In February 2026, IDC is working on exciting projects:

1) Spirulina is being hyped as a superfood. The global market for spirulina is expected to grow to $1 billion by 2030. However, global production of 15,000 to 20,000 tonnes of dried spirulina is highly concentrated and dominated by a few large plants in China. Less well known is that 2,000 to 4,000 tonnes of spirulina are harvested annually in Chad from wild collections around Lake Chad, which have been an important dietary supplement for local ethnic groups for centuries due to their high protein content. IDC supports GIZ and the EU in promoting the spirulina value chain with a value chain study and the preparation of Development Partnerships with the Private sector (DPP). Similar measures concern the cereal flour value chain.

2) A ValueLinks 2.0 training seminar moderated by IDC was held in Marrakesh, Morocco, February 2-6, organised by the GIZ project “Territoires Durables – Modes de vie durables et résilients au Maroc” which promotes green value chains in the High Atlas region.

3) In April, the GIZ SASI programme will offer its first SASI training course in French. IDC contributes to the preparations and will moderate the seminar together with SASI in cooperation with ECO-Consult. The venue will be in Grand Bassam (close to Abidjan).

4) In Southeast Asia, IDC, together with ECO Consult, has taken on a backstopping role for the project Protection and Sustainable Use of Forest Ecosystems and Biodiversity (ProFEB) in Laos, which will run until 2027.

5) ValueLinks 2.0 Training Seminars with registration opportunities for participants will be organised by IDC in Germany and other countries and announced here on the website. This also applies to our traditional annual seminar in Oestrich-Winkel organised first in 2008.