Value added sesame products Organic Assistance B.V. from the Netherlands, through its subsidiary Dutch Organic International Trade B.V. (DO-IT), imports 100% organic food ingredients and consumer products, based on long-term agreements with suppliers in the sourcing countries. For over five years it has been buying organic sesame seeds in bulk from Latco International S.R.L., Bolivia's largest sesame exporter. Latco International SRL sources sesame seeds through its out growers scheme, comprising 1,200 small-scale farmers, and operates cleaning and grading facilities, as well as a hulling line, at its plant in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.To increase the added value of the products they trade, partners formed the joint venture Sesame Foods Corporation S.A. (SFC) to set up a processing facility, the first of its kind in Bolivia, to produce sesame paste, sesame oil and sesame flour, as well as retail-packed sesame seeds for export. The plant is equipped with advanced selection and sorting machinery, a laboratory for quality control and a climate-controlled store for finished products.The joint venture's operations is certified according to international food safety, organic, fair trade and social accountability standards. Furthermore, the project included establishment of two remote sesame collection and pre-cleaning centres, in cooperation with producer communities.The project created 32 direct jobs, including 6 based on the collection centres, and indirect employment to 750 farmers.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)CSR is embedded in the project through the HACCP/ISO 22000/FLO Fair Trade and Organic certifications, which encompass quality standards, environmental and social guidelines.The company SFC pays living wages to its employees, in addition to the good secondary benefits and working conditions. Sesame is bought from 1,000 farmers. The organic and fair trade sesame is bought from two communities. SFC has started two joint ventures with local farmers which are operating the collection and cleaning centres. These two "entrepreneurs" are being trained to become business men in their villages, in five years they will own the cleaning and collection centres. They buy the sesame from the surrounding farmers and train them. The company has obtained the following certifications: ISO 22000, Organic (IFOAM, NOP_USDA, JAS, CERES), fair trade and Kosher.The company sells 95% of its products to the pregnancy and lactation subsidy programmes of the Bolivian government, as such contributing to the healthy food intake of pregnant women, mothers and their small children. Sesame and chia are considered as super foods.Impact•	Employment and working conditionsThe project has generated employment for 32 people as planned for, 26 at SFC and 6 at the collection centres. SFC pays living wages to its employees. All employees receive the 13th and 14th month payments, pension fund contributions, life insurance, 15 days paid holidays and a health insurance. SFC pays 100% of the costs of a study at the University for the employees if a certain level has been reached. It subsidies the participation in gym programme and pay 100% of the costs of an English course at high level. The company has its HRM policy. Employees are working with ear protection and where necessary also with eye protection. In addition to the 26 employees, 6 people are working at the collection centres. The collection centres are a joint venture between SFC and a local farmer. These 6 employees earned in January 2016 also at least 1900 Bs, which was nearly 20% above minimum wages at that time.•	Innovation/Transfer of knowledge32 employees have been trained in all aspects necessary to run the plant or train the farmers. In total 1,000 farmers have been trained. The production technology for valued added sesame products was new in Bolivia.•	Chain effectsSFC has signed out grower contracts with 100 farmers, 40 fair trade producers and 60 organic producers. In addition Latco works with 1,000 farmers. The contract farmers receive seeds, fertilizer and plague combating means (organic), as well as a small pre-financing of the harvest. The costs of these inputs is charged later against delivery of the sesame seeds, being deducted from the sales price.SFC has started two collection centres as joint ventures with two of its supplying farmers. The collection centres are microenterprises. The ownership of its hardware will be transferred to the two collection centres managers in the course of the years. Based on the positive experiences, SFC and Latco has plans to develop 10 additional collection centres. All of them become a source of input and credit provision to associated smallholders. Since SFC's involvement in the Subsidio Prenatal programme, it can guarantee the purchase of raw materials from the farmers.•	EnvironmentThe company has submitted the request for an environmental permit after completing the construction work in August 2015, and has not received a reaction from local environmental authorities afterwards, except for the confirmation of receipt of the request. However, the environmental risks of these processing plant are very low, therefore no environmental assessment was needed. The production has minimal environmental impact, as the company only produces organic waste. The water used by SFC for the washing and hulling services is treated by a water treatment plant of the industrial park before being discharged into the sewage network.•	Position of womenThe company has employed 11 women of which 2 at management level, which are 3 women more than planned for.Furthermore, women represent an important workforce for the cultivation of sesame seed. The majority of the women of the communities participate in the cultivation process. They are also involved in the formation of the farmers organizations.Finally, sesame is an attractive crop for farmers with little resources. This is due to low cultivation costs, its resistance to drought and the easy cultivation activities. Therefore, sesame production is a good alternative for female one-parent farmers to generate extra income. To set up a sesame processing plant to produce sesame paste, sesame flour, sesame oil, as well as retail-packed sesame seeds.