Producing Fair Trade Spices in Cambodia
The story of a business committed to put people and planet before profit
How it all started
In 2013, when Nathalie and Guy Porre discover the charm of Cambodia during a family trip, they decide to settle in the south of the country to start a new life and participate in the development of the Kampot countryside through the revival of its iconic spice: Kampot Pepper. Little did they know about the journey awaiting them…
In June 2020, La Plantation is a growing social enterprise and the leading brand for natural Cambodian spices and herbs.
Since its inception, the project is guided by the will to grow and distribute the best quality spices while having a positive social and environmental impact.
It was decided very early on that the full production chain would be located at the farm, in the middle of southern rural Cambodia. Harvest, selection, processing, packaging and storage are all done on-site by a team of 150 full-time employees. Even though it is not always the most efficient or convenient way, the benefits are numerous: strict quality control from the crop to the final packaged product, transparency and traceability all along the chain, and the preservation of a traditional know-how by the local community.
The spices are harvested and selected by hand, following centuries old traditions. Some of our collaborators come from several generations of pepper farmers in the region, and their knowledge of the local terroir cannot be found in any agriculture book.
The diversity of the team creates a perfect environment for innovation. Every year, we discover new local spices and create new blends and recipes, at the crossing of Khmer traditional culture and French gastronomy inspiration.
The journey to Fair Trade certification
In late 2018, we realized it was time to evaluate our social impact and we started the application process with the World Fair Trade Organization. The definition of the Fair Trade movement by WFTO resonated strongly with La Plantation’s mission and values: individuals, organizations and networks that share a common vision of a world in which justice, equity and sustainable development are at the heart of trade structures and practices so that everyone, through their work, can maintain a decent and dignified livelihood and develop their full human potential. Financial profitability is obviously a vital aspect of the project, as it is necessary to ensure its development year after year, but it’s only a parameter among others.
Fair Trade is more than just trading:
It proves that greater justice in world trade is possible.
It highlights the need for change in the rules and practice of conventional trade and shows how a successful business can also put people first.
It is a tangible contribution to the fight against poverty, climate change and economic crisis.
Committing to the principles of Fair Trade
WFTO prescribes 10 principles that Fair Trade organisations must follow in their day-to-day work and carries out monitoring to ensure these principles are upheld. Below is a description of how La Plantation follows the 10 principles of Fair Trade.
Principle One: Creating Opportunities for Economically Disadvantaged Producers
The Kampot province is a mainly rural area with little economic opportunities for the local population.
La Plantation has grown from scratch in 2013 to an established company hiring 150 full-time employees, most of which come from neighbouring communities. During the harvest, from February until May, 100 additional seasonal workers join the team.
In 2019, La Plantation created a partnership program to purchase the harvest of small-scale independent spice farms around Cambodia. Partner farms receive a fair payment and fair terms for their production. As of June 2020, a few dozen farms have joined the program, providing them a guaranteed revenue.
While the number of small-scale farmers and plantations that grow specific herbs and spices is globally vast and diverse, the number of companies that trade and market their produce is significantly lower. This inequality of number of sellers and buyers results also in a huge gap of power when it comes to negotiating prices and other sales terms.
Source: FairTrade International
Principle Two: Transparency and Accountability
Our business operations are built on transparency and our customers appreciate knowing exactly where the spices come from. Everyday, we take visitors for tours in the fields where the pepper is grown, in direct contact with our collaborators.
Being certified Organic by Ecocert since 2017, the production team follows strict traceability processes. We keep a record of all purchases to prove that a fair price has been paid, and that fair payment conditions are followed.
La Plantation is committed to work in priority with independent distributors who recognize the value of a transparent supply chain.
Principle Three: Fair Trading Practices
Fair Trade recognises, promotes and protects the cultural identity and traditional skills of small producers. We find the producers behind the best quality spices available and market them to a global audience.
The partnership program launched in 2019 is growing fast as we are discovering new exciting spices grown by independent family farms around Cambodia. The original goal was to support producers in the Kampot area, and we soon realized that other regions with different ecosystems were home to great quality artisan spices such as wild cardamom collected in the Cardamom mountains forest by local pickers.
All partners sign a contract with La Plantation, to guarantee the purchase conditions including rates and payment terms. Orders are paid on receipt and even sometimes before the harvest, securing revenue for several families at once. Our ambition is to create long term partnerships with these producers. We encourage and support them to grow new spice varieties, and commit to purchase their harvest. Our partners can increase their revenue year after year and don’t have to worry about selling their harvest.
Our commitment to preserving the local culture is not focused on spices only. As wooden houses are being replaced by concrete buildings in remote areas, we fight against the destruction of traditional Khmer architecture. We buy houses that are about to be destroyed and rebuild them on our property where visitors can witness the rural way-of-life.
