Cooperative profile · Burkina Faso & Mali
Sahel Bissap Cooperative
A cross-border cooperative of around 240 women growers across Houet province (Burkina Faso) and Sikasso region (southern Mali). Whole calyx Hibiscus sabdariffa, sun-dried, sulphite-free.
Members
~240 women growers
Geography
Houet (BF) + Sikasso (ML)
Product
Whole calyx hibiscus
Partner since
2023
Premium paid
+17% above gate
The cooperative
The Sahel Bissap Cooperative is a cross-border women’s cooperative that knits together village groups across Houet province in western Burkina Faso and Sikasso region in southern Mali. Hibiscus (locally bissap) is grown on the edges of millet and sorghum fields as a rain-fed cash crop. The cooperative coordinates pricing, drying spec, and shared transport so that the small-plot growers on either side of the border get a single, predictable buyer.
Their process
Calyces are picked by hand once they reach full red, separated from the seed pod, and sorted at one of three village hubs the same day. Sun-drying happens on raised mats under shade cloth, open enough for airflow, covered enough to protect from dust. No sulphite fumigation, no charcoal-fire drying. The cooperative audits drying conditions and dust separation each season.
What our partnership looks like
- 17 percent above the regional gate price.
- 30 percent of each season pre-financed at planting.
- Sulphite-free contract, every batch tested, audited each season.
- Hand-sorting bonus, paid per kg of clean calyx (less than 2 percent stem and seed pieces by weight).
- Direct shipping from Bobo-Dioulasso to Albuquerque.
How we audit
Sulphite test on every batch. Heavy metals, microbial, and pesticide panel each season. Anthocyanin assay confirms colour strength on every lot, buyers can spec against a number rather than relying on visual judgement.