Sustainable spices

Content

Introduction
Spice supply information
Production promotion projects & reports
Production & export support organizations

Introduction
Most spice farmers are poor small scale farmers who produce spices as a cash crop next to commodities such as maize and bananas. For farmers to feel committed to spice production they foremost need a guaranteed and competitive price for their produce, enabling them to support their families. If this is not the case they might be inclined to side sell produce to other buyers or even shift to the production of higher value crops, such as cocoa or coffee.

Also exporters overseas are struggling. On the one hand they have to deal with hundreds of small scale farmers (usually through intermediate traders) who want a good price for their produce. On the other hand, exporters need to deliver products that comply with quality requirements and increasingly with social and environmental standards of volatile markets. This requires costly quality management systems and training of farmers.

Producing spices for high quality markets such as in Europe and the US creates opportunities (price margins are usually higher) as well as constraints (higher requirements on quality). Producers and exporters need assistance to overcome these constraints. Assistance can be provided by other chain actors or by stakeholders outside the chain. Examples are NGO’s, finance institutions or government organizations.

On this page you will find information on the supply side of sustainable spices. First links to spice supply information is provided. Additionally you will find links to projects that are directed at or involved in sustainable spice production. Then a whole range of local support organizations in Africa, Asia and Latin America is given. The list is far from inclusive. Suggestions for adding others are warmly welcomed.

Spice supply information

ITC - Organic Link
Organic Link is a web portal serving the organic business communities. This website helps exporters and importers of organic products to find each other through its easy-to-access database of business contacts. It also contains useful information about organic products and markets.

Opportunities for African spices
In 2009 KIT had a few studies done on the opportunities and challenges of sustainable spice production in Africa. Tanzania functioned as a more in-depth case study. Findings were presented to the industry during the Africa spice round table organized by KIT in December '09. Click below for the following presentations:

Spices in Africa: new opportunities for an old continent
Sustainable spice trade: the Tanzania case

Production promotion projects & reports

Africa general
Export Promotion of Organic Products from Africa - EPOPA
From 1997 to 2008 - Sida (Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency) financed a programme to promote exports of organic products from Africa, e.g. spices in Tanzania and vanilla in Uganda. The EPOPA programme worked on inproving the livelihoods of the farmers in the countries of operation. One can read more about this in the downloadable book - Organic Exports - a way to a better life? Its website offers a whole list of downloadable information on the publications page.

Regional Cooperation for Organic Standards and Certification capacity in East Africa - OSEA project
This two years project (2006-2007) aimed at improving income and livelihood of rural communities in East Africa, through facilitation of trade in organic products by means of a regional standard and regional certification cooperation.

Tanzanian researchers in cooperation with the Danish Institute of International Studies

Institutional capacity for standards conformity assessment: A case study on spices in Tanzania - DIIS Working Paper no 2008/10
In this paper Adam Akyoo and Evelyne Lazaro evaluate the prevailing local capacity to carry out standards conformity assessment for Tanzanian spice exports to the EU. They describe two major critical challenges in conforming to export standards in high value markets: (1) The need for producers to adhere to approved production methods (in the case of certified organic product) and food safety requirements (for all products); and (2) the need for producing countries to have adequate capacity to assess conformity for exportable food items with respect to importer country requirements.

The spice industry in Tanzania: General profile, supply chain structure, and food standards compliance issues - DIIS Working Paper no 2007/8
Adam Akyoo and Evelyne Lazaro focus upon the recent history of the spice industry in Tanzania. Spices fall into the category of crops with the potential of supplementing the country’s traditional export crops. In this paper the authors deal with issues of supply chain dynamics and conformity with international standards when it comes to access to high value export markets.

An accounting method-based cost-benefit analysis of conformity to certified organic standards for spices in Tanzania - DIIS Working Paper no 2008/30
In this paper Adam Akyoo and Evelyne Lazaro quantify the costs and benefits of complying with the certified organic standard for members of black pepper and chilli contract farming schemes in two districts in Tanzania. It is based on survey data from 2006-07 based on samples of scheme members and control groups. In both cases none of the potential benefit listed above were realized. This is the result of absent price premiums and, in the case of at least one scheme, wider contract failure. Adoption of re-commended organic practices by members of the schemes was also low.

Colombia
Maritza grows organic spices in Columbia
This story from South America shows how one woman in Columbia began cultivating and selling spices for a living. When the demand for her spices grew she decided to partner with other women in the area. Now they have 75 growers, four of whom process the raw materials, which are packaged in Medellín and then sold in large chain stores such as Exito and Carrefour in the main cities in Colombia.

Sri Lanka
Lanka Spices Turmeric Cultivation Project
Spices are produced all over the Asian continent. This article is an example of three farmer societies working to improve the quality of the turmeric in Sri Lanka. Income increases motivated farmers to return to turmeric cultivation whereas they had virtually given up cultivation due to prior selling difficulties.

Value Chain Promotion and Business Environment Reforms - experiences from Sri Lanka
In this paper of late 2006 by Dr. Peter Richter, GTZ-INTEGRATION, the establishment of a Cinnamon Training Center to Promote the Sri Lankan Spice Industry is described as an example of value chain promotion of Sri Lanka’s principle spice product: cinnamon.

