

3. Expand non-tourism related services as the next frontier for Caribbean business

Our economies have been historically connected with the production of commodities. As we sought to move away from traditional products such as sugar and rice, tourism became the mainstay of much of the Caribbean. As subsequent natural disasters such as Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 and COVID-19 have demonstrated, this leaves us vulnerable whenever there is a major shock to the global economy. Therefore, the time is now to capitalise on our rich human capital and transition to non-tourism related services.

For example, there is huge potential to grow or break into markets like business process outsourcing and information and communication technology, which saw a 6 percent increase in exports in the pandemic according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), valued globally at USD 676 billion in 2020. Creative industries also hold great promise to market the talent of our people in areas such as music and the business of carnival. We at the Caribbean Export Development Agency have identified this as a priority over the next three years. To have a lasting impact, the services sector must receive the support it needs in terms of policy, resources and partnerships.

To effect transformation requires vision backed by action. Building a resilient Caribbean and creating jobs and opportunity for our people cannot be achieved overnight given the multiplicity of constraints we face. At the same time, there are areas we need to treat with the highest priority, hence my three wishes for 2022.

The family business is one of the pillars of the national economy, especially when it is based on strong values and attached to best business practices. Proagro Dominicana is a worthy example of this maxim. It is an industry dedicated mainly to the production of fortified dairy powder products that has successfully managed to overcome the challenges of breaking into a segment of the Dominican market.

In 2005, José Luciano, a Dominican technician who had built up extensive experience working in the agricultural section of important companies, at the time of his retirement, decided to start off a business and, together with his wife Indhira Santana, founded Proagro Dominicana with the aim of marketing domestic agricultural products.

As a production strategy, Proagro has evolved since its inception. Its catalogue of products includes raw materials such as bitter cocoa powder and sugar, aimed at the pastry industry, while strengthening the maquiladora system or the product development system for major national supermarket chains, for whom milk powder, sweet and bitter cocoa, oats, sugar, among others are packaged.

Export, the great dream

Since 2017, Proagro Dominicana has set its eyes on the international market, after participating in a workshop sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and Production of Santo Domingo, aimed at entrepreneurs having interesting exportable offers to place in international markets.

By the end of that year and early 2018, Proagro was initiating its export strategy in markets as distant as Russia and the United States, or as close as Puerto Rico.

Dominican cocoa, a bargaining chip

The products made with Dominican cocoa are highly recognized worldwide because they maintain characteristics called “fine flavour cocoa”, a quality that is used by Proagro to break into international markets under its brand name, La Criollita. Proagro uses the Hispaniola variety, a cocoa fermented under a Dominican technique that enhances the taste and flavour, and reduces the acidity, making it a “fine flavour cocoa”.

“The experience we have had in Russia, which is a fairly demanding market, as well as in Miami and the Bronx in the United States, is that the public attaches importance to the taste and flavour of this product, generating an immediate sale,” explained Indhira Santana, general manager of Proagro Dominicana.

“We work together with the National Confederation of Dominican Cocoa Producers (CONACADO), one of the largest associations in the country, which has a membership of more than 40 thousand small cocoa producers and has a very important social impact, since they, together with Rizek and Roig, are the largest local cocoa exporters. Twenty percent (20%) of their production remains in the country, and producers like us make a difference,” said Santana.

“Caribbean Export came to our aid at the most opportune time”

Proagro Dominicana is part of the group of ten companies selected by Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) under the Haiti-Dominican Republic Binational Cooperation Programme, funded through the 11^th European Development Fund, which provides for a Binational Value Chain Strategy for the cocoa sector with the aim of maximizing the export potential of both nations.

The support of the European Union (EU) has been a key part of Proagro’s opening up to the international market. “This support comes to us at a time when we were not exporting, because we made the last export in 2019 and after the pandemic we stopped exports,” explained Indira Santana.

As Santana stated, Caribbean Export helped to identify which competencies were necessary for Proagro to be able to export successfully. “The Agency provided us with technical assistance to update our business plan and to be able to establish how Proagro’s conditions were from a financial perspective. They financed a consultant who carried out a feasibility study and a financial performance analysis to prepare us for the export market”.

