Network

When gebana AG celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2008, we thought we had found the right recipe: investments and partner companies in the South and the sale of some products by mail order as directly as possible to consumers in the North. The latter was supposed to stabilize the company and support the development of value chains in the South.

But then everything turned out differently. The financial and economic crisis hit us too  somewhat delayed. Some trade customers who had previously purchased larger quantities from us each year were left with their stocks and temporarily stopped buying altogether. Added to this was the catastrophe in Brazil: the entire organic soy harvest of 2010 was contaminated by the pesticides that conventional farmers in the region sprayed on their soy. Our farmers were not at fault and the contamination was minimal, yet the trade customers no longer wanted the goods.

In this situation of existential threat, gebana experienced unexpected great solidarity: thousands signed our campaign "Chega 1; enough!" against pesticides in Brazil, NGOs supported the campaign, authorities and professional associations stood behind us and developed solutions. Trade customers remained loyal to us in the long term despite problems, and some even deepened their cooperation with us. Hundreds of customers and supporters invested money in gebana and some financial institutions renewed loans. The message was clear: gebana should continue to exist.

The incredible support across the board  without which gebana would no longer exist today  made us realise that we are more than a trading company with customers and suppliers: we are part of a strong network of companies, institutions and private individuals who are convinced by our work.

The know-how in building value chains that we have acquired through many years of experience is something we would like to make available to more farmer groups in the future and try to give them access to the market. Because that is not only our core competence, but also what connects our network, the common goal of trade customers, consumers, NGOs, producers and financing partners. Because market access for producers is existentially important and really makes a difference.

Of course we will not achieve this alone; these will be projects for and with our stakeholders. Because we now know that we can count on them/you.