SOLVERT started as Mali Biocarburant in 2007. Since 2009 we work in Burkina Faso with a federation of 4,000 women who harvest inedible oilseeds. We are currently purchasing: balanites, baobab, jatropha, hibiscus, ximenia, neem, and moringa. One major product is neem that is sold as biopesticide and biofertilizer. Thereby contributing to regenerative agriculture in Burkina Faso. 

Next, we work together with local farmers who provide us with multiple oilseeds. These smallholders are also shareholders in the company, thus ensuring fair pricing. Through our business model we contribute to social inclusion, conservation of biodiversity, decent jobs, and increased income for women collectors and for farmers. 

Since our start together with thousands of smallholder farmers we planted millions of trees already. With our latest initiative, we want to continue to regreen the Sahel in Burkina Faso by planting trees. 

See where the SolVert magic happens

Meet the team

Abbas Tamboura - Director Burkina Faso

As the director of SolVert in Burkina Faso, Abbas has more than a handful of tasks. Commuting between Leo and Ouagadougou, he balances work and family time in Ouaga, and then weekly spending time in Leo where he supports his employees. Abbas focuses on managing the staff, purchasing oilseeds, overseeing the production, and he is also active in doing sales. If Abbas is not working he finds pleasure in spending time with his family and playing with his child. 

Leva Konate - Sales Manager

After completing his master in Media & Business at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Leva started his first job in as a sales manager at SolVert. In this job, Leva moved to Burkina Faso to be responsible for the sales of vegetable oils and bio fertiliser which are produced at the factory. Next, he also takes care of the marketing aspect. Growing up in a multicultural environment, Leva always desired to go to West-Africa and have an impact on the local community. The well-known sentence 'going back to your roots', is what pulled him towards this experience. Besides work, Leva likes to be sportively active, mainly playing football (as you can see below). When you don't find him in the field kicking a ball or travelling around, you could probably find him reading books, watching documentaires or enjoying time with friends and family. 

Seydou Poudiougou - Production Manager

Our product manager, Seydou Poudiougou, has an industrial engineering degree at the national school of engineering (ENI-ABT). He also holds a degree in applied physics at the Faculty of Technical Sciences (FAST) in Mali. Before coming to Burkina Faso in 2019 to work for SolVert, Seydou already worked for three years with us in Mali, also as a production manager. With his qualifications in automation, industrial and pneumatic electrical installation, he is the perfect fit for this role. Seydou moved one year ago with his family to Leo, Burkina Faso, where he recently constructed a house for his family. To conclude, as a hobby he likes football and listening to music.