Global partners

Form international (Form) formally joined the Allanblackia Partnership in 2013 with the role as agroforestry and plantation development partner. Form’s involvement with Allanblackia started in 2010. In this period Form started tree nursery and planting activities and supported Unilever with the upscaling of Allanblackia production and piloting in Ghana. Some of the most important contributions of Form international are listed below.

o The establishment of an Allanblackia agroforestry demonstration farm of 65 hectares. Form continues to manage this farm and generates data to strengthen the knowledge-base of the partnership.

o Developing strategies to improve Allanblackia plant production and to monitor and evaluate the cultivation and production processes.

o Development of a business model for the production of Allanblackia.

o Training of partners from Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania in the set-up of Allanblackia business.

Form international is dedicated to make the upscaling of Allanblackia production a success, benefiting smallholders in Africa, enhancing sustainable land use and delivering a new commodity to global markets.

The Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT) is a non-profit association that promotes the ‘Sourcing with Respect’ of ingredients that come from biodiversity. Members adopt sourcing practices that advance sustainable business growth, local development and biodiversity conservation. 

The Ethical BioTrade standard of the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT), is the standard used to assess and certify the practices adopted in the Allanblackia supply chain. UEBT also works with African suppliers of Allanblackia oil to align their practices with the Ethical BioTrade principles, for example through training of local producers in Tanzania.

IUCN’s role in the partnership is to ensure that the development of the new commodity is done in an environmentally sound and socially equitable way throughout the different steps of the supply chain. It has addressed issues related to biodiversity conservation at different stages of the Allanblackia supply chain, particularly integrating Allanblackia species in different land use systems.

IUCN supported analysis of legal issues, including land tenure, related to planting Allanblackia in locally controlled forests and worked with local communities to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the economic and environmental benefits from planting Allanblackia is a sustainable way. 

ICRAF is coordinating all Allanblackia research activities aimed at establishing an appropriate domestication strategy for its wider cultivation in farming landscapes. This will be achieved by considering the farmer, market, and landscape needs; sourcing and deployment of quality seedlings; and tree improvement research.

The research is participatory, including ICRAF and stakeholders such as farmers or communities, assisting with capacity building through training in management strategies relevant for Allanblackia species to ensure sustainable fruit production (both from natural stands and from farms).

Unilever’s mission is to add Vitality to life. Every day Unilever meets needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people look good, feel good and get more out of life. To fulfil this goal, Unilever wants to sustainably produce a sizable tonnage of Allanblackia oil per annum, with fair returns to collectors and local processors. Unilever is committed to supporting a small-holder production base and stimulating demand for the oil but do not want to organize or control the supply chain. Along with the partners, they want to foster local enterprise associated with the raw material including transportation, oil extraction and providing a market for the finished products.