According to Proagro’s general manager, the feasibility study funded by Caribbean Export became the springboard for the company to launch itself and have the right vision of what needed to be done. “A strategic work plan for export was created and concrete targets were set to achieve, with the result that exports made up 8% of the company’s sales budget.”

Taking advantage of all opportunities

Laura Marrero, international trade fair coordinator at Proagro, explained that “the experience of exporting to Miami and New York in 2017 and 2018 showed us how our products, especially La Criollita, were accepted by the Hispanic consumer, as well as the American consumers who were aware of organic products from the Caribbean”.

In 2021, trade fairs were started in a face-to-face manner. The first fair in which they participated was “Dominican Taste Festival 2021”, held in New York from July 24 to 25, organized by ProDominicana and the Dominican Embassy in the United States. Proagro received financial support from Caribbean Export to participate in the fair.

As a result of this fair, Proagro will export to the United States the first shipment of some ten pallets, and another container of 20 pallets is planned for December 2021. “We are doing fine now. The brand will not be by itself, but will be accompanied by a marketing strategy and the experience that we have garnered from the mistakes we made before.”

Dominican pride and enthusiasm at the Russian fair

With the strategic and financial support of Caribbean Export, Proagro participated in WorldFood Moscow, held in Russia from September 20 to 23, 2021. This fair became an area of great potential for the export of Dominican products, especially cocoa by-products.

As a result of its participation in WorldFood Moscow, Proagro reactivated its business contacts, which had started in 2019. “During the Moscow fair, there were many opportunities for starting business negotiations. We made contacts with representatives in Russia of other Dominican companies, and we have already sent them a proposal. We are currently in the closing phase of the process for arranging the first shipments we will make to Russia,” added Indhira Santana. 

Confident in the future

Proagro is currently working on establishing distribution strategies in the United States. Exports are estimated to increase and continue growing for the next year. “The sales projection we have is that from 2022 we ship a container of our products every month.” A container is equal to 20 pallets, about 1,400 boxes, which would be 22 tons of consolidated products.

As a result of the assistance from Caribbean Export, Proagro Dominicana is preparing to set up a Proagro subsidiary in Miami or New York and one in Russia. “That is our goal for the near future, which will allow us to make our products 30% cheaper to the overseas consumer, and give us control over the distribution chain of our goods in those countries,” stated Indhira Santana.

In the community of Las Lajas, in the municipality of Altamira, Puerto Plata, five women, at the time belonging to the now defunct Ana Idalia Navarro Mothers’ Club, agreed to seek ways of generating income without having to be employed. Silvia García, Benita Canela, Milagros Marte, France Altagracia Capellán and Ana Cecilia García, decided in 1990 to sell handcrafted chocolate.

They would go from house to house to offer their cocoa balls. The profits were about 500 pesos per month (equivalent to about 38 dollars at the time), on average 100 pesos for each, an income that helped sustain their homes, and, most importantly for the women, they were able to devote time to raising their children.

After their efforts they managed to form an association, which they called Ana Idalia (Lala) Navarro, in honor of the leader and member of the former Club, through which they could generate employment and contribute to the development of the community. Prior to the first year, it received aid of 500 thousand pesos (about 3,750 dollars at the time) from the Spanish organization for development cooperation, Intermon, an affiliated of the Oxfam confederation. With this contribution they bought the land where their facilities are currently operating, and machinery: a mill to grind cocoa, a crusher and a stainless steel table. The product formerly called Ana Idalia Chocolate became Chocolala.

This economic boost strengthened production capacities and expanded the range of distribution of the cocoa balls. In addition, two other products, derived from maize (corn), were incorporated: The classic gofio (a snack made from toasted corn and ground with sugar) and gofio with cinnamon, which would later reach the gondola displays of the supermarkets of the Centro Cuesta Nacional, CCN, one of the most important commercial chains in the country.

