Baca-Villa in cooperation with Pierre Fabre under the develoPPP.de project, has been working to qualify the local supply chain and build capacity through knowledge and technical transfer between the partners. Within the framework of this project, several trainings have been designed and conducted this year in order to provide education to local farmers in organic standards and to students, lecturers and technicians in the field of food technology and analysis.
To build education partnerships, Pierre Fabre and Baca-Villa have cooperated with the Department of Chemical Engineering and Food Technology of ITC.
W O R K S H O P S
SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
TRAINING OF FOOD HANDLERS TO IMPROVE FOOD SAFETY AND QUALITY
FARMERS TRAINING
GC-MS T R A I N I N G
COLD-Press WORKSHOPS
PLANT EXTRACTION W O R K S H O P
For detailed information, continue in the .pdf news bulletin below.
We thank all authorities, companies, consultancies who have committed themselves to this very interesting and especially educational PPP Project. On behalf of all of us from the Baca-Villa Team.
Pierre Fabre Laboratories, the second largest independent pharmaceutical group in France. Its activities cover all aspects of health care, from prescription drugs and dermo-cosmetics to family health products. It has subsidiaries in over 40 countries, market products in over 130 countries, and employ 10,000 people worldwie. Pierre Fabre Research Institute is working since 2006 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, at the Joint Laboratory of Phytochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, through a close partnership with the University of Health Sciences.
This collaboration focuses on the research and development of innovative plant-based ingredients, and the training of Cambodian pharmacist students in the field of natural products research. Vegetable oils are Pierre Fabre Group’s most used raw materials, especially in cosmetic products. Pierre Fabre group wishes to integrate original, ethic, and sustainable oils produced in Cambodia from Cambodian cultivated plants into its future products.
BACA VILLA
organic moringa producer
Baca Villa projects started in 2005, departing from the ownership of a guest house in the toutistic town of Siem Riep, Cambodia. Since 2010 they have started growing Moringa olifera trees. After realizing that it could be a sustainable and profitable project they decided to focus on the organic market, obtaining the ‘Organic’ certificatiton for EUR, USDA, NOP and JAS (Japanese Organic Standards) by Ecocert. Baca Villa manufactures Moringa with this label different types of products and sub-products. They have centered on making Tea, powder, tablets, oil, Soap, etc.Their activities and products are accommodated to the demand and different cycles of Moringa production.
In their factory, they employ from 20 to 30 people depending on the stock and the customers’ requests. Instead of becoming a closed firm their aim is to extend the benefits of Moringa cultivation, commercialization and consume and they have organized training and consultancy in the field of agriculture,
Food safety and Quality Management for new entrepreneurs and farmers, focusing on:
Agricultural training
Theoretical and practical training: How to grow the Moringa tree and the benefits of the Moringa tree
Food hygiene and Quality Training
Basic hygiene for kitchen staff and hotel management.
Advanced hygiene training for kitchen staff and hotel management.
Hygiene training for food producing staff.
Internal audit training for ISO 9001 and Food safety management systems like HACCP, GMP and BRC
Baca Villa Co., in Siem Reap province are becoming pioneers in the creation of new jobs in agro-food sector and promoting the extension of this know-how to other farmers.
PIERRE FABRE X BACA VILLA
project partnership
The project partners Pierre Fabre and Baca Villa will jointly work on the proposed develoPPP.de project. Both project partners will set-up a team of experts who will engage in the training of farmers, technical staff and students. For the project supervision, suPPPort ltd. will be engaged, a sustainability consultancy with thorough experience in develoPPP.de projects.
Official Project Launch
a develoPPP.de – project
Agriculture plays a prominent role in the everyday livelihoods of more than 56% of the total working-age population of Cambodia. Still, most families in rural remote areas do not have access to qualified education. Due to their financial situation and missing educational infrastructure, farmers have a lack of knowledge on cultivation improvement and new technologies. Organisations, companies or private institutions offering agricultural education are very often expensive and the education is very theoretical without necessary practical exposure.
Furthermore, the awareness of farmers and technical staff for international organic standards is very low. The International Organic Standard and the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety are becoming more important to compete in the international agriculture sector. Hence, qualified education in these topics were needed to be addressed.
