Spices are an indispensable part of every kitchen. However, while with yogurts, lemons, or chocolate we consider where they actually come from, with spices most chefs don’t really care that much. Unfortunately, it is precisely in the case of spice growers that frequent exploitation and also destruction of nature occur. By the way, the entire idea of .pepper..field is based on changing this issue in the case of Kampot farmers.
Why do the smallest and at the same time the best farms have such bad luck?
Fortunately, there are many organizations and smaller companies worldwide that build on similar values as we do at .pepper..field and try to help producers from all over the world. This help consists of overseeing better working conditions, fair wages, and also environmentally friendly approaches during production.
While there are many growers, the companies that buy their products are significantly fewer. Because of this, these companies can dictate the conditions under which they buy the cultivated product. These conditions are often unfavorable for farmers, exploit them, and they are forced to use pesticides and other chemical preparations to maximize yield.
Moreover, many of these farmers are from remote areas, which makes it impossible for them to enter the market without traders, who do not come to these areas very often. Simply put, they have the hardest possible position in trading.
These prices constantly fluctuate due to unstable weather and also the political situation in the countries where the farmers live. Additionally, these farmers live in poor conditions their entire lives and therefore do not have the strong will to escape them.
Are fair prices per kilo paid in Kampot?
That is why various organizations often set minimum purchase prices necessary to cover production costs and also ensure a decent life for farmers. Such an association in the case of Kampot pepper is KPPA – Kampot Pepper Promotion Association – which annually sets the official fair price per kilo of individual peppers, which it recommends to follow. Unfortunately, this is still only a recommendation that companies may or may not follow. Guess what – in the Kampot area, none of the local producers – neither small nor large farms like La Plantation – adhered to this official price per kilo and did not pay farmers that price. Why? And why yes, when their motivation was only commerce?
Of course, it is extremely financially demanding to pay farmers up to ten times more than others. But if you have the right motivation like we do at .pepper..field, not only can you manage it, but maybe in time you will also force large farms to reconsider why until now they have not paid a fair price per kilo? If a smaller company like ours can manage these finances, what excuse would large farms and producers have to find?
These are simply things we still shake our heads about. At the same time, it is a completely healthy, fair, and responsible foundation that we have committed to always uphold!
