Assisting the Mariveni Emerging Farmer Project to become EurepGap compliant

Both Mabunda and Mariveni Co-operatives at Letsitele have qualified for EurepGAP and Tesco Nature's Choice certification, which enables them to market their fruit in the UK and the EU. The vastly improved number of export cartons means the employees, their families and the community as a whole benefit financially.'

Supplying European supermarkets is not only about producing high-quality fruit but also being able to demonstrate that the production process followed on-farm complies with the food safety, environmental and social standards set by the receiving supermarket. Achieving and demonstrating that these standards are being met is a costly exercise for developing country farmers – but without this investment they have no choice but to sell their product locally. To help Southern African farmers access export markets, Com- Mark provides Letsitele with technical assistance to raise the standards of food safety management.