In scope of the project, Pierre Fabre and Baca Villa will jointly tackle the farmers’ education in organic farming and cultivation of plants and herbs for vegetable oil manufacturing. They will train technical staff in the oil pressing process to convert plants and herbs into high-value oil, which may later be used for nutraceutical and cosmetic applications in Pierre Fabre’s products. Through the set-up of an external control lab and the support of Pierre Fabre in technical experts trainings, Baca Villa will be able to ensure that vegetable oils provided to Pierre Fabre and other international and local customers, meet the highest quality standards.
In the framework of the project, technical staff of Baca Villa and farmers will be trained in the skills needed to run an organic herb supply chain. Each year Baca Villa technicians will receive training trough Pierre Fabre in the field of sustainable supply chain management and in the field of plant extraction. The trained technicians will pass on this knowledge with regard to oil manufacturing to technical experts in a 10-month education program (ToT) at Baca Villa. Also, employees of Baca Villa will receive training in BRC Global Standard for Food Safety which is regarded as the benchmark for compliance to best practice in food industry standards; and is an internationally recognized mark of food safety, quality and responsibility.
Qualification of farmers
Since the cultivation and farming of organic plants and herbs is the crucial first step in the supply chain, Baca Villa will train 100 Cambodian farmers in the Ecocert Organic Standard. After the successful training of 50 farmers in the first year, another 50 farmers will be trained in the second year. The goal is that at least 50 farmers will receive organic certification by Ecocert by the end of the project.
The farmers will be selected according to a criteria catalogue, including hard aspects as location of the farm, previous usage of pesticides, previous farmed products, watering of the field (where does it come from); as well as soft aspects as willingness to change and learn, attitude of farmer, poverty level (poorer farmers preferred).
The farmers will receive workshops every second month. The workshops will be provided at the Baca Villa facilities as well as directly on the farms. CEDAC and the project partners Pierre Fabre and Baca Villa ensure the transport of the farmers to the venue and back. The content of the workshops will cover:
– Cultivation of organic plants and herbs
– Organic farming without pesticides
– Use of natural (organic) fertilizer and pesticides, which are allowed and approved by International organic law.
– Hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP)
– Good Agriculture and Collection Practices (GACP)
– Quality standards
– Post-harvest services
– Food safety
– General life skills, income management, health and safety, hygiene
Cooperation with association and education partner
To foster knowledge-transfer to the industry, Baca Villa will also engage with the DGRV – Deutsche Genossenschafts- und Raiffeisenverband e. V. based in Phnom Penh. The DGRV is connected to many local stakeholders that foster cooperatives in the agricultural sector. Also, Pierre Fabre and Baca Villa will cooperate with the Department of Chemical Engineering and Food Technology ofITCin order to build the capacity through knowledge and technical transfer and set-up quality control activities related to plant-based ingredient at the ITC. Baca Villa will invite partner institutions to annual workshops and various events to share know-how.
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Qualified Farmers
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qualified Technical Operators
IMPACT
The project is of high relevance for the developing country Cambodia, since theoretical and practical education is largely missing in the agriculture sector. Furthermore, goals in the project correlate with the Sustainable Development Goals (Agenda 2030) by the United Nations.
Farmers
Within the project, at least 100 farmers will be trained in Ecocert Organic Standard, including international social, environmental and quality standards and thus gain a higher qualification and competitiveness. They will also receive practical skills training in organic farming, hygienic harvesting, prune, advanced of nursery and HACCP. These workshops and trainings provide the currently missing education, which is highly important for the development of the agriculture sector. As a result, farmers in the region are gaining in attractiveness and thus secure their future viability. Baca Villa is aiming to start long-term business relations with at least 50 out of the 100 trained farmers. SDG 1: No Poverty; SDG 4: Quality Education; SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production; SDG 15: Life on Land)
Technical Operators
Technical operators are crucial for the development of the sector and the introduction of new technologies. Through the 10-months training at Baca Villa by the formerly trained technicians and lecturer, at least 20 well-educated technical operators will be trained. This higher education increases their job-opportunities and they are likely to gain a higher income. (SDG 4: Quality Education)
Agriculture Sector
The thorough training of farmers helps to ensure an organic supply chain that can meet international standards. Education of technical operators enhances the productivity and competitiveness of companies and will ensure jobs. Since Pierre Fabre educates farmers and technical operators in the region, not only Baca Villa, but also many other companies in the region, which have similar professional backgrounds, will benefit from skilled future employees. These will contribute decisively to the agriculture sector’s development in the region. (SDG 1: No Poverty; SDG 4: Quality Education; SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production; SDG 15: Life on Land)
Academia
Students and lecturers will benefit from the project, since the education partnerships will give them access to international know-how and connectivity to the industry. (SDG 4: Quality Education)
Reviews
What our Customers say
Great products and moreover amazing company philosophy. Lovely people. Thanks for sharing this gift of nature Baca Villa.