Vietnam
The price of spice: Ethnic minority livelihoods and cardamom commodity chains in upland northern Vietnam
This article investigates the contemporary dynamics surrounding the cultivation, harvesting and trade of dried cardamom fruit from Hmong cultivators in Lao Cai province to consumers elsewhere in Vietnam and beyond to China and the global market.

Production & export support organizations

Africa general
African Horticultural Associations & Networks
On this page the Global Horticultural Initiative provides an overview of African Horticultural Associations & Networks.

IFOAM - Africa Office or Africa Organic Service Center
The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) has its own Africa Office (IAO) for African Organic development. The IAO ensures that on the entire continent of Africa, Organic Agricultural representatives make concerted efforts to promote and get recognition for Organic Agriculture among farmers groups, NGOs, governments and intergovernmental organizations, and development organizations. It provides the tools and a platform for information exchange and networking activities on issues relevant to the organic sector in Africa.

Comoros
Syndicat National des Agriculteurs Comoriens -SNAC
The SNAC promotes among others producers’ interests and aims to improve farmers’organizations competences.

Ethiopia
Tepi National Spices Research Center in Ethiopia
In Africa, the activities of the Tepi National Spices Research Center in Ethiopia include include adopting and developing spices technologies, conducting lowland researches, conserving spice germplasms, multiplying and distributing improved spices and lowland coffee technologies to comparable agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia, as well as providing training and advisory services on the sub-sector.

India
Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR)
The broad areas under which research is being conducted at the institute include: collection, conservation, evaluation and cateloguing of germplasm; development of varieties of high yield, qulaity and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses through conventional and biotechnological approaches; standardizing propogation methods to ensure large scale production and distribution of high yielding genotypes; development of agrotechniques for increasing production and productivity; Integrated pest and disease management; post harvest technology; socio-economic aspects of cultivation, marketing and information dissemination in spices.

All India Coordinated Research Project on Spices -AICRPS
The All India Coordinated Research Project on Spices came to existence in 1986 with its headquarters at Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR), Calicut, Kerala. The AICRPS is the mechanism in building a nationwide cooperative and inter disciplinary research network linking the ICAR system with the State and Central Agricultural Universities to focus attention on spices research.

Kenya
Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya - FPEAK
FPEAK is Kenya’s premier trade Association representing growers, exporters and service providers in the horticulture industry. It provides a focal and coordination point for the horticulture export industry. Among others FPEAK provides technical and marketing information and training and acts as an information centre.

Kenya Organic Agricultural Network - KOAN
KOAN is the National Coordinating body for Organic Agricultural activities in Kenya. The organization represents over 35,000 farmers and works with partner organizations throughout the country.

Madagascar
Centre Technique Horticole de Tamatave - CTHC
The Centre Technique Horticole de Tamatave / Horticultural Technical Center Tamatave (CTHC) is involved in the organization, promotion and representation of the horticultural sectors of the east coast of Madagascar and more specifically those of the Province of Tamatave. Active members of CTHT are producers (individuals, groups), exporters, processors, importers.

Tanzania
Confederation of Tanzania Industries - CTI
The CTI is an independent, self-financed, legally constituted organization that serves its members by speaking out on their behalf and generally representing their interests. CTI envisages to be a sustainable business association which can influence changes for a better business environment for the manufacturing sector.

Tanzania Organic Certification Association - TanCert
TanCert,was registered by the government of Tanzania in June 2004 as a result of a long stakeholder process to develop a certification programme of organic production system for Tanzania. It has the following mission: "To contribute to the development and strengthening of environmentally sustainable systems by providing credible and transparent certification services. TanCert will actively facilitate the development of realistic and acceptable environmentally sustainable production standards in Tanzania and the rest of the world".

Tunesia
Centre Technique de L'Agriculture Biologique -CTAB
The Technical Centre of Organic Agriculture is involved in adapting research results to local and regional levels, organizing training sessions, information provision through e.g. seminars, meetings and field days. It further does experimental trials and is involved in international collaboration. CTAB produces and and distributes technical documents and leaflets related to different aspects of Organic Agriculture.

Uganda
Association of Vanilla Exporters of Uganda - VANEX
Vanex is a non-profit making organization aimed at unifying Vanilla Exporters in Uganda and all other stake holders in the industry.

National Organic Agriculture Movement of Uganda - NOGAMU
NOGAMU is a membership organization which unites farmers, producers, processors, exporters and other key stakeholders in the promotion of organic agriculture in Uganda.

Uganda Organic Certification Ltd. - UgoCert
UgoCert, the Uganda Organic Certification company, is owned by NOGAMU. Its purpose is to establish a certification company to offer affordable and credible certification services to Uganda based organic producers and operators.

Vietnam
Pacific Basin Partnership/Son Ha Spice & Flavorings–safe & clean spices
Pacific Basin Partnership (PBP) / Son Ha Spice & Flavorings Co., Ltd. is a manufacturer and exporter of safe and clean spices in Vietnam. It provides conventional as well as organic Vietnamese spices. The partnership imports from third countries for re-processing. They sterilize, grind and blend to customer order, following ASTA [American Spice Trade Association] standards and HACCP for safe, good quality products. Guiding principles for PBP are to become a great spice exporter by constantly seeking ways to improve quality and service and its belief in equity for farmer producers and as such their commitment to organic program support, and construction of clean water supplies for remote villages.

Zambia
Organic Producers and Processors Association of Zambia - OPPAZ
OPPAZ is Zambia's leading organic association, ensuring quality and sustainability in the farms they accept as members.

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