Letloa Trust enters indigenous natural products sector to bring sustainable economic development opportunities to rural communities in Botswana
Collaboration with Biotrade Ventures
In 2022 Letloa Trust initiated a first phase of involvement in the indigenous natural products (INP) sector. Referred to as veld products in Botswana, INPs represent a traditional yet under-explored possibility for rural economic development.
Botswana has many plants species of enormous commercial potential, growing where rural people live and traditionally used for medicines, foods, and topical applications.
The regional and global market for natural products is growing significantly - an important economic development opportunity for rural communities and small local businesses to add value, providing national job creation and manufacturing possibilities for Botswana.
However, establishing commercially viable value chains from rural Botswana to consumers in the region and internationally is a complex and expensive task. Many technical, regulatory and financial issues need to be addressed.
Asymmetry of power in the value chain can result in exploitation, so specialised market access and development skills are required to ensure commercial viability whilst ensuring appropriate benefit-sharing and compliance with the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Nagoya Protocol and national legislation and regulations.
A unique collaboration is therefore being established between Letloa Trust and Biotrade Ventures, an incubator/accelerator supporting community organisations, small companies and start-ups in the INP sector.
Biotrade Ventures builds on 25 years of experience in the sector and has expertise spanning life sciences, chemicals and finance; and setting up processing and manufacturing in multiple countries.
‘We are very excited about this collaboration with Biotrade Ventures and the possibilities presented by the veld products sector,’ said Letloa Trust executive director Maatla Ostogile. ‘We see this as an opportunity to build on the traditional knowledge of communities in the Kalahari and secure a strong position in the value chain through the expertise of Biotrade Ventures.’
‘We are optimistic that the huge knowledge and interest these communities have in species such as Ximenia, Mongongo and Kalahari Melon can trigger an interest in rewilding and planting of more trees and traditional plants in our landscape. This must surely be of benefit to our common environment, and builds on our community-based natural resource management and climate change work.’
For more information:
Maatla Otsogile, Letloa Trust
+26771852892
otsogilemaatla@yahoo.co.uk
Collaboration with Biotrade Ventures
In 2022 Letloa Trust initiated a first phase of involvement in the indigenous natural products (INP) sector. Referred to as veld products in Botswana, INPs represent a traditional yet under-explored possibility for rural economic development.
Botswana has many plants species of enormous commercial potential, growing where rural people live and traditionally used for medicines, foods, and topical applications.
The regional and global market for natural products is growing significantly - an important economic development opportunity for rural communities and small local businesses to add value, providing national job creation and manufacturing possibilities for Botswana.
However, establishing commercially viable value chains from rural Botswana to consumers in the region and internationally is a complex and expensive task. Many technical, regulatory and financial issues need to be addressed.
Asymmetry of power in the value chain can result in exploitation, so specialised market access and development skills are required to ensure commercial viability whilst ensuring appropriate benefit-sharing and compliance with the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Nagoya Protocol and national legislation and regulations.
A unique collaboration is therefore being established between Letloa Trust and Biotrade Ventures, an incubator/accelerator supporting community organisations, small companies and start-ups in the INP sector.
Biotrade Ventures builds on 25 years of experience in the sector and has expertise spanning life sciences, chemicals and finance; and setting up processing and manufacturing in multiple countries.
‘We are very excited about this collaboration with Biotrade Ventures and the possibilities presented by the veld products sector,’ said Letloa Trust executive director Maatla Ostogile. ‘We see this as an opportunity to build on the traditional knowledge of communities in the Kalahari and secure a strong position in the value chain through the expertise of Biotrade Ventures.’
‘We are optimistic that the huge knowledge and interest these communities have in species such as Ximenia, Mongongo and Kalahari Melon can trigger an interest in rewilding and planting of more trees and traditional plants in our landscape. This must surely be of benefit to our common environment, and builds on our community-based natural resource management and climate change work.’
For more information:
Maatla Otsogile, Letloa Trust
+26771852892
otsogilemaatla@yahoo.co.uk