Principle Four: Fair Payment
After 7 years in Kampot running the farm, and with a team comprised mainly of local collaborators, we have a good understanding of the economic situation in local communities. The salaries of our employees and their benefits are revised every year to make sure it’s consistent with the local living wage. When spices are purchased to external partners, the price is negotiated freely and mutually agreed to ensure a sufficient margin to producers.
We are focused on quality and we are willing to pay the price to ensure the production follows our standards. We value the effort behind fresh premium spices with a full traceability from crop to factory.
Principle Five: Ensuring no Child Labour and Forced Labour
Agriculture is the main sector where child labour persists today in developing countries, hindering them to experience a safe childhood. We have strict policy regarding employment and we make sure that all our full-time collaborators are over 18 years old. Our HR team is trained on child and forced labour issues, and we guarantee all our employees are free to come and go.
To go even further in children protection, we are committed since 2013 to support education for the children of our community. About a hundred students benefit from our support with school equipment and bicycles, so they can go to school. We built a new access road to the school and are maintaining the buildings. We financially support the school for the exclusive benefit of the education of children, including a complementary salary for teachers. With this funding, they can give lessons to children in the morning and in the afternoon. It helps a lot giving our children from our village a good quality and continuous education.
The NGO “Les Ecoles de la Plantation” was launched in 2019 to develop new programs from primary to secondary school and support as many children as possible.
Principle Six: Commitment to Non Discrimination, Gender Equity and Women’s Economic Empowerment, and Freedom of Association
Access to employment at La Plantation is non-discriminatory and all our collaborators have equal access to training and promotion. The team counts slightly more women than men, with a strong presence of women in office management positions.
Principle Seven: Ensuring Good Working Conditions
Working conditions are obviously compliant with the local Labour Laws and ILO conventions. All workers get 3 healthy meals per day and are covered by a health insurance. Those living too far to commute every day are offered accommodation on the farm, free of charge. We make sure to provide a safe work environment and are proud to have no accident record since we launched operations 7 years ago.
Principle Eight: Providing Capacity Building
Internally, we support the training of our collaborators to allow them to grow with the company. Most team leaders in the farm and the factory started off several years ago as non-skilled workers in the farm and are now key to the success of La Plantation. We offer dedicated time off to our staff, so they can attend specific training programs.
Externally, we work hand in hand with our suppliers to help them develop their production business.
Principle Nine: Promoting Fair Trade
Our values and mission are shared every day to visitors of the farm and to our customers around the world.
Three years only after opening the farm to visitors, we welcomed 60,000 guests in 2019. La Plantation participates actively to the promotion of Kampot Pepper and Cambodian rural traditions, and has been awarded Best Eco-Tourism destination by the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism in 2018 and 2019.
We promote Fair Trade in the food industry globally through our extensive distribution network.
La Plantation is a member of the Collège Culinaire de France, co-founded by 15 French chefs such as Alain Ducasse and Anne-Sophie Pic to preserve and promote French gastronomy heritage.
La Plantation spices can be found in some of the best kitchens and spice stores around the world. Once voted Asia’s Best Chef, Luu Meng uses La Plantation spices in his critically acclaimed restaurants in Cambodia.
Principle Ten: Respect for the Environment
Preserving our environment is vital to ensure the supply of quality spices on the long run. We are cautious of our waste and run programs to increase biodiversity and naturally enrich our soils. Our solar panels give us the chance to cover part of our needs with clean affordable energy.
We follow Sustainable Agriculture practices such as organic production, the use of natural intrents, permaculture, crop rotation. We plant trees around the plantation to develop the local biodiveristy and protect our natural environment.
“Experience shows that economic growth on its own is not sufficient. We must do more to empower individuals through decent work, support people through social protection, and ensure the voices of the poor and marginalized are heard”
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on World Day of Social Justice 2014
Quality is the base of our sustainability project. La Plantation proves that rural communities in developing countries can create premium products for Western markets. We commit to ambitious targets and train our teams to achieve demanding goals in terms of quality. La Plantation acts as a bridge between small-scale independant farmers in Cambodia and people overseas who wish to support them through the buying and selling of Fair Trade products.
Hundreds of families rely on the success of fair trade initiatives such as La Plantation. The best part is that anyone can participate in the success of our project:
- As a conscious individual you can ask about the origin of the food you eat at restaurants or that you buy in stores, and about the conditions of its production
- As a spice enthusiast you can select brands and stores that commit to more transparency and fairness
- As a professional in the spice or ingredient industry you can commit to develop direct purchases from producers and to make no compromise on transparency
For all your Kampot pepper & spices needs, purchase directly online and support La Plantation’s fair trade program: www.kampotpepper.com
For requests of bulk certified Cambodian spices, or to share your vision of tomorrow’s sustainable spice trade: shop@kampotpepper.com
If you enjoyed this article, you can read about the story of Kampot Pepper here
