Company status: NGO

Year of registration: 2012

Number of employees: 16 (10 women and 06 men).

Pape-Tahirou KANOUTE, Founder and Executive Director

Pape-Tahirou KANOUTE is a committed senegalese economist, founder and Executive Director of the NGO Économie, Territoires et Développement Services (ETDS) , set up in 2012 and specialising in territorial planning, local development and the structuring of agri-food sectors. A graduate in economics and territorial governance, Mr KANOUTE has been working for several years to promote local products, particularly through geographical indications (GIs). Under his leadership, ETDS played a central role in obtaining the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for the «maad de Casamance», an emblematic fruit of the region, while at the same time warning of the environmental threats to its survival, such as bush fires and deforestation. Recognised for his innovative and sustainable approach, his work earned him an invitation in 2024 to the Journées Ivoiriennes de la Propriété Intellectuelle et de l’Innovation (JIP2I) , organised by OIPI, where he shared his expertise on the use of GIs as a lever for local development. He is also a fervent advocate of these economic tools on a continental scale, having worked with international organisations such as the FAO and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to promote their strategic use in Africa. As a lecturer and author, he regularly speaks on issues relating to territorial governance, the preservation of local know-how and the promotion of local products such as honey from Casamance, salt from Lake Retba and Manjak woven loincloths. In 2024, he was recognised as one of the most influential figures in the Ziguinchor region, thanks to his leadership based on strong human values, his tangible impact on rural communities, and his vision of sustainable development rooted in local resources and cultural heritage.

Business Model

ETDS was set up in Senegal in 2012, in a context marked by a growing need for territorialised approaches to sustainable development. It was set up with a view to strengthening the capacity of local authorities to plan and manage their development by drawing on the resources, know-how and economic dynamics specific to each territory. ETDS was founded, to address the challenges of decentralisation, adding value to local products and structuring rural industries, with the aim of promoting inclusive and innovative local governance. From the outset, the NGO has positioned itself as a key player in supporting local authorities, developing GIs and promoting Senegal’s agri-food heritage, with a strong presence in the Ziguinchor region of Casamance.

Mission: to contribute to the socio-economic development of local areas by mobilising local resources and creating national and international alliances and networks. In line with the territorialisation of public policies advocated by the Senegalese government.

Objectives:

• contribute to the socio-economic development of Senegal’s regions by mobilising local resources and creating national and international alliances and networks.
• strengthen the capacity of local players, local dynamics and the socio-economic and cultural appeal of the area.
• follow in the footsteps of the territorialisation of public policies advocated by the State of Senegal, by contributing to the implementation of these policies through concrete actions on the ground.

Strong relationships with smallholders, cooperatives…

ETDS maintains close relations with local farmers and cooperatives, and is actively involved in rural development and promoting local products.

• With local farmers: ETDS works directly with farmers to promote sustainable agricultural practices and improve living conditions in rural areas. The NGO provides technical agri-food services, particularly in the processing and preservation of agricultural produce, to reduce post-harvest losses and add value to local products. It also offers training tailored to the needs of farmers, covering areas such as natural resource management, territorial planning and local governance.
• With agricultural cooperatives: ETDS supports the structuring and strengthening of agricultural cooperatives by helping them to develop brands and labels, in particular through the introduction of GIs. This enables cooperatives to better position their products on the market and guarantee their authenticity. The NGO also helps cooperatives to evaluate and capitalise on their projects, providing tools and methodologies to measure the impact of their actions and share best practice.
• By working closely with farmers and cooperatives, ETDS helps to build local capacity, promote sustainable agriculture and enhance the value of local products, while supporting the economic and social development of local areas.

Products and markets
ETDS offers a wide range of services :

• Agri-food technical services: ETDS supports players in the agricultural and agri-food sectors by providing them with technical expertise on processing, preservation, sanitary quality and product enhancement. This includes customised support for producers, processors, cooperatives and SMEs to improve their processes, boost their competitiveness and meet market requirements.
• Development of brands and labels: the organisation helps to structure and promote local products with high added value by developing identity brands, quality labels and collective initiatives such as GIs. In this way, ETDS supports regions in obtaining official recognition and legal protection for their emblematic products, while helping to position them on local and international markets.
• Training: ETDS designs and implements training courses tailored to the needs of local development players, agricultural sectors and local authorities. The courses cover topics such as regional planning, project management, rural economics, agri-food processing and marketing of local products. The approach is participatory, practical and geared towards building technical and organisational capacity.
• Project evaluation and capitalisation: The NGO provides external evaluation, strategic monitoring and experience capitalisation services for rural, agricultural and regional development projects. It supports its partners (NGOs, donors, local authorities, cooperation projects) in analysing results, identifying good practice, producing knowledge and formulating recommendations to improve the impact of the actions implemented.

Innovations: Milestones and Expansions Plans
Since its creation, ETDS has implemented innovative approaches to strengthen the capacities of local players. It has developed training programmes tailored to the needs of communities, encouraged the creation of brands and labels for local products, and set up mechanisms for evaluating and capitalising on projects. The organisation plans to extend its activities to other countries in the West African sub-region, adapting its interventions to local contexts.

Impact of registering Madd de Casamance as a Geographical Indication:

• Number of processing GIEs (Groupement d’Intérêt Economique) affected to date: 18 out of APPIGMAC’s 80.
• 443 processors affected, including 288 women (65%) and 155 men (35%).
• 70 pickers affected: 65 young men (83%) and 5 women (7%).
• There are 8 young people working in the promotion and marketing of processed products in Dakar and other regions, including 4 girls and 4 boys.

Success Factors and Lessons Learned

Key success factors for ETDS include:

• Participatory approach: actively involve local communities in the design and implementation of projects.
• Capacity building: providing training and tools tailored to the needs of local stakeholders.
• Developing local resources (human and natural): Promoting local products and traditional know-how.
• And a continuous research and development approach in our actions.

Among the lessons learned, ETDS stresses the importance of adapting interventions to local specificities, the need for close collaboration with stakeholders, and the importance of the sustainability of the actions undertaken.
ETDS has also helped to create jobs such as the LINKOM boutique, a youth group specialising in the sale and marketing of local products.
In 2017, ETDS also set up a 04-hectare agroecological pilot farm in the village of Koubanack (Bignona department). This farm is one of the components of the ETDS strategy, which aims to keep young people in their terroirs by offering them an opportunity to train in innovative, diversified and environmentally-friendly agriculture. ETDS welcomes young people from a variety of backgrounds to the farm for study, exchange or discovery purposes (wwoofing).

Additional Resources

• Business Profile_ETDS_English
• Business Profile_ETDS_French