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La joven diseñadora de moda y empresaria caribeña Christal Oliver se describe a sí misma como “creativa, trabajadora e ingeniosa”.

También podría agregar “resistente” a esa lista después de lograr mantener su pequeño negocio de accesorios en funcionamiento durante los últimos 12 años a pesar de las graves interrupciones causadas por tormentas tropicales, una pandemia mundial y la erupción del volcán La Soufriere en su isla natal de St. Vicente.

Christal y su pequeña empresa han sido comprensiblemente sacudidas por estos eventos recientes y admite que actualmente es “una lucha” para seguir adelante mientras todo sigue siendo tan incierto.

También está lidiando con un cambio importante en su vida personal después de convertirse en madre primeriza en octubre de 2020 de un bebé llamado Zephan.

“Tengo 16 meses de maternidad (después del parto)”, dice Christal. “Entonces, eso ha sido un reajuste importante para mí personalmente.

“Hubo momentos en los que cuestioné mucho el camino a seguir. ¿Qué hago con el negocio? ¿Trabajo solo o sigo como está? ¿Cambio los productos? ¿Considero el diseño y el comercio, en lugar de diseñar, producir y vender?

“Entonces, solo estoy tratando de reestructurar, y básicamente comenzar de nuevo, o incluso cambiar la marca, pero incluso eso ha sido difícil. El futuro es mucho más incierto en estos días”.

Como propietaria de un negocio incipiente, Christal obviamente ha enfrentado muchas incertidumbres antes. De hecho, a pesar de que comenzó en el camino del emprendimiento desde temprana edad, en realidad estaba considerando convertirse en pediatra o chef.

“El espíritu empresarial nunca estuvo en mi mente”, explica Christal. “Pero, desde que era joven, siempre he estado haciendo o vendiendo algo, o cosiendo a mano algún proyecto artesanal al azar.

“Luego, a fines de 2009, estaba trabajando como técnica de laboratorio en mi alma mater (la escuela secundaria para niñas St. Vincent). Durante el tiempo de inactividad, debido a que no pude encontrar bolsas en Kingstown que coincidieran con mis necesidades y gustos, decidí comprar todo el material y hacer una bolsa yo mismo. El producto terminado recibió muchos elogios y me hizo pensar. Hice una pequeña inversión en una máquina de coser doméstica Singer, y eso fue lo que me llevó a encontrar la manera de convertir mi pasión en ingresos y oportunidades”.

Christal había encontrado su vocación y dice que nunca vio el diseño o la costura como “trabajo”, pero inicialmente solo vendía sus creaciones a amigos y familiares.

“El comienzo del negocio no fue grandioso en absoluto”, recuerda. “Simplemente experimenté con telas y diseños y practiqué. Desarmaría las bolsas existentes para resolver las cosas. También leí e investigué mucho y vendí la mayoría de los productos finales a personas cercanas a mí.

“¡Incluso me costó mucho encontrar un nombre!”.

Olive Art Designs (OAD) fue el que finalmente eligió; utilizando su propio apellido como inspiración. Al principio, OAD era un proyecto de pasión lenta, pero después de 2017, cuando Christal decidió comprometerse con el negocio a tiempo completo, creció constantemente hasta convertirse en una marca distintivamente vicenciana con una reputación de diseño superior, atención al detalle y excepcional. calidad.

La influencia de Christal en su isla como aspirante a emprendedora también avanzó a lo largo de los años, y se afianzó aún más en 2019 cuando ganó la iniciativa inaugural Invest SVG ‘Pitch it Vincy’ , con la ayuda de la Agencia de Desarrollo de Exportaciones del Caribe, que la ayudó a través de talleres. .

Christal describe esa experiencia como “uno de los logros de los que más se enorgullece” en su vida hasta el momento. Ella agrega: “Este viaje no ha sido fácil, pero ha sido muy divertido. He aprendido muchas lecciones y hay algunas que todavía estoy aprendiendo”.

En este momento, Christal continúa acomodándose en su papel de mamá primeriza y se mantiene al día con su otra ocupación como copresentadora de radio matutina en ‘Wake Up Call’ en Xtreme 104.3FM.

Christal dice que le encanta ser una personalidad de la radio porque es un “trabajo realmente divertido pero desafiante”.

Ella afirma: “Aunque el turno es de solo cuatro horas, se habla mucho. Estar en la radio me da la oportunidad de expresar mis puntos de vista, entender mejor a nuestra gente y tener un impacto positivo. Es un trabajo realmente emocionante que se suma a mi crecimiento personal y profesional.”

