Sustainable Harvest Ginger & Hibiscus

• Establishment of sustainable and transparent supply chains for Ginger and Hibiscus in northern Nigeria that comply with the German Supply Chain Law and the EU Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (CSDDD).
• Improve sustainable production, economic resilience of farmers and the situation of vulnerable groups, especially women and children in the ginger and hibiscus sector in northern Nigeria.
   

The project will be implemented through a multi-stakeholder partnership involving Martin Bauer, Ostfriesische Tee Gesellschaft (OTG), B&R Spices Ltd. and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), covering the full supply chain of ginger and hibiscus from smallholder farmers in Northern Nigeria to the tea wholesale sector in Germany.

The project will start with providing basic but highly demanded agricultural training (Good Agricultural Practices) for the farmers for the production of ginger and hibiscus. At the same time, two major studies will be launched to identify the best agronomic practices for local ginger and hibiscus production, as well as the requirements for Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD). These studies will be conducted in collaboration with local research institutions and stakeholders, laying the foundation for targeted interventions. Special emphasis will be placed on improving product quality, increasing yields, and strengthening farmers’ economic resilience as well implementing strategies to prevent child labour in particular in the hibiscus value chain.

The execution of the studies shall additionally strengthen the relevant local R&D capacities and provide the base for future suitable activities to foster the environmental, social and economic sustainability of the Nigerian ginger and hibiscus supply chains. 

The study on the agronomics of local ginger and hibiscus production will assess the 2023 disease crisis in ginger cultivation by analyzing its causes and developing mitigation plans as well as sustainable approaches to soil and disease management, including accompanying measures for the provision of healthy rhizomes. It will also evaluate local hibiscus farming practices to design tailored intervention strategies and training approaches that promote good agricultural practices (GAP). The study will actively involve local farmers to better understand their production practices while providing technical advice and consultancy to improve productivity and sustainability, for example through the introduction of regenerative agricultural practices and the use of biostimulants, suitable crop rotation and alternatives to chemical disease management.

The study on Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) will conduct a comprehensive risk analysis in the ginger and hibiscus supply chains within the project’s intervention regions and surrounding areas. This includes examining the root causes of child labour and developing a roadmap to combat it, particularly in the Nigerian hibiscus supply chain. In addition, the study will assess compliance with the German Supply Chain Law and the EU Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (CSDDD).

Geographical Focus and Context Sensitivity
Activities will take place in Kaduna State (ginger) in North-West Nigeria and Kano State (hibiscus), regions characterized by security challenges, poverty, but also cultural diversity. Implementation will apply conflict-sensitive and gender-sensitive approaches, taking into account religious and social norms, especially regarding women’s participation.

The project will directly support around 360 farmer families including approx. 2000 children. This project is unique in its approach. Through the cooperation agreement “SUHA,” SASI of GIZ and private sector partners jointly plan, finance, and implement activities to support sustainable, long-term solutions in the ginger and hibiscus value chains. Private companies lead efforts on introducing innovative technologies in ginger nurseries, promoting mechanization, and raising awareness on child labour, while GIZ conducts two in-depth studies on human rights due diligence and the agronomy of ginger and hibiscus.

In Nigeria, implementation is carried out through the GIZ bilateral programme Transformative Agricultural Systems for Rural Economic Development (TARED), which aims to increase agricultural production, create jobs, and raise incomes in rural areas, thereby strengthening food security and resilience across the dairy, cocoa, tomato, and ginger value chains. Under TARED, the EU co-financed EU-VACE project supports smallholder farmers and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in improving productivity, adopting innovations, and enhancing value addition. In the ginger value chain, TARED/EU-VACE strengthens the capacity of ginger farmers through a structured training program encompassing good agricultural practice, quality improvements and clustering of production. 

• Martin Bauer GmbH & Co. KG is a globally recognized leader in botanical ingredients, herbal teas, and plant based extracts. With a strong commitment to quality, sustainability, and innovation. Martin Bauer specializes in the sourcing, processing, and distribution of premium herbs, teas, and natural extracts for the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical sectors including key botanicals like ginger and hibiscus sourced from Nigeria.
• Ostfriesische Tee Gesellschaft (OTG) is one of the biggest suppliers for supermarkets in Germany for tea in teabags. As a major customer of Martin Bauer, OTG is very closely linked to Martin Bauer's procurement. Ginger and hibiscus are among the top raw materials for their herbal and fruit teas, and their quality and availability are a top priority for OTGs’ procurement.
• B&R Spices Ltd. is a Hong Kong registered private limited company founded in 2021. The company focuses on the trade and distribution of herbs & spices from Nigeria into Europe, mainly for the herbal tea industry.

A very close coordination will be ensured between the SUHA project and the ginger value chain activities under EU-VACE TARED. These intersections provide an opportunity to leverage synergies and increase the overall efficiency of the respective measures through coordinated approaches. EU-VACE TARED already engages in disease monitoring and lab analysis which will inform the production guidelines and disease management for ginger. The research activities of SUHA will complement other aspects of the production manual. Furthermore, EU-VACE TARED is setting up a multi-stakeholder for better coordination of the ginger value chain. We are implementing this project in remote areas of Nigeria, which naturally makes execution more challenging due to limited infrastructure; security issues may also occasionally and locally be a challenge for implementation. The project provides a much needed input to ginger and hibiscus production that will leverage the opportunities related to productivity and quality improvements and enhance export competitiveness.