Moringa invests in Jus Délice
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Moringa, a private equity impact investment fund specialized in agroforestry projects in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, has invested in Jus Délice, a Togolese company developing a juice processing factory supplied by a large network of organic producers who cultivate their fields according to organic practices.
Moringa, a private equity impact investment fund specialized in agroforestry projects in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, has invested in Jus Délice, a Togolese company developing a juice processing factory supplied by a large network of organic producers who cultivate their fields according to organic practices.
The organic pineapple juice, main product of Jus Délice, is dedicated to supply the booming market of natural and healthy juices in Europe (+10% growth each year).
This Togolese pure premium pineapple juice targets the European market which currently represents more than 50% of the global consumption.
Togo offers suitable conditions for organic pineapple production, ensuring consistent high quality supply almost all year round. African origins are sought by pineapple juice buyers who want to diversify their supply, currently mostly coming from Latin American or Asian countries.
The Togolese traditional variety “Sugarloaf” offers valuable taste attributes, differing from the conventional pineapple varieties.
These specific juice characteristics enable Jus Délice to reach niche markets and get premiums allowing to target and combine social, environmental and financial returns.
Jus Délice was created in 2017 to build a juice processing plant in Togo and value the significant organic pineapple supply of the Togolese maritime region.
Jus Délice will produce 100% pure pineapple premium juice, squeezed from fresh organic pineapples.
The annual Togolese pineapple production amounts to 600’000 tons, mostly produced by smallholders who are not always able to reach markets for their fresh fruits.
The juice processing line will be supplied by a strong outgrower network built by Label d’Or.
Label d’Or, a Togolese company created in 2012, is today the leader of Togolese organic exports.
Since its creation, Label d’Or has been building strong networks of producers gathering more than 7'500 farmers organized in cooperatives.
The company supports farmers to get the organic certification for their products (pineapple, mango, papaya, oilseeds, etc.), brings technical assistance and helps them find a market.
“The ambition of Jus Délice is to become a leader of organic juices in the region. Jus Délice is offering a reliable outlet for pineapple producers who face difficulties to market their products, and build long-term relationships with them to enhance agroforestry practices” explained Gustav Bakoundah, President of Jus Délice. The company aims to support smallholders through the dedicated technical assistance of its partner Label d’Or.
“Traditionally in Togo, pineapples are cultivated in small plots divided by trees favouring the development of agroforestry practices. These practices ambition to provide additional income to farmers, diversify their revenues and improve soil management” he added.
The Moringa investment is dedicated to build the juice processing unit, further develop the outgrower network with Label d’Or and enhance agroforestry models thanks to the dedicated team which provides technical assistance to producers.
“We are very pleased to co-invest alongside talented market players bringing complementary competencies; our objective is to build a market reference for organic juices,” said Clément Chenost, Investment Director at Moringa.