Cnn
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Mopane’s worm – colorful, hairy and nutritious – has a lot to do, but its name is not one of them. Originally from woods in southern Africa, it is in fact a caterpillar widely consumed in rural areas; And being rich in protein and low in fat, it is in the process of supervision on markets abroad.
Based in the Angolan capital of Luanda, on the southwest coast of Africa,, Foodcare is a manufacturer of dried foods that treats and packages a range of 25 local foods, including cassava, fungi, various fufu (pounded starchy meals) and Mopane worms, exporting its products to Europe, North America and South Africa.
The company, which launched business in 2020, was founded by Marlene José, just before the Pandemic COVID-19. Despite the first 18 difficult months, he grew up to directly employ 28 people, six part -time and works with a network of suppliers in four northern provinces, Cuanza Norte, Bengo, UInand Malanje.
José says that Cassava, rather than Mopane Worms, is the largest Foodcare seller. A gluten -free alternative to wheat, rye and barley, cassava flour is a major growth company, with a global market worth $ 34.3 billion in 2024 and planned to exceed $ 95.5 billion by 2034, according to a recent report on the market.
She adds that Foodcare has the capacity to process 84 tonnes of cassava per month, but receives monthly international requests for 700 tonnes. Business Exports 95% of its product, the remaining 5% sold in Angola to customers mainly from the middle and upper class, explains José. But abroad, it is aimed at a wider band of the African diaspora.
The CEO says that Foodcare has made determined steps to make its products as attractive as possible, with a brand and distinctive labels translated into four languages. Finally, she hopes that it will encourage more non-Africans to buy her products.
“Many Africans believe that other nationalities do not like our food. I think they just don’t know food because it is not well excited, “she said.
“(People) want to have the information: what is the advantage?” Why is it used? If we do not put the product in a presentable packaging with all this information, of course, people do not try it, “she continued.
“Most of the products (from Angola) are organic, 95% of agriculture is a family (exploited),” added José. “We have to sell the country as an exporter of healthy foods.”
Angola imports more than half of her food and currently only 10% of arable land is cultivated. Seeking to diversify its economy and reduce its dependence on imports, the government is implementing plans to stimulate its agricultural sector.
But with an economy strongly dependent on petroleum, decrease in world oil prices are among the reasons why the Angolans “live through a financial crisis as we have never seen before,” said José. In 2024, unemployment amounted to more than 32% and much higher among 15 to 24 year olds.
Denise António, resident representative of the United Nations Development Program in Angola, explained in an email that the 27-year civil war of Angola, which ended in 2002, “decimated the agricultural infrastructure”.
“Fortunately, revitalizing the agricultural sector is a priority for the country not only in order to diversify its economy and limit its dependence on oil, but also a means of unlocking the food security potential,” she added.
For example, the National Plan of the Government to promote the production of cereals (Planagrão) aims to double the production of crops such as wheat, rice, soy and corn by 2027.
According to 2021, António claims that micro, small and medium -sized enterprises represented more than 90% of business in the country. She added that “the greatest growth opportunities in the agricultural sector of Angola resides in its capacity to add the value of its raw material in greater products that will create job opportunities by stimulating production.”
In Bengo, Foodcare manages a pilot program which has installed a solar energy system allowing farmers to dry their cassava harvest on site. This reduces the weight of transport, and therefore the cost, in the Foodcare supply chain, while providing product quality insurance, explains José.
She says that in the long term, Foodcare seeks to cultivate cassava, not only treat it, and the company also enters the coffee sector, with plans to “reactivate” a network of family farms covering 5,000 hectares to cultivate harvest.
But such expansion is not cheap and José says that she is looking for investors. “We are looking for $ 3 million (to invest in foodcare operations), but we don’t want to do it alone,” she said. “We don’t need funding, we need a partner who will bring technology and support.”
José also hopes that domestic policy reforms facilitate the export of goods. But rather than diverting food from the domestic market, she hopes that the expansion of her business will provide more employment locally.
“Foodcare is not (just) a company looking to make profits; we also want to change the state of mind in Angola on the quality of the food we eat,” said José. “We (Angolans) always prefer what is imported. We must value more what is produced in our country because it generates jobs and adds value to local products. ”
