A man from Benin has sown the seeds of success with organic fertiliser

Despite the use of mineral fertilisers soaring in Africa (by 130 per cent between 2008 and 2015, according to the International Fertiliser Development Center), the market for natural organic inputs (such as manure, leaves, and compost) remains very small.
This has not deterred Gildas Zodome from setting up his own organic pesticides and fertiliser company, Bio Phyto Collines. It took Zodome two years to produce the first prototypes - made from a mixture of aromatic plants (eucalyptus, neem seeds, orange, hyptis; commonly known as bushmint) - finding his inspiration in the pest control and fertilisation methods used by his ancestors.
According to Zodome, “On a one-hectare rice paddy, we measured an average production of 4 tonnes of rice with our products compared to 3 tons using chemical inputs.”
Only Zodome’s best-performing pesticides and fertilisers are now being distributed, and his company’s three key products are now finding success outside Benin, in Burkina-Faso — where the company has benefited from the assistance of the business incubator La Fabrique – as well as in Niger, Madagascar and soon Togo.
Bio Phyto Collines produces 400 tonnes of organic fertiliser produced annually and 15,000 liters of organic pesticides.
The company has reached a turnover of 100 million CFA francs (150,000 euros).
biophyto-benin.com/