1. “FEST-ETC-Basquetour Conference: Leadership and
Governance for Sustainable Tourism”
“Using private-public partnerships to
develop sustainable agro-tourism: the
São Tomé and Príncipe case study”
Mr Andrea Serpagli
Country Programme Manager,
São Tomé and Príncipe
IFAD-West and Central Africa Division
ESC, Vitoria, 1st July 2015

2. Why the Sao Tomé and Principe case-study was
considered of interest for this ESC event? Because it is a
nice story about….
• Inclusive development and its
(unplanned, unexpected) scaling
up effects
• Private-public partnerships
• Its sustainability dimension in
economic, social and
environmental terms
• Inter-sectorial dimension

3. São Tomé and Príncipe: 1,010 Km2
/ 185,000 inhabitants.
A very “classic” SIDS example: isolated, exports dependant, fast
growing population and very limited resources availability

4. Background: how the whole story started in STP.
The development of agricultural value-chains
• São Tomé e Principe: largest international cocoa exporter
in 1930 (40,000 MT).
• Land reform (WB/IFAD supported) in mid-80s’: 8,000
smallholders were created.
• Price volatility of cocoa: from USD 1,300/ton in early 1998
to USD 700-900/ton till end 2001. Smallholders were
abandoning their lands.
• In 2003, IFAD started the “Participatory Smallholder
Agriculture & Artisanal Fisheries Development Project
(PAPAFPA)” based on:
(i) PPP establishment,
(ii) Organisation of producers,
(iii) Produce upgrading,
(iv) Use of certification to access EU niche (certified) markets.
• PPPs established (cocoa):
(i) 2005 between CECAB (bio-producers export co-op) and
KAOKA (leading French enterprise in the EU organic chocolate
market);
(ii) 2009 between CECAQ (FT-producers export co-op) and
CaféDirect (UK, active on the FT liquid beverages market +
GEPA (2012) leading FT organization in Germany.

5. São Tomé and Príncipe: Support to Organic and Fair-Trade
Agricultural Value Chains
• Main value-chains targeted:
• Organic Cocoa (as from 2005)
• Organic Pepper (as from 2007)
• Fair-Trade Cocoa (as from 2009)
• Organic Coffee (as from 2010)
• Private Partners involved:
• Organic cocoa: KAOKA (FR)
• Organic fair-trade: CafèDirect (UK) +
GEPA (D)
• Organic pepper: Hom&Terre (FR)
• Organic Arabica coffee: MALONGO
(FR)
• Organic Robusta Coffee (SLOW
FOOD)
Project achievements (cocoa only)Project achievements (cocoa only)
Communities covered:Communities covered:
Organiccocoavalue
chain–CECAB(2005)
Organiccocoavalue
chain–CECAB(2005)
Producers supported:Producers supported:
Dried beans exported:Dried beans exported:
45 – 3750 ha45 – 3750 ha
>1800 (36% women)>1800 (36% women)
> 5000 MT (since 05)> 5000 MT (since 05)
1 PPP established: with (KAOKA, 2005)1 PPP established: with (KAOKA, 2005)
Communities covered:Communities covered:
Organic/fairtrade
cocoavaluechain–
CECAQ-11(2009)
Organic/fairtrade
cocoavaluechain–
CECAQ-11(2009)
Producers supported:Producers supported:
Dried beans exported:Dried beans exported:
17 – 1729 ha17 – 1729 ha
958 (34 % women)958 (34 % women)
750 MT (since 09)750 MT (since 09)
2 PPPs established: with CaféDirect (Fair-
trade -2009) and GEPA (Organic-2012)
2 PPPs established: with CaféDirect (Fair-
trade -2009) and GEPA (Organic-2012)

