On wild volcanic lands rich in history
The islands of Sao Tome and Principe are so small (1,001 km2) that they are often invisible on world maps. Yet they have a prime location right on the crossroad of the equator and the Greenwich meridian lines.
The islands attracted the Portuguese in 1470 to these very fertile volcanic lands, rich in minerals and trace elements. For five centuries, plantations of sugar cane, cocoa, coffee and coconut have multiplied.
Coconut groves today represent several thousands of hectares, which are harvested each year. The coconuts themselves are very resistant, and the trees re-plant themselves naturally from fallen coconuts. These islands are highly fertile, and it is almost as if they invite us to share in their richness.
©Birdlife Africa
The age-old culture of the coconut
Behind the fine sandy beaches is a lush jungle of palm trees, coconut palms, cocoa trees, coffee trees as well as many endemic protected species. The crashing waves on the reefs, the wind in the forest and the birds singing in the trees, especially species such as Galinhola and Principe parrots, call to us every day, reminding us to preserve all these treasures.
The Santomeans live with the sun and the rain, always with a smile that seems to be full of wisdom. The saying “Leve-Leve” (gently-gently) describes this culture perfectly.
In this rhythm and atmosphere, our producers cultivate their coconut trees with passion and pass on their know-how.
Coconut picking is done by hand on small plots. With the help of the European Union and local communities, we work with the producers to define the projects that will rehabilitate coconut groves, and we implement all the actions necessary to preserve the biodiversity of the plots.
Our equitable commitments and values
When on a mission to São Tomé and Príncipe in 2014, French agricultural engineer Guillaume Taufflieb was saddened to see thousands of abandoned coconut trees. Éric, Guillaume and Jean-Philippe then founded the company Valudo with the Duval Group to unite their values :
- Develop a group of producers with high social responsibility,
- Rehabilitate coconut groves and preserve their biodiversity,
- Participate in the economic development of the island.
The company VALUDO (“dried coconut” in Creole) has thus created, from A to Z, a fair trade chain of coconut producers.
This thrilling adventure started with the grouping of farmers, with whom we found the right human mode of operation, suitable logistics and a motivating coconut purchase price with long-term commitments.
Our local production
In order to offer its customers high quality organic products according to their needs, VALÚDO has organized its activity to control the entire chain of value, from harvest in the field to delivery to the customer.
The management of the chain of dedicated producers guarantees us a very high quality, 100% organic product. We organize the logistics to reach the producers, even the most distant ones.
The production is spread throughout the year and makes it possible to fulfill customer orders without failure and to ensure regular income for our producers.
The nuts are then defibrated, opened manually, grated and dehydrated at a strictly monitored temperature. The oil is first extracted by cold pressing using a fine worm screw which preserves the intrinsic qualities of the fruit for a first quality oil. All quality control is carried out in international laboratories accredited by COFRAC.
An immersion in our daily life
©video credit : M6 – Zone Interdite / Forbidden zone