PHC Consortium puts Kulika-trained Uganda Farmers in Direct Contact with British Farm Shops
Pineapples, avocados and other tropical fruits direct from Ugandan farmers will be available in British farm shops from early March 2022.
SOUTHMINSTER, ESSEX, UNITED KINGDOM, February 10, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- 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."
UK farmers would love to be able to grow pineapples, avocados, ginger, black pepper and coffee on their own farms, but climate conditions simply don't allow it. 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 Uganda2 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."
Maximising crop success for an abundance of produce satisfies local consumption needs and allows potentially lucrative export revenue from the excess. Economic conditions however, make Africa a prime target for exploitation by multi-national corporations that favour profit over people. Kulika have been poised to enter the export market for crops from their Kulika trained farmers, and are in enthusiastic support for the Shipping and Transportation service that is being pioneered by TROM Computers CIC.
"Shipping and Transportation in this special way, is an innovation that stems originally from ideas related to community care", says David Winter, Founder of TROM Computers CIC, "We are hopeful that results from the first trial shipments will start a trend for exporting via the PHC Consortium, as money goes into the farmers' pockets, as a direct result of dwindling market share for the institutional importers."
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 objective3, an emancipated self sustaining Uganda."
Interest is welcome from farmers of all African countries who specialise in Pineapples, Avocados, Ginger, Black Pepper and Coffee.
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Kulika Uganda (http://www.kulika.org) is a non profit organisation that trains farmers in ecological organic agriculture, and provides support to the trained farmers.
BigBarn CIC (https://www.bigbarn.co.uk) runs the UK’s number one local food website that has been building a better way to buy food for 20 years in a mission to reconnect consumers with their local producers and encourage trade and communication.
Melco Logistics & Shipping Group ( https://melcoshipping.com/) provides global logistics solutions and is assigned to oversee all shipments across the entire TROM Computers global network.
Order Efficiency Ltd is the creator of the Project Health Control (PHC) methodology behind the PHC Consortium, a collaboration of companies and individuals promoting performance improvement for business and individuals.
TROM Computers CIC is the hub of a network for community development through service via the PHC Portal, an interactive online window to information on community based projects. New users register by sending a blank email to addme@phcportal.com
David Winter
Order Efficiency Ltd
+44 1621 772110
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WATCH NOW: An Interview with the Farm Manager - John Bosco - Capturing the essence of Kulika's contribution to sustainable farming in Uganda. at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl4Q5efiV8U
1 https://www.bigbarn.co.uk/
2 https://www.kulika.org/
3 https://www.kulika.org/history/