- Angelo Kaplar
Baca Villa and Pierre Fabre offer nature's gift to humanity! These Moringa products are one of a kind and changed my health to the better.
- Monika Sweeter
A wide range of products all naturally and organically sourced and produced in a fair and safe work environment.
Education & Qualification in the Cambodian Agriculture.
Education farmer’s, technical training employees and GC-MS analyses at the University.
Baca Villa proudly announces the kick-off for a 2-year project in collaboration with the French Pharmaceutical giant, Pierre Fabre.
Education and Qualification in the Cambodian Agriculture address farmer’s education in organic farming and responsible cultivation of plants and herbs for vegetable oil manufacturing.
Establishment of Education Partnerships and Qualification of Supply Chains in the Cambodian Agriculture Sector.
Education and Qualification in the Cambodian Agriculture project is co-funded by the develoPPP.de program that the Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (DEG) implements on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). This developmental program was set up by the BMZ to provide aid to companies in developing and emerging nations through socially responsible investment, funds and professional support, when necessary.
The aim of this project is to set up educational structures, partnerships and appropriate qualifications of supply chains, farmers and technicians in the Cambodian agriculture sector. It also seeks to provide education to local farmers in organic standards and to students, lecturers and technicians in the field of food technology and analysis, to implement internationally recognized environmental and social standards. The achievement of all objectives set over the course of this project, will ensure the creation of jobs for many locals in the agricultural sector of Cambodia. One main measure to achieve the goals is the strategic partnership between private and academic institutions such as Pierre Fabre, Baca Villa and the Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC).
With more than 3000m2, Baca Villa, accommodates a state-of-the-art advanced factory in Siem Reap and has been producing organic Moringa food and pressed oil products along with upscale cosmetics, sold to customers around the globe. Baca Villa’s mission is to provide quality organic food supplements, which meet the highest quality standards in organic farming and cultivation of plants and herbs benefiting the company’s customers health and the environment. This collaboration will bring great benefits to both Baca Villa and Pierre Fabre in reaching their goals to further diversify its product range and establish and create a greater long-term consumer base for itself, while Pierre Fabre is seeking to engage in strategic partnership to grow organic herbs and extract oils, which will be used in the manufacturing of their pharmaceutical products, using the highest quality standards. The objectives of this project primarily encompass training and the provision of workshops for the qualification of farmers, technical staff at Baca Villa and the students from the academic partners (ITC), to ensure that Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) are maintained, starting from farming to the final stage of manufacturing. Hence, it is crucial for participants of these trainings to be aware of the requirements of Ecocert Organic Standards and the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety.
Qualification of 100 Farmers: 100 Farmers will be trained in the Ecocert Organic Standard, with the goal of qualifying at least 50 farmers receiving organic certification by Ecocert by the end of the 2-year project.
Qualification of Students: The workshops, training’s and internship opportunities will cover topics such as: Ecocert Organic Standard, Good Agriculture and Collection Practices, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety, as well as sustainable strategies for agroindustry waste and by-products from oil pressing.
Qualification of Technical Staff: Baca Villa Technical Staff will receive training’s on plant extraction, oil manufacturing process optimization, and sustainable supply chain management.
Project Development and Supervision: The task of project supervision will be delegated to suPPPort ltd, a sustainability consultancy with many years of experience in the field of develoPPP.de projects.
Education Qualification in the Cambodian Agriculture.