By 2013, the number of women in the company had increased from five to 12, and its natural product portfolio totaled seven, thanks to the consultancy of the Institute of Innovation in Biotechnology and Industry, IIBI, and the economic and technical support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). In that year, Chocolala had access to a “soft” loan through a business support programme, which allowed it to expand its machinery inventory as well as its productive capacity.

“Before Chocolala, the only option we had was to work in family homes, doing domestic work in Santiago and Puerto Plata, away from our children. Now we work here, we take money home without being away,” says Nelfi García, the general manager.

Quality standards for export

One of the characteristics of Chocolala products is the care with which the raw material is chosen and the high levels of food safety. The cocoa variety used is the Hispaniola variety. It is less acidic than the Sanchez variety, and it produces a seed with a fruity flavor.

Chocolala is part of a group of five Dominican companies, selected by Caribbean Export in the Haiti-Dominican Republic binational cocoa/chocolate value chain project, funded by the European Union, EU, through the 11th European Development Fund.

Cooperation with the EU has enabled Chocolala to obtain a vertical powder packing machine, improving the efficiency of the packing process and measurements, and it has also enabled access to technical assistance for the process of obtaining export records, ultimately improving competitiveness.

Invaluable contribution

With the vertical powder packing machine, the products have been able to reach the retail sector (grocery stores or rum shops), as it has a dosing screw conveyor, with programmable pre-cutting and a packing capacity of 40 bags per minute. In spite of that, the General Manager emphasizes training in administrative procedures and levels of efficiency in the production value chain. This donation has also enabled the company to respond to its growing demand, and thus to hire more permanent employees, which to date total 20 (16 women and 4 men).

Women with leadership skills

In Chocolala, producing chocolate and other items derived from cocoa and maize is not only an opportunity for work, but an expression of inclusion and pay equity exercise. “Sometimes, when we have large orders, the spouses come and help us. They become a part of our work, in order to be able to complete it”, assures Nelfi, who notes that this attitude demonstrates the important role within the family of the work that women do.

They also created the Ecological Trail, a space to promote tourism, where visitors come into contact with the cocoa plantations and the natural attractions of the area. This undertaking has also created new sources of work.

Benefits that impact everyone

A fund has been created with part of the resources produced by the routes of the Ecological Trail, from which loans with very low interest rates are provided to the collaborators, if they have special needs.

On the other hand, a part of the company’s profits is earmarked for the Association to buy essential goods, so that the members may obtain them at wholesale price.

In addition to helping the members, the Association provides assistance to vulnerable communities. Many have had their houses repaired or have been given assistance to alleviate deficiencies typical of their condition.

The next frontier: The international market

The initiative of those five women who dreamed of a livelihood within their community 30 years ago is now a consolidated company that has drawn more than an exclamation of surprise from the unbelievers who only saw illusions during the years of hard work. These aspirations today are the building blocks in which an average of 24 quintals (2.4 tons) of cocoa are processed weekly for the production of products, the raw material being brought from community producers. Previously, they did not exceed more than two quintals per week.

The women of Chocolala have responded with creativity and with the right attitude to the lack of opportunities in a rural community in which traditionally the woman has only had two options: being a housewife or going to work in Santiago or Puerto Plata. Now, with the support and technical consultancy of Caribbean Export and allies such as the European Union, Chocolala has a firm eye on the export trade.

Transforming a brand into a household name is not easy.

You need a product that is almost universally liked; a track record of innovation and reliability; a reputation for excellence; and a deep connection with your customers which earns their loyalty and trust.

In Suriname, there is one brand that has ticked all of these boxes and more – Wippy peanut butter.

Produced by the Willemsberg family since 1980, Wippy was the brainchild of Clifton Willemsberg, whose father Leonel originally started a business in 1961 to trade in various food items including white sugar and shelled peanuts.

When some items became less profitable the company needed to diversify. Clifton suggested manufacturing peanut butter because they had been working with local peanut butter producers for years, and also already had easy access to a high quality raw material.

