Sector Dialogues

The BioInnovation Africa project facilitates meetings and roundtables, bringing together different actors of a particular value chain or sector to identify sectorial challenges, highlight common goals and develop commonly agreed good practices and working plans. As a neutral actor, the project ensures the equality of all stakeholders and emphasises the important role of each value chain actor, from traditional knowledge holders and local collectors to the large European companies.

ABioSA actively supported the development of species-specific development plans, called sector development plans (SDP), for Aloe ferox, honeybush, buchu, marula, baobab and essential oils, including Lippia javanica, Cape chamomile and Helichrysum. The sector development plans were prepared through an intensive and participatory consultation process with all relevant individuals and organisations with an interest or involvement in the South(ern) African biotrade sector and the respective sub-sectors. The completed plans create an enabling environment for small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) to grow, and for the sustainable development of the sector. The plans include detailed analyses with insight into the current status, challenges and opportunities, and on how the sector is organized. They contain a vision and a mission that set the strategic  direction of the sector, as well as objectives divided into work packages. Each plan includes a financing and funding strategy, as well as a monitoring and evaluation framework.

In the second phase, ABioSA will be implementing the SDP for the Buchu, Baobab, Honeybush, Marula, essential oils and Sceletium tortuosum biotrade value chains. The SDPs implementation will focus on a sector level/industry wide priority area that will enable ABS compliant SMEs to access new international markets for key biotrade products.