IPL

Through this project, IPL in partnership with Technoserve, aim to bring smallholder produced  passion fruit – from Kenya to the UK.  This sweet table variety of passion fruit will be developed in Africa and grown by Kenyan small farmers for potential sale in Asda stores. 

Production of the Kenyan sweet variety is being supported through Project Nurture, a project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and The Coca-Cola Company.  The FRICH project will build on the work already undertaken but will focus on creating new market channels and relationship structures and will support new product development trials. The market for fresh fruit is wholly with the smaller purple passion fruit which is predominantly supplied from Colombia.

The development of expanding roots stock of this sweet variety creates an alternative cash crop for smallholders which has the potential to create smallholders with 100% crop utilisation via fresh and juice opportunities. This project focuses on the development and livelihoods of Smallholders and their integration into a direct retail model supply chain. This will be delivered through training, capacity building and establishing traceable aggregation systems whilst ensuring food quality and safety. The project will work towards Rainforest Alliance certification to ensure sustainable production methods are put in place.

The project also focuses on raising consumer awareness of the new variety of passion fruit and telling the story of the farmers involved in growing this unique high quality product. The project will develop point of sale material to educate, inform and inspire the consumer to try this new premium fruit and to understand its origins.

Ultimately, the development of a direct export market for the passion fruit to the UK and the raising of awareness of this product will increase the potential and opportunity for African farmers to export to other retailers both in the UK and elsewhere.