Just back from a recent trip to Guatemala, to check on the progress, Peter Hägg from ICA said that he was very pleased with what he saw, but that the trip was also beneficial in making an effective plan for grower self-sufficiency in the future.
"We set up this premier project for our sugar peas and mangetout (snow peas) sold at ICA and a budget was made at the start of the project 2 years ago with three main objectives. The first goal was to invest in an irrigation system for small Guatemalan growers.The natural water source was 6km from the village, on a steep mountain, and now a system has been made which brings the water to the village, along with 120km of pipes bringing water to each grower. With just this one action, growers are now able to have a second growing cycle, increasing production by 100%." said Peter.
"The second objective was to invest in water filters, because the villagers lacked clean water, which can bring about disease. The third was to invest in better housing. Families in the region were often cooking with an open fire inside the house, without ventilation. The stoves also required a lot of wood, so we invested in new stoves for 60 families. The old stove used 70% more wood and it took villagers two days to gather enough to cook. Now it takes just a half a day to gather enough to last the week, more importantly, all of the smoke is also taken out of the house."
Outside of these three objectives, the group also supplies technical support and educational programs.
Peter said that the purpose of the trip last week was to investigate the KPIs and to check the progress of everything that had been done so far. Although happy with what he saw, it was also a starting point for other questions about the future of the program.
"This is a new thing for both ICA and Nature's pride, so the visit did bring up some questions, such as, if we were to stop investing, would residents continue the work we had started with the water filter and irrigation systems. The water filter is set to expire in June of 2018 and when we asked the likelihood of residents paying to have the filter changed, we were met with the answer, probably not. The same goes for the irrigation system, which will last 3 to 6, depending on how it is maintained. This
made it clear to us that we need to continue providing education about the importance of clean water, but also that we need to have a clear plan about how we would like to move forward from 2018 onwards." shared Peter.
The main goal for the long term is to help growers become self sufficient. However, the financial situation for the growers is delicate, because all it takes is a wind storm or heavy rains to decrease production. Even though growers have been given the tools to increase production, it is not a guarantee.
The story of the project is clearly on the packaging for consumers.
"We have been very clear and transparent about the project, by informing consumers about how we are helping clean the water and helping small growers have two crops instead of one, directly on the pea packaging."
The peas are a conventional product, with all growers being global gap certified.
"The peas are grown 2,700km above sea level and it's fantastic to see that the vegetable can be grown in such an atypical environment. We saw the second growing cycle on our last visit. There are two growing cycles of 12 weeks, which means that farms will have crops growing 24 weeks of the year, compared to half of that time before. We are dealing with very small farms of 0.1-0.2 hectares per grower on average, which there is not enough production to completely supply ICA, so we also source from other parts of Guatemala or Kenya to fill in the gaps. We are packing the peas in Holland with clear communication of what the money is going to. So even the peas from Kenya support the program in Guatemala." shared Peter.
"I am really hoping that more company's will start becoming involved in these types of projects. While travelling with two brilliant people from Nature's Pride, a major Dutch supplier, they also expressed that they think that this the beginning of something which will likely become a normal business activity in the coming years and that more and more retailers will start wanting to become involved too. I think it's really encouraging to see how a large Dutch supplier like Nature's Pride wants to work with sustainability and it is nice to be a front runner in this. It's a great opportunity for learning and to spread the word to others." said Peter.
"It's just amazing how much of an impact a small investment per pack of peas can change someone's life for the better. The advice I would give to other retailers would be to go for it, the benefits out way the disadvantages. However, choose your partners wisely, there will be a few challenges along the way that require knowledge and commitment."
Fo
r more information:Peter Hägg
ICA
Tel: +46 (0)10 422 5252
Email: PeterHagg@ica.se
icagruppen.se