The name Wippy was chosen and an eye-catching green parrot named ‘Willy’ (derived from Willemsberg) was conceived as a mascot to boost marketing and promotion.

Wippy peanut butter soon won the hearts of the Surinamese people and is currently sold in over 1,500 shops and supermarkets across the country.

Now, more than four decades since the first jar rolled off the production line, the company is managed by Leonel’s daughter Susan Tjong A Hung-Willemsberg and her niece Genevieve Radjiman-Willemsberg (Clifton’s daughter) who is getting ready to run the business.

Susan believes Wippy has remained popular over the years mainly because it has stayed true to its main objective which is to produce top quality peanut butter with natural ingredients.

We don’t have just one but many unique selling points, Genevieve adds.

We have a minimum of 95% and a maximum of 97% of roasted peanuts in our products. We have no cholesterol or trans fats. The product is packaged in glass jars which keeps it fresh and tasty and guarantees a longer shelf life. We also have a spicy version and our diet line is vegan friendly.

Product innovation has undoubtedly helped to keep Wippy ahead of its competitors. There are now six types of Wippy peanut butter on the market including classic, crunchy, and hot. The sugar-free version, which is sweetened with all-natural stevia rather than sugar, was introduced mainly because Susan is diabetic.

Wippy has also been successfully exported to French Guinea, Barbados, and the Netherlands. Susan says the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) was particularly instrumental in helping Willemsberg get into the European market (although exports to the Netherlands are currently on hold).

She states: When we wanted to get into the Netherlands, Caribbean Export’s consultants helped us with marketing, training with labelling, research for potential distributors, and trademark registration.

Susan and Genevieve also recently met with a distributor based in Guyana and they have some advice for Caribbean businesses who are trying to export.

Susan suggests: If the company is ready for export, they should take the time to look for a reliable and capable distributor.

Do your homework with regards to the new market. Know your consumers, focus points, their preferences, and which marketing strategies you should use. When you have all this information than you are more than 50% on your way to success.

Genevieve adds: We all want to make more sales for our company. But it is equally important to make these sales with the correct match. Producer/distributor relationships aren’t any different from other relationships. It’s all about teamwork. The producer delivers quality goods and the distributor promotes and sells these goods accordingly.

Maintaining production capacity to fulfil local and export demands is one of Willemsberg’s major challenges, and this was recently made worse during the COVID-19 pandemic when 13 out of 30 staff testing positive for the virus, causing a shutdown of the production facility for five weeks.

The closure led to a total loss of almost $93,000 (USD) in 2021 and $52,000 (USD) of that was from a decrease in sales. The rest of the loss consists of operating costs, employee costs, and rent, Genevieve explains.

She adds: At the moment, 71% of our employees have been vaccinated, but 29% are still not cooperating. It is a big challenge to get the remaining group on board. Conspiracy theories and religion play a huge role in their decision making. It is also a challenge to recruit new employees who are vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the Willemsbergs remain focused on sustaining Wippy peanut butter’s position as one of the leaders in its market. Their short term goals include improving factory productivity; increasing exports; continuing market research to better know their consumers and competitors; and developing a new product.

In the next three to five years, they are also aiming to build a new production facility, and are already scouting for a new location. They also want to buy new machinery after previous Caribbean Export grants went towards two new machines – a shrink tunnel that wraps bottles into trays and a double head filling machine.

Susan is also preparing to handover complete control of the business to Genevieve by the start of 2022. When asked how she feels about stepping aside, Susan states: I am sure that Genevieve will do her utmost. I’m going to train her on as much as I can and then she will do the rest.

Genevieve reveals that Susan has already set her a lot of homework before the final date arrives and says she knows that there is a lot of work ahead.

She adds: Susan has about 45 years of experience and you cannot buy that in any store. You have to have patience and stay open to all the guidance and training that she can give.

I am optimistic because it’s a family business and we need to continue the family legacy.

Fresh turmeric paste from Belize will soon be available on shop shelves in Europe after Caribbean company Naledo signed a deal with Swiss-based distributor Sparkling Revolutions SA.

