Ecologically dried fruits from Ghana Dried tropical fruit is increasingly popular in breakfast cereals and health snacks in the EU, where imports reached € 600 million in 2008. In recent years the attention for healthier eating habits is increasing, resulting in a growing demand for natural (no additives) dried fruit. In Ghana, there are very few professional certified fruit processing, packaging and storage facilities. Ghana's fruit exporters are therefore unable to benefit fully from the countries' competitive advantage of its proximity to the European market, as compared to South America.The Swiss applicant HPW AG and its daughter company in Ghana HPW Services Ltd will set up a modern natural fruit drying facility, using renewable energy to cover the substantial energy needs in the drying process. Using biogas generated from pineapple fruit waste and solar heating allows the company to produce high quality homogeneous products independently from (erratic) public energy supply, while reducing costs.The pineapple will be sourced from HPW's current large and smallholder suppliers. All suppliers will be certified HACCP, fair trade or organic. The joint venture will be based in Adaiso.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)The project partners have already developed a specific CSR policy for the joint venture, including a CSR vision and mission and practical policies on employment, non-discrimination, personal development and capacity building, freedom of labour, employee participation, anti-corruption, women empowerment, work safety, waste management, energy use and water consumption, chemical use and raw materials. The project will obtain organic, fair trade and HACCP certifications.Impact•	Employment and working conditionsThe company will employ 3 people at high management level, 7 in middle management and 40 production and support workers. This will increase to 71 people, two years after the project. The lower staff will receive salaries at least 150% of current minimum wages in Ghana. The joint venture will offer their staff a comprehensive reward package and benefits, including above average remuneration, medical insurance scheme, protective clothing, meals and in-house and external courses. The joint venture will be certified according to fair trade standards.•	Innovation / Transfer of knowledgeThe technology for biogas and solar heating for fruit drying is new to Ghana. This knowledge will become more in demand as other industries will start to introduce renewable energy sources. Employees will benefit from these career opportunities. The same holds true for the knowledge on certification standards and on fruit drying techniques.•	Chain effectsThe Ghanaian fruit producers of pineapples will directly benefit by having better and stable access to the market, stable market prices and price benefits from the value addition of their fair trade premium products. Four large producers and their employees will benefit and one fair trade certified outgrowers association of 50 farmers. Each of those outgrowers employs 10 workers. The availability of a high quality fruit drying facility will give a new boost to Ghana's fruit sector, assisting the sector to consolidate and improve its place as a major high quality, added value tropical fruit producer and exporter.•	EnvironmentThe impact on the environment will be positive due to a number of reasons. The partner companies assist farmers with organic pineapple production. The project will use the fruit waste to generate biogas for the fruit drying heating process. In addition, solar heating will be employed. Less fresh fruits will go to waste; fruit that would otherwise be sub-standard for export or ripe when there is no demand, can now be dried. Drying in Ghana itself will reduce weight and savings in transport costs and fuel consumption. Products can be sea freighted and need no cold storage. The waste of biogas fermentation will be used as an alternative for chemical fertilisers. The company will obtain organic certification. An environmental impact assessment will be done prior to the start.•	Position of womenThe company will strictly adhere to an equal opportunity policy, employing at least 50% women in all positions. To set up an innovative energy efficient fruit drying facility for export, with a capacity of 100 tons pineapples a year.