Greyfriars

Greyfriars, a major UK supplier of fresh produce to the UK retail market, aims to establish an out of season growing source of sweetcorn to ensure reliability and security of supply to meet the ever increasing demand for corn on the cob by the UK consumer.  Greyfriars are seeking to establish the feasibility of producing sweetcorn for the European market in Ghana, to replace an American supply chain which is increasingly expensive, unreliable and involves a longer shipping time.

A key objective of this project is to prove that it is possible to develop a new vertically integrated supply chain that links the UK consumer much more closely to the African communities that supply them, taking out middle men and agent margins in the process. In so doing Greyfriars will be able to demonstrate a greater level of provenance and ethical involvement in the supply chain to their key retail customers who share this objective.

The project will not only ascertain the viability of Ghana as a source of sweetcorn but will work with smallholders to develop their capacity to grow sweetcorn to the required standards and also to supply the European market with butternut squash and sweet potatoes.