What is a community project?
A community project is where a village or group of people depend, for their livelihood on one or several crops. To maximise this they pool their resources, skills and knowledge for the benefit of the whole community.
These are jus a few of the places we help support through the buying of raw materials for Organic at Heart products.
Community projects
Organic at Heart support a number of community projects in a variety of countries as diverse as Bulgaria, Ghana, Madagascar, Nepal, South Africa, Italy, India, and Somalia amongst others. Working closely with the local farmers and producers through our colleagues on the ground, these communities are offered financial support as well as managing their exports. They are all experts in their respective fields and lack only the opportunity and resources to market their excellent products to the outside world.
Bulgaria
Rose growing
Under the communist regime in Bulgaria, land was confiscated from farmers and growers and left to become overgrown. This land was eventually returned to the rightful owners about 10 years ago.
Our suppliers are working in partnership with a Rose grower whose company, Nara Geo, produces exclusively for them. We are proud to offer an exclusive 'Premier Cru' Rose Otto Oil from a single source. The photograph on the right shows three generations of the Nikolaev family.
Community Projects in Ghana
Shea Butter project
We are very product to be involved with this Shea Butter project. Georgina Koomson started this project and organised several hundred women into a community that has a capacity of over 100 tonnes of Shea Butter production of the highest quality
All the Shea Butter is delivered in Beautiful hand woven baskets, the making of which supports several dozen more families. Their Shea Butter has obtained NOP Organic and EU certification.
Several other indigenous products are also being explored. The photograph on the right shows some of the women working with the Shea Butter during the production process.
Community Projects in Somalia
Certified Organic Frankincense and Myrrh
In this dry arid environment it is difficult to imagine being able to eke out a living. However, in the very thorny boswellia bushes, the local nomadic people collect frankincense gum.
They then steam distil this gum to produce Frankincense essential oil.
Our suppliers are working with the Nomadic people to help them attain organic status for their Frankincense oil. They have now achieved their goal and we are using their organically certified Frankincense oil in Organic at Heart products.
