Thanks to a ceremony organized by the Handicraft Development Fund (Fda), five Beninese handicraft products obtained their quality and marketing authorization certificates. These products have gone through the labeling and certification process.

Under the control of the Ministry of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Employment Promotion (MPMEPE), the Fda initiated the value chain development project for five handicraft products from Benin to select, certify, label and promote in national and international markets. Thus, dried pineapple (Agon), roasted cashew kernel (Kanjù), cassava flour (Manipain), shea butter (Limù), woven loincloth (Kanvoh) have received their quality and marketing authorization. At the national level, for each product, a company has been selected. These are: the Zanclan Benin Group Establishment in Sèmè-Podji (roasted cashew kernels); the Espace weaving establishment in Djougou (woven loincloth); the Cited Banana Establishment (cassava flour); the Fredi Malon Establishment in Abomey (dried pineapple); the TIBOBENE Cooperative in Perma (shea butter).

For Édouard Sehlin, Chief of Staff to the Minister of SMEs, the official awarding ceremony of the certificates is the culmination of a long process which, after the selection phase of the said products, consisted of drawing up the specifications for the definition of the “BENIN pro Quality” label, the training and organization into clusters of potential artisanal companies producing these products, then the support of the certification structures which were decisive for the certification phase. He therefore invited managers of supermarkets to reserve prime space in their stores for certified handicraft products and to do the necessary promotion in order to stimulate and encourage their consumption. Bruno Gnidéhoué, consultant on the project reassured of the good quality of the products and invites the populations to consume them, because they are without risk. This labeling and certification process means that manufacturers comply with international quality standards, delivery times and, these products exist in sufficient quantity. Consequently, these local products are marketable and competitive on both regional and international markets.