Profile MBSA

MBSA is a private company that works with more than 8000 small Jatropha curcas (Jatropha) farmers in 3 regions of Mali and 2 regions in Burkina Faso. MBSA is setting up sustainable decentralized biodiesel processors in West Africa. It has created Koulikoro Biocarburant SA that produces biodiesel in Koulikoro, Mali, where farmers are 20% shareholder, while it has created Faso Biocarburant that operates in Leo, Burkina Faso, where farmers are 30% shareholder.

Sustainability is promoted by integrating Jatropha in existing farming systems, especially by intercropping Jatropha with food and cash crops. The Foundations, created by MBSA, provide technical assistance to farmers through a network of field staff that improve their agricultural practices and improve their income and food security.

The main innovative character of MBSA is that smallholders own shares of the daughter companies. Thus farmers have direct benefits through the sales of products and they also share in the increased value of the shares as well as foreseen dividends.

Further, MBSA is the first company in Africa that has realized pro poor carbon offset for smallholder farmers. In Mali, its foundation has contracted its carbon reduction on the Voluntary Carbon Credit market to Trees for Travel who in turn has signed a contract with KIA Motors Netherlands. In Burkina Faso, its foundation has signed contracts with ICCO and the Fair Climate Fund. These carbon revenues are essential to finance the cost of the extension services to farmers as well as invest in sustainable agricultural practices.

Share holders

Its shareholders are KIT (Royal Tropical Institute), the Spoorwegen Pensioenfonds (the pension fund of the Dutch Railway company) and a private company called Power Pack Plus. Partners in Mali consist of a farmers union and Interagro. Further, the company receives financial support by the government of the Netherlands (PSI programme and Kees Daey Ouwens fund).