Nandos

Peri-Peri Ethical Sourcing

This project is looking to increase income opportunities for smallholder African Birds Eye (ABE) Chilli, or “peri-peri,” farmers in both Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Spearheaded by Nando’s as a component of its broader Peri-Peri Ethical Sourcing Initiative (PPES), the project was initiated to support the reintroduction of peri-peri as a viable cash-crop for smallholder farmers in both Zimbabwe and Mozambique, two countries that historically have been major production hubs of the fiery commodity, but in recent history have struggled to take advantage of valuable chilli export opportunities.

With the assistance of ethical agents in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, Elephant Pepper and The Better Trading Company respectively, Nando’s will look to offer hundreds of smallholder peri-peri farmers in these two geographies  guaranteed contracts and a full range of extension support services designed to help maximize harvest yield potentials and income opportunities.

Currently, there is great potentialfor improving smallholder yields for peri-peri and more generally across a wide ranging basket of crops. Smallholders in Mozambique and Zimbabwe are achieving, at present, around 30-40% productivity out of their land. The best practice agronomy toolkits and extension services being offered through PPES will have cross-application thus enabling smallholders to realize higher income opportunities as a result of improved yields. The transferable agricultural production skills that the engaged networks of farmers will obtain will  enable them to grow additional high value horticultural or agricultural products for domestic, regional and even global markets.

Should this project succeed, the results and impacts for all stakeholders will be material:

• Smallholder peri-peri  farmers will benefit from guaranteed pricing contracts, agronomy extension services, and improved yields.
• In-country ethical peri-peri agents (Better Trading and Elephant Pepper) will have a new Nando’s account to manage, will realize margin on the ABE selling price to Nando’s for the value added services they are offering, and they will have an additional crop to inject into their already engaged smallholders baskets/mix (positive crop rotation benefits and economies of scale possibilities).
• Nando’s will have the security of a reliable/high quality supply of ABE that is sourced ethically from smallholder farmers in Southern Africa and potentially a template for the sourcing of other necessary inputs in a similar fashion.

Nando’s continued engagement and investment in its peri-peri supply chain is fuelled by the brand’s desire to satisfy its growing consumption requirements of high quality chillies from sources of the highest integrity. As Nando’s continued success hinges upon its peri-peri, for as long as the brand’s Peri-Peri range of sauces tantalizes and inspires taste-buds across the world, Nando’s will do its part to preserve the integrity and opportunity surrounding the source of its peri-peri supply.