Éléphant Vert offers a whole range of innovative agricultural products and services: bio-fertilisers, bio-stimulants and bio-pesticides, as well as technical, financial and industrial support. The aim: to offer concrete solutions that enable climate-smart agriculture and give farmers the opportunity to intensify their production while guaranteeing the protection of the environment.
In Europe and Africa, the group is developing its offering through a presence in France, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Senegal, Mali and Morocco. Established in the Cherifian Kingdom for six years, the Group indeed aims to position itself as the benchmark in the Moroccan bio-inputs market. To achieve this, it has constantly expanded its catalogue, now offering some fifty products, all approved and certified for use in organic farming. “Eléphant Vert Maroc provides farmers with a whole palette of bio-solutions, designed to meet local agricultural needs”, says Mr Anouar Alasri, Managing Director of Éléphant Vert Maroc.
A dynamic evolution of the portfolio
In 2014, its bio-fertiliser production unit had its major launch. Two years later, in 2016, it was the turn of the bio-pesticide unit to come into being. Continuing this momentum, 2017 was marked by the launch of the NOVAPROTECT® range of bio-pesticides. Through the five new products in this range, Élephant Vert offers growers a complete set of solutions, enabling them to reconcile increased productivity with sustainable development. As for 2018, it was the year of positioning on a global offering of services and products, which confirmed the group’s position as the leader in sustainable agriculture in Morocco. Because yes, in all circumstances, Eléphant Vert attaches fundamental importance to the soil-water-environment heritage, whatever the farming practices.
A remarkable presence at SIAM
Over the editions of SIAM, Eléphant Vert’s offering has become more organised and extensive. Since its first participation in the Show in 2014, the leader in sustainable agriculture has presented a rich fertilisation offering that has never stopped growing, ranging from basic organic-matter soil amendment and bio-fertilisers to supplementary fertilisation, whether foliar or by fertigation. The group has also presented new bio-pesticides, in particular fungicides (FUNGISEI® and REYSANA®) and insecticides (MYCOTROL®, NOFLY®, MADEX TWIN®). These pesticides have the merit of offering an alternative free of residues and toxicity, both for the consumer and for the environment.
At the 2018 edition, Éléphant Vert exhibited, for the first time, demonstrations of its Research & Development work. The main breakthrough: tomato plants demonstrating the impact of biological control of nematodes.
Sustainable solutions and support
Indeed, when it comes to sustainable agriculture, Éléphant Vert makes it a point of honour to accompany its solutions with a reasoned approach. This is what motivated the launch of its business unit LACQ (Laboratoire d’Analyse et de Contrôle Qualité – Analysis and Quality Control Laboratory) and of the CDP (Clinique des Plantes – Plant Clinic). The LACQ carries out soil, water and plant analyses, so as to better reason fertilisation and residue management and to better manage fertilisation on the basis of agronomic analyses. These analyses make it possible to save on the cost of inputs for the farmer and, above all, to protect the environment and the water table. Another mission of the LACQ: supporting farmers by offering them training and outreach sessions.
The Clinique Des Plantes, for its part, was the first company accredited for GEP (Good Experimental Practice) in Morocco in 2017, for its programme for the registration of agricultural inputs. In so doing, Éléphant Vert has strengthened its leadership in the segment, not only in terms of human and material investment but also in terms of quality of service and turnover.
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R&D conducted with scientific partners
The leading investor in private agronomic research in Africa, Éléphant Vert Maroc has some thirty staff, mainly doctoral students and engineers. Among other subjects, they are working on the valorisation of microbial strains and their phytosanitary applications, within the framework of partnerships with Éléphant Vert. “A biological or natural alternative to the use of conventional phytosanitary products exists. Éléphant Vert is seeking to develop and market this type of solution, developed from micro-organisms with our partner doctoral students and engineers”, states Mr Alasri.
Three questions for:
Mr Anouar Alasri, Managing Director of Eléphant Vert
How is Éléphant Vert doing in Morocco?
Éléphant Vert is on a constantly renewed dynamic, driven by advances in Research & Development and the development of our offering so that it meets the needs of farmers in the regions we serve. We have been present at major events such as SIAM to showcase our expertise to those concerned. This development, launched in 2014, has been confirmed over the years.
What do you think of the economic relations between Switzerland and Morocco?
They are healthy relations based on a shared will, particularly in terms of sustainable development. Cooperation is going well, and bilateral initiatives are based on a shared concern for protecting the environment, in particular.
A word about the CCSM?
Since setting up in Morocco, Éléphant Vert has been an active member of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Morocco. The meetings and projects run by the CCSM offer ideal institutional support to investors and improve the Moroccan-Swiss economic environment. On several occasions, His Excellency the Ambassador of Switzerland has honoured Eléphant Vert with his presence, whether at our production sites or at the International Agricultural Show in Meknes.