6. São Tomé and Príncipe: communities covered by
PAPAFPA
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ZONE CENTRE
ZONE NORD
CARTE DES COMMUNAUTES IMPLIQUÉES PAR LES
COMPOSANTES DU PAPAFPA À LA FIN DE L’ANNÉE 2008
P.Inhame
O.Gaspar
B.Vista
T.Velho
N.Estrela
Montalegre
S.Joaquim
P.Sol
Paciencia
Abade
Pincaté
B.Monte
Fundão
P.Real
S.Rita
S.Cristo
Sundy
Azeitona
V.Fernanda
P.Conchas
Plancas Plancas II
Saltado
A.Sampaio
A.Coimbra
M.Carmo
P.Alto B.Esperança
Generosa
Rosema
S.Teresa
R.Palma
R.Funda
C.SantosCadão Gratidão
P.Figo S.
B.Sucesso
P.Figo P.
NEVES
M.Leite
A.Morais
Cascata
J.Luis
M.Morais
Rebordelo
D.Vaz
S.Jenny
P.Fogo
J.Paulo
S.Margarida
Milagrosa
Blu-Blu
Q.Palmeiras Filipina
R.Lima
Pinheira
Q.Flores
R.Nova
N.Olinda
S.António
À.Izé
M.AntónioQuimpo
C.Faro
S.Januário
B.Faro
A.Andrade
M.Cana
O.Marim
M.Silva
Castelo
M.Belo
A.Douro
S.Cecilia
Caridade
Beira A.Vouga
S.Lourenço
Amparo1
A.João
S.Paulo
S.Francisco
A.Toldo
S.João
Soledade
M.Carroça
N.Oliveira D.Augusta
Abade
PlateauS.Manuel
S.Catarina Rio Ave
Lemba
P.Furada
S.João
D.Amélia
C.Açoreana
Vanguarda
M.Mário
Micondo
V.Formoso
S.Adelaide
S.Clotilde
M.Luiza
S.Manuel
P.Palmeiras
R.Peixe
P.Alegre S.
A.Douro
Willy
P.Baleia
Sta.Josefina
A.Belas
M.Estoril
P.Pian
R.Douro P.
Laranjeira
A.Telha
Santarém
B.Entrada
S.José
F.Dias
Sta Teresa
Piedade
P.Maria
Bénfica
Formosa
S.Carlos
S.José
Margão
V.Alegre
Queluz
M.Macaco
S.F.Mongo
M.Café
Canavial
V.Braga
S.Luzia
S.Clara
Caldeiras
U.B.PraiaU.B.Velho
Guegue
C.Dias
S.Clotilde
P.Conchas P.
M.Forte
Fortunato
Alphabétisa tion
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M.Alegre
Ca ca o Biologique
Poivre Vanille
U.Budo S.
F.Mantero
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Malanza
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ZONE SUD
PRÍNCIPE
S.J.dos Angolares
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R.Palma Praia
P.Pesqueira
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P.Nazaré

7. The Business Model utilised in STP
The instrument : the PPP
Public (IFAD + local Government) – Private (EU enterprises + local producers) Partnerships: a
very effective way to involve poor smallholders in developing sustainable agricultural value chains
and win-win solution for all parts involved:
Ability to ensure long-term viability: PPPs implemented prove to be a viable instrument for long-term
undertakings such as the development of agricultural value-chains;
Effectiveness in sharing and mitigating risks linked to: (i) market access (in terms of: demand,
practices used), (ii) non-compliance with produce quality and standards, (iii) size and consistency of supplies ,
and (iv) access to technology;
Ability to well combine different contributions aiming at a common goal: public investors provide
investment resources, while private partners provide: know-how and specialised technical assistance, market
access and knowledge/contacts along with some financial support;
Ability to facilitate work within ethical schemes: this ensures use of: (i) viable
production/processing/trade practices; (ii) fair trade terms (based on agreed minimum stable prices, pre-
negotiated contracts, advance payments of products); (iii) premiums for communities’ development; (iv)
fairer distribution of wealth generated.

8. The impact of the work on agricultural
value-chains
The video: Saved by chocolaTe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH0zveHAQ2w&feature=youtu.be

9. The approach used to develop an agro-tourism
value-chain in STP
The strategy: Make use of lessons learned and win-
win approaches utilised for developing the primary
sector during last 20 years.
(a) Continue to make use of sustainable/ethical approaches;
(b) Use private actors as a driver of the sector’s
development: creation of a PP platform rounding up public
sector (local/national institution, IFAD/GEF, the EC, local and
international NGOs) and private (tourist operators, eco-
lodges, restaurants, national Association of Biologists,
National Guide association) actors;
(c)Link up previous national investments and assets (the
Obo and Principe National Park, local NGOs, local tourist
facilities and operators etc) with new (IFAD and GEF)
investments;
(d)Pursue the process linked to quality and excellence
followed to value agricultural products inherent quality
features (through certification, niche markets, use of GIs)
also for developing the tourism sector (using certification,
linking up eco-lodges and more traditional catering facilities,
utilizing Slow Food “presidiums” to value local recipes and
foods);
(e) Networking local cultural heritage, pristine natural
resources, past and ongoing interventions to enhance tourist
capture.

10. The instruments
The PP platform
•Legally established end of 2014;
•Rounding up: farmers’ organizations,
National Guides Organization, National
Biologist Association, local NGOs, one
International NGO and leading organic
certifier (ICEA), eco-lodges, hotels,
restaurants, national Tours Operators,
regional (Camera de Lembá)/national
(Ministry of Tourism)/international
institutions;
•Acting based on a “sustainability chart”
created “ad hoc” in the context of the
IFAD/GEF intervention;
•Aiming at enhancing local, inclusive and
sustainable tourism development in STP
and abroad and promoting country’s
image internationally;
•Support park/forests protection and
restoration of degraded areas.
The first “tourist package”
•Piloting it in the Lembá District: major
producing area of organic cocoa, with well
established institutions (including
CECAB), functioning eco-facilities,
concomitant donors’ interventions (EC,
IFAD and GEF), prominent cultural and
natural endowments (both inland and
along coasts);
•Merging consolidated achievements with
new challenges: the work on the bio-
cocoa value chain (through the “cocoa-
route”) and on the Obo National Park with
a still unstructured local tourist industry
and the recently started local work of
Slow Food;
•Aiming to build up an inclusive,
sustainable, certified and quality national
tourism industry
•Promoting it via international circuits
(Northern EU tour operators) and high
profile events (such as EXPO 2015).

11. THANK YOU