This week, the Koppert Foundation hosted a visit from the Ambassador of Burundi, H.E. Mrs. Isabelle Ndahayo. Organized in collaboration with CABI, the visit aimed to explore and promote biocontrol solutions - for both commercial and non-commercial purposes - to address Burundi's agricultural challenges and promote plant health. Burundi, one of the world’s poorest nations, presents a unique opportunity to leapfrog the traditional reliance on chemical pesticides, which have historically been unavailable to its growers. 

In 2023, The Koppert Foundation supported 24 projects that focused on smallholder farmers, corporate social responsibility and educational initiatives. Since its inception in 2017, the Foundation has aimed to enhance the quality of life for people worldwide by offering solutions that improve social, economic, environmental, and health circumstances. The Koppert Foundation, has released its Annual Report for 2023, showcasing its ongoing commitment to improving global agriculture through sustainable practices and education. 

Improving smallholder farmers’ plant health and performance through the introduction of biocontrol methods through projects is at the heart of Koppert foundation’s mission. One such project is ‘Feedback to the Future’ that uses a ‘living lab approach’ – a demonstration farm and training centre that offers fertile feedback to local communities and ecosystems by connecting local knowledge and networks to state-of-the-art sustainable technologies and innovations. 

The East West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation (EWS-KT) in which Koppert Foundation participates has had good results in treating bacterial wilt in tomatoes in India. The Centre of Excellence in Orissa, India, reports that trials showed that Koppert’s biological strategy achieved more successful results than conventional farmers’ practices in the region. 

On the invitation of CARE Egypt the Koppert Foundation took part in the SASPEN project, to perform a training in Integrated Pest Management to 40 starting sustainable agribusiness entrepreneurs, all motivated to make the change in Egyptian agriculture. Participants got a deep dive into biological solutions for pest and disease control as well as pollination by bumblebees.

More than 80% of the people in Alta Vera Paz, Guatemala, live below the poverty line. Many of them scratch a small income from the earth by producing spices, especially cardamom. Together with NGO Heifer International, Koppert distributor Popoyan and the Koppert Foundation, we are now contributing towards improving the livelyhood of these farmers using sustainable products and advising on more resilient growing practices. 

In the heart of Zimbabwe, just 65 kilometers from Bulawayo, lies a farm with a profound mission. Ebenezer Agricultural Training Centre, affectionately known as "Ebenezer," isn't just a place where crops grow and livestock are tended to. At Ebenezer, the Koppert Foundation, in collaboration with Tearfund NL and Koppert South Africa is making a difference by promoting sustainable agriculture practices and providing essential education. 

In a new collaboration, Koppert Foundation and East West Seed Knowledge Transfer (EWS-KT) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop and promote biocontrol methods to improve smallholder farmers’ plant health and performance. 

In a new collaboration, Koppert Foundation and East West Seed Knowledge Transfer (EWS-KT) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop and promote biocontrol methods to improve smallholder farmers’ plant health and performance. 

Turkey and Syria have been hit by several strong earthquakes and aftershocks. The damage is enormous: buildings have collapsed, many thousands of people have been injured and the death toll has now risen to more than 34,000 people. Many people are unprotected in the icy cold due to the risk of collapse.

During the last board meeting on December 20, the Koppert Foundation board, together with General Director René Koppert, signed the new governance structure. This means that a new phase has begun for the Foundation, which focuses on transferring knowledge to smallholder farmers about sustainable cultivation.

Feeding more people and offering a better and guaranteed income to farmers: with support from the Koppert Foundation, corn production in Malawi is being lifted to a higher level.

‘Koppert strongly condemns the Russian government’s invasion.  We feel an urgent responsibility for our colleagues, their families, growers and consumers in the countries involved in the conflict.’ This is the message Koppert conveyed to its management and staff on 15 March following the news of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  

More than 900 farming families received training on sustainable farming practices in Nyabirongo, Uganda during the course of 2021. Goal is to strengthening family farming and promoting agro-ecology for increased agricultural productivity and improved livelihoods for smallholder farmers.