En términos de Olive Art Designs, Christal tiene la esperanza de que al reposicionar el negocio y utilizar nuevas vías de mercadeo y exposición, así como de ingresos, podrá mantener la marca fresca y emocionante para ella y sus clientes.

Actualmente, Christal emplea a una persona “solo para necesidades”, pero tiene planes para expandirse y mejorar la productividad y aumentar las exportaciones regionales. Se dedicó a producir máscaras faciales debido a la pandemia de COVID-19 y dice que esa transición le enseñó la importancia de mantener una mente abierta.

Christal agrega: “No fue del todo malo porque hubo una demanda reducida de un producto, la demanda de otros productos aumentó, por lo que en realidad solo era cuestión de cambiar el enfoque.

“Lo malo de la pandemia fue toda la incertidumbre que vino, de lo que estaba por venir, y el reposicionamiento constante. Pero estoy feliz por la experiencia práctica que me brindó, especialmente en términos de descubrir qué cosas son realmente importantes en la vida y los negocios, y qué negocios, o incluso modelos, son más vulnerables y cómo posicionarse mejor para cualquier eventualidad.”

Y Christal tiene este consejo para los posibles empresarios caribeños.

“Tu forma de pensar puede ser la diferencia entre el éxito y el fracaso, así que sé paciente y persistente”.

Ella agrega: “Regístrese en su organización local de apoyo empresarial y tome cursos cortos si es necesario, o aproveche los talleres, incluso si parece que no se aplican a usted. Nunca dejes de aprender. Siempre hay algo que aprender.

“Sé apasionado por lo que estás haciendo porque eso te dará un empujón extra cuando tengas ganas de rendirte. Planifica y escribe tus metas para que puedas medir tu progreso y éxito. Sé creativo y sigue avanzando”.

Surinam, ubicado en la costa nororiental de América del Sur, es uno de los quince países que componen CARIFORUM y ha sido la sede de nuestro equipo ejecutivo esta semana.

Nuestro Director Ejecutivo, Deodat Maharaj, junto con Damie Sinanan, Gerente de Competitividad y Promoción de Exportaciones, sostuvieron reuniones de alto nivel con el Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores, Negocios Internacionales y Cooperación Internacional, Min. Albert Ramchand Ramdin; ellos en. de Finanzas y Planificación – Armand Achibersing y el Ministro de Asuntos Económicos, Emprendimiento e Innovación Tecnológica – Min. Saskia Walden (MBA, CFE) para presentar la nueva dirección estratégica de la Agencia y construir relaciones para apoyar el desarrollo del sector privado en Surinam.

Caribbean Export, con financiamiento de la Unión Europea ha estado brindando apoyo a Surinam. Desde 2017, unas 187 personas de Surinam han participado en las actividades de Caribbean Export y, hasta el momento, se han otorgado más de US$147 000 a empresas a través de nuestros diversos programas de subvenciones. Mientras buscamos construir negocios, transformar vidas para un Caribe más fuerte, la inversión es un requisito fundamental para hacer realidad nuestra visión. Como tal, se ha propuesto la facilitación de una Cumbre de Inversión Virtual de Surinam y bien podría estar en las cartas pronto.

El Dr. Sinanan también se reunió con varias partes interesadas sobre el terreno, incluidas De Associatie van Surinaamse Fabrikanten (ASFA), Vereniging Surinaams Bedrijfsleven (VSB) y el Centro de Desarrollo Empresarial de Surinam en un esfuerzo por ampliar el alcance de nuestras intervenciones con más empresas surinamesas en el futuro.

Caribbean Export continúa trabajando asiduamente para fortalecer nuestras relaciones con las partes interesadas clave y fomentar nuevas alianzas que puedan expandir nuestra cartera de servicios para apoyar el desarrollo del sector privado, la transformación de nuestras economías y la creación de empleos para nuestra gente.

El empresario de Santa Lucía, Gidden Augustin, siempre soñó con iniciar su propia empresa después de crecer en la granja de sus padres y ver a su padre administrar el negocio familiar.

Gidden inicialmente consideró una carrera como arquitecto, pero “le picó el gusanillo de la TI” después de completar sus niveles ‘A’ en 1992 y conseguir su primer trabajo en el conglomerado caribeño JQ Charles Ltd.

“JQ Charles era la segunda empresa más grande de Santa Lucía en ese momento después del gobierno”, recuerda Gidden.

“Trabajé en el incipiente departamento de TI y ayudé a crear e implementar el primer sistema de punto de venta mientras informatizábamos nuestros procesos y nos movíamos de las antiguas cajas registradoras. Tuve un buen jefe que me inspiró, trabajar con él realmente hizo que me interesara en TI”.