Naledo’s award-winning wildcrafted, whole root turmeric paste called ‘Truly Turmeric’ will now be seen in natural health food stores and other outlets throughout Switzerland, Germany, and France.

The partnership between Naledo and Sparkling Revolutions took three years to develop. The companies connected in October 2018 at SIAL – the world’s largest food innovation exhibition – which Naledo was able to attend because of support from the Caribbean Export Development Agency and the European Union.

At SIAL, Naledo was shortlisted for the coveted product innovation award and Chief Operating Officer, Nareena Switlo, says the event led to several new business contacts including Sebastian Möbius at Sparkling Revolutions.
Nareena recalls: “SIAL is the largest event we’ve been to so far. Our booth was beautifully set up and Caribbean Export made it easy to participate. It peaked peoples’ interest and confirmed that consumers in the European market would enjoy our product.

“Sebastian reached out to me in November 2018. We started chatting on email about our products and business relationships and he was really interested in us. But then COVID hit and everything was put on pause.

“In 2020, when we won the ‘New Product of the Year’ award at Food Matters Live in the UK, we sent out a newsletter to our subscribers and customers. Sebastian reached out again to say that he was still interested, and he had some clients who wanted the product, and last week we got our first official purchase order.”

The first pallet heading to Europe will contain 1,500 bottles of Naledo’s flagship ‘Truly Turmeric’ paste in two flavours – original and black pepper. The producer has also developed a smaller 125g bottle specifically for the European market.

The company is hoping to capitalise on the current worldwide interest in healthy eating. Research shows that the global natural food and drinks market was valued at $79.1 million (US) in 2016 and is estimated to reach $191.9 million (US) by 2023 – a compound annual growth rate of 17.6%.

Turmeric itself has also become increasingly popular because of its numerous proven health benefits. It positively impacts heart disease and high blood pressure and is also a strong anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antioxidant.

‘Truly Turmeric’ uses the fresh whole root of the spice to ensure its natural compounds remain potent and intact. The ingredients list for the original flavour are whole root turmeric, cold pressed coconut oil, fresh lime juice, and sea salt. Black pepper cultivated in Belizean forests is added to the black pepper variety.

Nareena says: “I do think that with recent events in the world, people are becoming more aware of what they put into their body, especially in terms of healthy food.

“I also think that people in Europe are expanding their taste buds and a lot of people from different countries have moved there so the diverse food market is growing. It’s a prime time for us to jump in and be the leader in turmeric in the EU.”

Nareena also believes the company’s unique origin story, its promise to treat suppliers fairly, and its commitment to sustainable environmental practices, will be important to consumers in Europe.

Naledo was founded in 2016 by Nareena’s mother Umeeda as a social enterprise. The company focuses on youth entrepreneurship and regenerative agriculture and is a certified B Corporation which means it “balances purpose and profit”.

The small business employs eight young people to manage its factory and works directly with 300 small-scale growers in Toledo, Belize. It also pays its farmers 6 times the fair trade price for tumeric.

“I think there are certain things that we lead on which nobody else can replicate,” Nareena states.

“We do have some ‘contacts turned competitors’ but the quality of their product is not the same as ours and they don’t have our story. What differentiates our product is that we are still the best on flavour and they cannot replicate the way that we monitor and evaluate our environmental impact.”

Nareena also believes that their new distribution partner, Sparkling Revolutions, appreciates the history of Naledo and the company’s mission to invest in education, health care, and improved nutrition for the families and communities that it works with in Belize.

“Sebastian really understands the beauty of the product from the branding side and the story,” Nareena says.

“If you have a unique product, it’s not going to be for everyone, and that’s OK. You have to know who believes in it as much as you do. He really believes in us and that he can sell the product which is a good start to a business relationship.”

She adds: “We all know that the EU is one of the largest markets in the world and we’re hoping that this one pallet will lead to full container loads. In the next year we want our paste to be sold all across Europe.

“The price seems right so we just have to see what the consumer thinks of it.”