Our Vision
A mission for more equity + better quality
The spice industry as we know it was historically developed during colonial times and so many of the inequalities and stigmas from this period still exist.
And while we are seeing a shift in perception when it comes to the ethical and sustainable sourcing of coffee and chocolate to an extent, we’ve noticed people don’t actually question this when it comes to spices!
So, we’re here to kickstart that change and get the world thinking about fairtrade and equitable spices!
Bonus for you… fairtrade single origin spices are WAY more fresh, flavoursome, fragrant and delicious!
when buying spices
Ask yourself the 5 W's
where?
Where are my spices from? It's usually far away, but is it clear where the origin is?
who?
Who are my spices from? Were the farmers fairly paid for their produce?
when?
When were the spices harvested? And when did they reach the shelves?
why?
Why are they so cheap, especially if they come from so far away?
what?
What is actually inside? Have the spices been processed, treated or diluted?
... so, Has that got you thinking about the origin of your spices?
we're doing things differently
single origin spices with equity to farmers
At Ujamaa, we are proudly able to answer all the 5 W’s for any of our spices.
So, if you’re curious and would like to know more, just shoot us a message and we’d be more than happy to tell you more (honestly, we just get very excited when someone asks about our products. We can talk about spices all day!).
Our work is all about changing perceptions and therefore we are determined to pioneer educational initiatives in Scotland and the rest of the UK towards the use of single origin spices.
We are currently paying farmers a premium price for their products, which is at least 5x the commodity price they usually receive.
Our aim is to establish a more equitable trading system in the spice industry where benefits for the farmers are more transparent and both growth and development can actually be measured and shared.
Environmentally speaking, our impact measures will be focused on promoting sustainable farming methods that conserve biodiversity as well as cultural heritage. Because we take circular economy issues very seriously, we will also be closely tracking our efforts towards the usage of our minimal, biodegradable packaging where possible.