Cuatro años más tarde, Gidden dejó su trabajo para estudiar Ciencias de la Computación en la Universidad de West Indies. Se graduó con honores de primera clase en 1999 y regresó a JQ Charles como administrador de sistemas mientras desarrollaba su cartera de consultoría de TI.

“De hecho, dibujé el logotipo de mi negocio cuando todavía trabajaba en JQ Charles porque sabía que no quería pasar toda mi vida como empleado”, dice Gidden.

“Estuve haciendo consultoría como un negocio paralelo hasta 2005 cuando me fui por mi cuenta. Debo decir que los primeros seis meses fueron duros, porque no tenía una base de clientes establecida y regularmente me preguntaba “¿en qué estaba pensando?”. Pero eventualmente obtuve más clientes a través del boca a boca”.

Gidden construyó lentamente una reputación de excelencia a través de recomendaciones personales y registró oficialmente su empresa, llamada ‘ islandTEK ‘, en 2011.

Algunos de los principales servicios de islandTEK incluyen el diseño de redes alámbricas e inalámbricas; diseño de sistema PBX; instalación y mantenimiento de CCTV; soporte de TI in situ y remoto; Mantenimiento y reparación de PC; y consultoría en TI y gestión de proyectos.

Gidden y sus dos empleados a tiempo parcial tienen como objetivo proporcionar a los clientes “soluciones tecnológicas de valor agregado y alta calidad que mejoren su productividad y competitividad e impulsen el crecimiento comercial estratégico”.

Agrega: “Proporcionamos un paquete de servicios hecho a la medida y adaptado a las necesidades específicas de los clientes. Parte de nuestro espíritu es que no competimos en precio sino en calidad. Entonces, no somos los más baratos pero cuando ofrecemos una solución es para toda la vida. Es una solución permanente; no es una brecha de parada “.

A lo largo de los años, Gidden ha trabajado con clientes residenciales y comerciales grandes y pequeños, departamentos gubernamentales y agencias internacionales.

Uno de los logros de los que más se enorgullece hasta la fecha fue su desempeño como gerente de TI consultor para el Consejo Internacional de Críquet (ICC) en la Copa Mundial de Críquet de 2007 y la Copa Mundial T20 de 2010 en Santa Lucía. El Ministerio de Agricultura de Santa Lucía, St Lucia Distillers Ltd y la Autoridad de Puertos Marítimos y Aéreos de Santa Lucía también figuran entre algunos de los clientes de islandTEK.

El objetivo a largo plazo de Gidden es posicionar a islandTEK como “la empresa de servicios de TI de gama alta de referencia en la región”. También tiene como objetivo mejorar sus capacidades de exportación después de asistir a varios talleres organizados por la Agencia de Desarrollo de Exportaciones del Caribe, incluido el programa ‘Services Go Global (SGG) ‘, que lo empoderó para “repensar mi visión de la empresa y crear un borrador del plan de exportación”. .

En 2018, Caribbean Export seleccionó a Gidden para formar parte de una delegación de tres miembros de Santa Lucía para asistir a la 8.ª Convención Anual de ALES en Santo Domingo, República Dominicana. Este evento creó oportunidades para establecer contactos con países latinoamericanos y le abrió los ojos a lo que se necesitaría para convertirse en un actor global en el sector de las TIC y los servicios.

Gidden también ha estado involucrado en el programa INTERREG Trade Enhancement for the Eastern Caribbean (TEECA), que es facilitado por la Cámara de Comercio de Martinica, la Comisión de la OECO y Caribbean Export.

Afirma: “TEECA alienta a las empresas en la OECO a hacer más negocios con empresas en los territorios del Caribe francés y estamos haciendo buenas conexiones con empresas francesas a través de ese programa”.

A pesar de una reciente desaceleración en proyectos a gran escala debido a la pandemia de COVID-19, Gidden tiene la esperanza de que varias iniciativas en trámite se pongan en marcha en 2022. Él dice que su objetivo a corto plazo para el nuevo año es “volver a la normalidad” y contratar a dos empleados más altamente capacitados.

El consejo de Gidden para los empresarios del Caribe, especialmente durante este tiempo incierto, es “mantener la fe” y “no darse por vencidos”.

Y agrega: “Siempre busque pequeñas victorias porque eso mantiene su moral alta y no acepte un ‘no’ como respuesta porque eventualmente alguien dirá ‘sí'”.

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 Caribbeanâ€. 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.”