Researchers will examine how ants can help increase the export of mangos and cashew nuts from Africa. Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences, works with a number of African partners on an interdisciplinary project, which has received DKK 10 million from the Danish International Development Agency

80 percent of the African production of mangos and cashew nuts is spoiled by fruit flies. The remaining 20 percent may not be sold in Europe and the USA because the production has been in contact with insect pests. Now research will change this. An interdisciplinary project will ensure that mangos and cashew nuts from African farmers reach the European market. The aim is to breed African weaver ants in fruit plantations, because the ants are able to control the pests.

A project in three parts

The project consists of three parts: Development of agriculture in African countries, development of biological pest control, and a commercial part which is to examine how the organic production of mangos and cashew nuts is ideally marketed and sold in Europe.

- The purpose of the scientific part is to examine how the ants, on a practical level, are bred and moved into fruit plantations where they can be of use. Here at Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences, we will study how the production can be marketed in order to ensure the best value creation, says John Thøgersen, Professor at the Department of Marketing and Statistics.

Fair Trade

John Thøgersen is in charge of the part of the research that takes place at Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences, which, among other things, is to establish what methods have been applied previously in the marketing of organic mango fruits and cashew nuts. Additionally, there will be made qualitative interviews with representatives from the retail trade and assessments of different certification schemes, such as the EU Ecolabel and Fair Trade.

- Our aim is to discover the best way to enter the market with these products and make use of their potential in the best possible way, John Thøgersen elaborates.

The project has recently been launched and will be finished in four years. John Thøgersen expects that, in five to ten years, we will be able to see results in the form of increased growth in the export of mangos and cashew nuts from Africa.

Facts

The project has a budget of DKK 10 million, half of which will go to development work carried out by the African partners.

Weaver ants fight fruit flies, and in this way, they can be used as an organic “biological weapon”.

The special thing about this project is that it is conducted in Africa where the development takes place in close collaboration with African partners.

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Contact

John Thøgersen, Professor
Department of Marketing and Statistics

School of Business and Social Sciences, Aarhus University

Mobile: +45 2441 9867

Tel.: +45 894 86440

E-mail: jbt@asb.dk
Web: http://www.asb.dk/staff/jbt