A new channel of trade between farmers in Uganda and UK farm shops is in the early stages of creation by a small group of companies collaborating in the interests of sustainable farming and poverty alleviation.
Farmers in Africa work hard to survive under extreme pressure from foreign wholesalers to sell their harvest at rock bottom prices, keeping them in a sadly all too effective poverty trap. But now, there's a project underway to establish a precedent for direct grower-to-consumer shipping and fair share out of revenue after cost.
The project presupposes the abundance of produce in the exporter's region and scarcity in the destination region. For Uganda to UK, the crop of interest is pineapples, but avocado, black pepper, ginger and coffee are also considered. This project excludes produce like potatoes or carrots that are already abundant in the UK.
BigBarn, a British community interest company (CIC), provides an online platform for consumers to find and buy produce that's available from 9,000 local independent outlets throughout the UK. A platform that we will be using to absorb in their entirety, any import shipments from Uganda for distribution direct to the British consumer. Reduction of costs like marketing and shipping will help ensure the viability of the project for both farmer and farm shops. "In an ideal world, to minimise food miles, we would all eat what's grown locally." says Anthony Davison - Founder, BigBarn CIC, "But if we, as a nation, really want to indulge in fruits like pineapples and avocados, let's at least buy them from farm shops through direct connection with fairly paid farmers."
African countries have ideal conditions for growing crops like pineapples, and enough expertise on hand to grow them in abundance. For many years an African NGO organisation Kulika Uganda has been a leading proponent for leveraging the African advantage in agriculture by training farmers in sustainable farming methods. "There is a growing number of independent farmers in Uganda who have taken Kulika training in sustainable farming." says Evelyn Namuwolo - Director, Fauna and Flora Environmental Conservation Ltd, "The opportunity to sell direct to UK farmer's markets will raise workers in participating farms above the threshold of subsistence level living."
Planning is underway to ship the first Euro Pallet of Pineapples by air to UK, target 10th March 2022. Kulika will be the Exporter and TROM Computers CIC will be the importer of record. Order Efficiency Ltd will supply the Project Health Control (PHC) service via the PHC Portal that is the innovative part of the shipping process.
"We will see this first shipment through from packing to successful distribution" says Melwyn Cornelio, CEO of Melco Logistics & Shipping Group, "we could say this is the launch of radical new approach to the fair distribution of food products. I am very happy to be a part of this humanitarian project that puts people before profit." Melco Logistics & Shipping Group will oversee the entire operation of TROM Computers shipments as the network expands.
"We are excited to see the first of what we hope will be many successful shipments to the UK from farmers we have trained, and Kulika glad to represent them in the shipping process," says Magdelene Amujal, Executive Director of Kulika Uganda, "We look forward to a long and prosperous association with TROM Computers CIC in realisation of Patricia Brenninkmeyer’s prime objective, an emancipated self sustaining Uganda."
Interest is welcome from farmers of all African countries who specialise in Pineapples, Avocados, Ginger, Black Pepper and Coffee.
For more information:
Magdelene Amujal
Kulika Uganda
Tel: +2 564 142 66 261
Email: [email protected]
www.kulika.org