Dried mango export coaching in Burkina Faso

The challenge

Burkina Faso produces good dried mango, and many of its processors know how to make it well. Selling it to Europe is a different skill. EU buyers expect consistent quality, clear paperwork, food safety systems they can trust and deliveries that arrive on time. Most processors were small businesses that had grown up serving nearer markets, and they had little chance to learn what European buyers expect.

Many were also working without a clear picture of their costs. Prices were set by feel, not by cost, so it was hard to know which orders made money. Shipments were rejected over coding, packing and contract problems, and some factories had failed food safety audits. Each rejection was costly for a small company.

Then the market itself shifted. In 2023, EU sales from the companies we worked with fell by more than half from their 2022 peak, through no fault of their own.

The women who make up much of the seasonal workforce felt the pressure most. Contracts were often informal, hours were long, and there was little protection for pregnant workers or mothers of young children.

What we did

We worked alongside the processors, one factory at a time.

• Coached processors on costing, pricing, contracts, logistics and what EU buyers expect, so they could price with confidence.
• Ran factory diagnostics and food safety audits, and turned EU buyer requirements into practical action plans each team could follow.
• Arranged factory visits and roadshows with EU importers, and helped sort out shipment problems as they came up.
• Helped companies choose drying equipment and work out whether an upgrade would pay for itself.
• Supported six sector bodies, including the processors’ association PTRAMAB, so the work could continue after the project ended.

Results

• 396 supported jobs created since 2023.
• Companies using signed employment contracts rose from 20% to 70% between January 2023 and December 2024.
• EUR 1.1 million in additional EU and EFTA export revenue in Burkina Faso between 2021 and 2025, certified under CBI's methodology.

Source: CBI, Dried Mango Export Coaching in Burkina Faso, final project report, December 2024; CBI project results presentation, July 2026.

What the companies achieved

• ABASF: made its first direct dried mango export, one 20-tonne container to Berrico in the Netherlands, and obtained HACCP certification.
• Saveurs Tropicales: developed its own certified mango suppliers, certified its plant organic and HACCP, and moved to a pay-per-task staff system.
• FASO Global: reached record exports in 2024 and shifted from selling through intermediaries to direct exports.
• SINTF: drew up job profiles and performance reviews for all major staff and obtained HACCP certification.

Hear it from the companies

Impact Story - ABASF 2Impact Story - Saveurs TropicalesImpact Story - SINTFImpact Story - FASO Global

What we learned

The export results held, but better working conditions took longer. None of the companies reached the highest score for decent work, and formal contracts were slow to change. Some of what we built did not outlast the project: the peer group for women managers stopped meeting, and the regional coordination workshops did not turn into a lasting mechanism.

These lessons shaped the current CBI programme (2025–2030), which focuses on decent jobs for seasonal women workers in dried mango in Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire.