Eléphant Vert, the newly appointed exclusive distributors of Aflasafe BF01, effortlessly lives up to its name
It’s a company whose green elephant logo speaks for itself. Eléphant Vert goes large and green on natural solutions. And so, naturally, our all-natural environmentally friendly Aflasafe slides seamlessly into their portfolio of green products, taking like a duck to water. In their own words (see Eléphant Vert home page), innovation is central to what they do, they seek solutions that meet farmer needs through tailor-made services, and – most importantly – focus on effective all-natural products. A fitting home indeed, and Aflasafe could not be in better hands in Burkina Faso.
But Eléphant Vert will not be in this ‘marriage’ alone. IITA’s Aflasafe Technology Transfer and Commercialisation initiative (ATTC) will be at hand to support Eléphant Vert’s marketing efforts, as Aflasafe BF01 goes commercial in Burkina Faso. And in fact, ATTC and Eléphant Vert are already working hand-in-hand: Eléphant Vert was actively involved in crafting and designing freshly minted print products for training that will be part and parcel of the joint Eléphant Vert–ATTC awareness campaigns on aflatoxin and Aflasafe starting in Quarter 3 and continuing for the rest of the year. These initial print products will thereafter be adapted for marketing, and also be enriched with appropriate posters and supplementary audiovisual marketing material, of which ATTC has provided early versions of, designed to meet advocacy and instructional purposes. Like the print products, these audiovisual materials will be adapted and sharpened by Eléphant Vert to more explicitly meet and match their marketing needs and purposes. Key communication products will also be translated into local languages to ensure effective and accurate communication, and to broaden message reach so that no pockets of the target communities are left behind.
The campaign will not be words alone but also action: Eléphant Vert has procured sufficient quantities of Aflasafe to also conduct demonstrations in a show-and-tell approach to marketing, alongside testing and growing the market. For the demonstrations, participating farmers and sites will be carefully selected to target appropriate intervention points and individuals along the crop value chains to assure the greatest effect and reach. The campaign is also structured and not ad hoc, as it is part and parcel of Eléphant Vert’s medium-term business plan for Burkina Faso.
As with the campaign and demonstrations, ATTC and Eléphant Vert will work together on training on aflatoxin management and Aflasafe application, which will include testing for aflatoxin. ATTC will provide technical support and materials for the training and testing. These are not disparate and disconnected activities. Rather, the campaign, training, and especially the demonstrations all dovetail into the marketing plan. Product performance and effectiveness in real-life situations will be demonstrated to the various agribusiness clusters led by agri-processors and aggregators. The results from the thoughtfully structured 2018 demonstrations will fortify the marketing plan from 2019 onwards.
And as the year 2018 progresses, more partners will be coming on board in what will be a multi-stakeholder awareness drive on aflatoxin and its management, spearheaded by Eléphant Vert and ATTC. Among the partners we anticipate to work with – and with whom we’re in advanced discussions – is the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), thus tapping into their large network and multi-pronged efforts along the crop value chain in Burkina Faso. Discussions have already been initiated and are at an advanced stage: importantly, Aflasafe is now included in AGRA’s package of technology interventions. Other partners in training and awareness include Direction Générale des Productions Végétales, FASO Agriculture Intrants (FAGRI Sarl), Ets Tangongossé Wambatié (ETW), Federation des Professionnels Agricoles du Burkina Faso (FEPAB), AGROSERV Industrie and ADS Burkina Faso .
The structured multi-agency awareness drive includes a media plan, since the media have an unparalleled reach for mass communication. In cognisance of this, ATTC and Eléphant Vert organised a dedicated media orientation session a day before the launch which was well attended by a broad spectrum of the mass media.
Clearly, Burkina Faso has mammoth plans on awareness creation and marketing, for which we have no doubt that Eléphant Vert is more than equal to the task!
LINKS
- Launching Aflasafe BF01 in Burkina Faso
- Training and user guides on how to use Aflasafe BF01 – Text leaflet | Pictorial pamphlet
- Downloadable Q&As on Aflasafe and aflatoxin
