In my eyes, all the above meant one thing only; farmers and the value chain in emerging economies need a PACKAGE that will include the necessary elements to make the change. Since not all farmers and not all value chains are similar or have the same needs, this Package will have to be flexible enough to adapt to varying situations. This Package should be like a “Tool Box," where you can easily pull out the Right Tool for a particular situation and instantly apply it to get the desired result. When I say "Tool Box," I refer to in-depth field-tested and proven Tools, such as methods, procedures, protocols, models, technologies, services, experts, etc. Today it is nearly impossible for a farmer in Africa or Asia to get a hold of all or even most of the Tools that should be part of that Package. Try to imagine what it will be like if African, Asian and other farmers, and value chain partners could get the best technology, models, protocols, knowledge, methods, etc., and all that without spending more money than they do today! And one more thing, I wanted to make those Tools easy to reach, accessible, and affordable to farmers and value chain partners in emerging economies. This was when we decided to create Green Valley, with a purpose to bridge the agricultural gap through the use of a set of Tools brought to the farmers in a Single Package. Therefore, the professional aim of the Green Valley Package is to help farmers grow a high quantity of high quality produce, which later can be marketed under the Green Valley brand to fetch a premium price. The Green Valley Package contains many elements (e.g., models, protocols, etc.); each has its name, as presented below. THE BUSINESS MODEL THE MARKET - We dedicate Green Valley fruits to people who care about social, environmental, and health values. Such people would love to consume spray-free fruits from emerging economies, even for a somewhat higher price. THE BENEFICIARIES – farmers and value chain partners in emerging economies who can or wish to export fresh produce to premium markets but currently (due to different reasons) struggle or can't hold that position. Today, those farmers lose a lot of produce because of fruit flies. Besides, their yield and overall produce quality are low, they suffer from limited access to premium markets, and hence, their business is underperforming. Often the result is increased poverty. GREEN VALLEY BUSINESS MODEL – thanks to understanding consumers' demands (The Market), as part of a long-term investment engagement, Green Valley's professional mission is to betterment the value of produce per hectare. When this takes place, the farmer and the value chain partners enjoy improved profit results. This is be done by investing in the farmer and providing him access to the Green Valley Package. In return, the farmer commits to market his produce through Green Valley channels (which can include his current channels), with an agreed commission. For instance, let's think of a farmer who is doing his best and having a current income of 10,000 €/Ha. This farmer currently, due to fruit fly problems, exports only 50% of his produce. After examining and analyzing his business, Green Valley may decide that he has good potential to increase his income to 30,000 €/ha. Yes, by three times, or 300%! To make this jump in income, the farmer will need to (a) decrease the fruit fly infestation to well below 1%, (b) increase several parameters of produce quality, (c) elevate the yield by 150%, and (d) find better markets to his produce that (e) will pay a premium of additional 20% on his current price. In such a case, Green Valley will sign an agreement with the farmer and then tailor a Package to suit his specific needs. On the farmer's side, he will probably pay 20% to 65% in advance for the services and solutions provided through the Green Valley Package. Green Valley will be carrying the business risk until the fruit is sold. OTHER ASPECTS Green Valley is a business-oriented operation, which, in addition to doing profitable business, is obliged to promote its social, environmental, and health values agenda by creating advanced agro-industry in emerging economies. To fulfill its mission and achieve its goals, Green Valley acts as a platform enabling farmers and other value chain partners easy access to a Package of top services, technologies, know-how, protocols, models, funds, etc. Value chain partners, including farmers, can benefit from using the Green Valley Package by letting Green Valley's team understand their needs, problems, and goals. Green Valley team will then provide the best-customized solutions to enable them to reach their goals. Green Valley will gladly cooperate with farmers and value chain partners, as long as they act in light of its values and align with its long-term business model and goals. Once you are a value chain partner, you will have access to Green Valley's FULL PACKAGE to support your activities to increase your profit. THE PACKAGE CONTENT With a list of challenges, problems, obstacles, regulatory requirements, risks, etc., in hand, we started designing a game-changing fruit export-oriented set of solutions. This, to provide useful and professional solutions to the parties composing the value chain. The result is a set of well-defined models, protocols, and services; each provides a solution to one or more of the issues the parties of the value chain need to cope with. By solving painful problems, each solution is like a step opening a wider door into a better future. Following is a list of the principle protocol, technologies, services, and models used as part of the Green Valley Package: FFCTZ - Fruit Fly Certified Trade Zone protocol provides a standard System Approach solution for farms oriented to export high-quality produce. Thanks to FFCTZ high inherent standards, farmers acting under this protocol will likely continue exporting even if other farmers in the country are under an export ban. FFCTZ is a crop protection breakthrough protocol that reduces fruit fly infestation in a delimited area to a low rate that perfectly suits the requirements of highly demanding premium export markets. FreeDome – is a fruit fly spray-free novel control technology exclusively used by Green Valley partners as the cornerstone of the FFCTZ protocol. ES – Experts’ Support is a service model for providing support from experts. Those services are necessary to increase the value of produce per hectare. Experts' Support is provided throughout the value chain, including improving farming activities, increasing yield, improving produce quality, improving eco-friendly crop protection, packinghouse, logistics, regulatory affairs, export, etc. AVS – Added Value Services is a service model, which creates a strategic advantage for produce (fruit) marketed under the Green Valley brand. Such activities include creating strategic partnership alliances and agreements, marketing to premium customers, branding, PR, and publicity activities on social media/platforms that interact with the end consumer to create consumer demand for Green Valley labeled fruits. Biofeed - is an R&D powerhouse of technologies (IP) and tools used by Green Valley. In this context, Biofeed is acting as the provider of solutions for fruit flies and other pests that may adversely affect farmers' ability to export through Green Valley. Such solutions will preferably not involve sprays or discharge of chemicals into the environment. Full Pull Investment – the model offers the farmer 35% to 80% funding for solutions provided through the Green Valley Package. For investors, this is an opportunity to safely invest in the Green Valley long term profitable operation. ADI – the Agri-Development Investment model is used for managing the value chain to work in harmony to bring the desired results to all the value chain parties'. From the farmer's perspective, he can focus on doing what he knows the best, which is growing the best produce, while Green Valley ADI will make all the rest of the business connection and management for him. |