When Sana Javeri Kadri noticed how the ethical food world seemed to have little to no knowledge of the origin of its favourite spices, she knew she had to investigate.
Having grown up in Mumbai, India, Kadri was aware of the exploitation and suffering of many Indian farmers, and she recognized the colonial origin of a spice trade that pays farmers pennies to resell for huge mark-ups.
Kadri decided she needed to know more, and in 2017 embarked on a journey to discover the kind of spice she would want to consume: single-origin, organic turmeric of the highest quality, bought directly from a farmer at a fair price. After several trips and many dead ends, Kadri found her ideal product In Mr. Prabhu’s fields in Andhra Pradesh, and Diaspora Co. was born.
At the heart of Kadri’s business model is decolonization, which in the case of the spice trade translates to handing power back to farmers. Diaspora Co. does this by cutting out the many middlemen involved in the traditional supply chain and instead, buying directly from farmers and selling to customers.
This means that farmers receive a higher cut of the final buying price and have more control over their own product, as the spices will not be mixed with other products at any stage. Farmers are also able to choose their practices more freely, without them being dictated by the need to make enough capital to be able to export the product themselves.
Diaspora Co. offers single spices as well as the option of purchasing a beautiful traditional Masala Dabba with a selection of six spices.
To learn more about Diaspora Co., visit their website.
All images in this article are courtesy of Diaspora Co..
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