The worrying situation in Ukraine and Russia has our full attention. We are following the situation closely and a crisis team has been set up to respond to the rapidly changing situation and conditions.  In Ukraine we offer our dealers and customers maximum support and are in regular contact with them.

Some 51 Plant Doctors attended the Plantwise courses held respectively in Eldoret and Nakuru in Kenya. During the two-day training sessions participants were introduced to key aspects of IPM and the important natural enemy groups. Conservation of naturally existing beneficial insects was also a key topic during the training.

Koppert's second KoCo-run on Saturday, 8 May, was a great success with more colleagues from around the world taking part than ever before. A total of 354 runners and walkers from 20 different countries braved the rain and heat to raise 8850 EUR for two charities.

The Koppert Foundation is supporting the creation and development of a food forest in Kenya. Regional manager Charles Macharia calls it a unique approach and a sustainable solution for food production in the arid region of Maiani.

Unbalanced nutrition, often based on for instance only maize or cassava and lacking vegetables is a common problem for many rural people in Africa. To improve this situation, Koppert Foundation supported the Association of Women Development Actors (AWODA) in Uganda to train more than 780 farmers in sustainable farming and healthy nutrition. 

CABI and Koppert Foundation developed a training course focusing on recognizing natural enemies in the field, better understanding non-target effects of chemical pesticides on the ecosystem, measures for the conservation of existing natural enemies as well as the correct application of biological control products. The course uses discovery learning approaches, and is developed with the interests of smallholder farmers in mind. 

In 2019, the Koppert Foundation supported Nuru International and Nuru Ethiopia to enable 300+ farmers, 4 farmer-owned cooperatives, and Hidota Cooperative Union to pilot an agricultural development program that aimed to accomplish several goals.

The Koppert Foundation supported a cooperative of cocoa farmers in Damas (Ecuador) in 2018 and 2019. The first phase of the project involved the construction of a cocoa processing center. The second phase involved support for a group of women to teach them how to process the half-finished product into chocolate.

Koppert Foundation and Koppert Biological Systems have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CABI – an international not-for-profit organisation– – to collaborate on making more environmentally sustainable biological solutions available in the fight against crop pests in less developed countries.

The Koppert Foundation supports ‘Nature’s little helpers’ project. This educational programme was developed in 2017 by Koppert Biological Systems in honour of the company’s 50-year jubilee and was compiled in collaboration with the Naturalis Biodiversity Centre.

CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International) and Koppert Biological Systems signed an agreement to formalize the joint effort for organizing plant doctor trainings in Kenya. The agreement was signed on March 20th in Nairobi, Kenya during the Koppert Biocontrol Dinner Event that was hosted as part of the 2-day NewAg Biocontrol Africa conference.

Trees for All is a charity that aims to develop and support projects that contribute to sustainable development and have an economic, ecological and social value for society. The Koppert Foundation supports the project in Bolivia.

The Christian Childcare Programme aims to contribute to the development of unprivileged children in Uganda, mainly by child sponsoring and setting up and developing professional education. By sponsoring the Food for Youth project, the Koppert Foundation aims to enhance the sustainability of CCP by improving the life standard of the students and spreading the knowledge of intensive farming.

Sharing knowledge is a core value at Koppert Biological Systems. Reason enough for the company to support local agricultural consultants or ‘plant doctors’ in Kenya through a training project on Integrated Pest Management. This activity will make Koppert’s enormous store of hands-on knowledge, expertise and skills available to Kenyan small farmers via these plant doctors.

The Food Garden supports a sustainable urban society with healthy food for everybody. The Koppert Foundation would like to continue to contribute to this project because it helps to relieve a social welfare need close to our headquarters in Berkel en Rodenrijs.

Koppert Foundation supports the Kenian local AMEA network. AMEA is a fast-growing network of public and private organizations that work in the agricultural sector, all dedicated to accelerating the development of professional farmer organizations.