For almost two decades, I worked in a variety of industries across North America, Africa, Latin America and Asia. Much of my early career entailed bridging gaps between corporate objectives for mineral extraction and equitable access and distribution of resources to local communities. Those were nascent days of corporate social responsibility, when the focus was on corporate image, not substantive changes to business practice.
As my career progressed, I saw firsthand the stark contrasts that underpin our global economy. In resource-rich countries, I observed how enduring colonial legacies continue to influence lives and local economies, often resulting in widespread poverty. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where local populations have little access to the wealth generated beneath their feet, I led a community investment plan tied to a mining project. I was fully aware that despite the mining project’s scale, the benefit to the communities would be marginal. In India and Nepal, I worked with governments to determine how to modernize forest-management practices that were rooted in a history of cutting down trees to benefit the colonial regime, with little benefit to local economies or consideration of local knowledge, needs and trade objectives.
Again and again, I saw variations of the same story, which left me thinking, “What does it take to create companies that genuinely foster sustainable and equitable development?”
Last year, I concluded that advising companies on environmental, social and governance issues and equity, diversity and inclusion wasn’t sufficient to “raise our wounded world into a wondrous one,” as American poet and activist Amanda Gorman put it. It was time to leverage my expertise to show that it was possible to do more. I established No Women No Spice, a direct trade, certified organic spice company that sources from farmers in Zanzibar, an archipelago off Tanzania.
I had travelled to Tanzania and the island province of Zanzibar many times for work and to visit family and was acutely aware of the region’s innovative approaches to climate change, equity and agriculture. At the same time, I witnessed the lingering impacts of colonialism. These experiences were instrumental in shaping my company’s mission to “reboot the spice route.”
Zanzibar is unique because of its diverse array of crops originating from the African continent and from more distant regions, including India and the Mediterranean. On a single farm, it’s not uncommon to find more than a dozen varieties of fresh spices, including cardamom, black pepper and cinnamon. Despite Zanzibar’s agricultural richness, barriers such as lack of access to markets, destructive climate change and inadequate infrastructure have stymied its potential, reducing “Spice Island” to a mere moniker.
Slavery, women and spice
The quest for spices in the 15th century propelled European explorers to distant shores, spurring the rise of colonial empires. Spice production became a colonial monopoly, marked by severe labour exploitation and the marginalization of local economies. In Zanzibar, the spice trade and the slave trade were deeply intertwined, with Indigenous Africans forced into servitude on Portuguese-, German- and British-owned plantations.
Today’s farmers in Zanzibar face new challenges. They are grappling with climate change through prolonged dry periods, unpredictable rainfall and extreme weather, making crop cultivation increasingly challenging; rising sea levels have led to saltwater intrusion into low-lying fields. Though once a leading spice-trading hub, Zanzibar’s environmental and economic strains have driven many farmers to unsustainable mono-crop agriculture. Despite these shifts, traditional spice knowledge remains vibrant among local farmers. Initiatives like those by Community Forests International are helping communities revive “edible forests” by integrating reforestation efforts.
The spice industry is experiencing a revival driven by consumers’ demand for transparency about spice origins and methods of production. OpenText’s 2021 survey found that 88% of global consumers want to buy goods that are responsibly and sustainably produced; 83% would pay more for goods that are ethically produced. The trend is reshaping the global organic spice market, which is expected to grow from US$10.9 billion in 2023 to US$17 billion in 2033.
In the nascent days of corporate social responsibility, I saw firsthand that the focus was on corporate image with minimal benefit to communities.
Women Who Farm Africa, a social enterprise that provides programs to rural women, reports that women produce approximately 70% of Africa’s food but own less than 20% of the land. In Tanzania, agriculture is a cornerstone of the economy, providing more than two-thirds of employment and nearly one-third of the gross domestic product. The UN Development Programme reports that 67% of female workers in Tanzania are employed in agriculture, primarily as smallholder farmers. However, women remain vulnerable to economic and environmental shifts due to a lack of financial independence. Research suggests that if women had equal access to productive resources, such as financial services, training and land, farm yields could increase by 20% to 30% and reduce hunger by up to 17%. Moreover, women typically reinvest their profits into their households, which alleviates poverty from the bottom up.
In East Africa and South Asia, I’ve witnessed how education on modern farming techniques and access to high-quality seeds and land can significantly improve outcomes for female farmers, paving the way for their financial independence. Higher yields lead to surplus crops and increased incomes, which, in turn, “allows women to invest in their children’s education, improve living standards and further develop their farms,” explains Amina, a cinnamon farmer in Zanzibar.
The demand for spices, coupled with their high value relative to other crops, presents an economic incentive for spice cultivation, but farmers currently lack strong links to more profitable export markets. Sekela Mboya, a Tanzanian agronomist who works with farmers to develop agroforestry plans, stresses that “farmers also need assistance in improving agricultural production and accessing value-add enterprises.” At No Women No Spice, our goal is to increase access to stable and fair income sources for female farmers while supporting regenerative agriculture and agroforestry efforts to combat climate change.
Rebooting the spice trade
The spice industry is at a crossroads, facing the destructive impacts of global warming, growing awareness of unfair compensation for farmers, and increasing consumer demand for organic products. Climate change is already affecting spice yields and quality; forecasts predict a potential reduction in yields globally of up to 23% by 2050. This ancient trade must evolve to align with contemporary ethical and environmental standards.
Many might find it surprising that Tanzania has the sixth-highest number of certified organic farmers globally and is third in Africa. Historically, in an effort to modernize Tanzania’s agriculture sector, there was heavy reliance on chemical pesticides to increase yields of key cash crops: coffee, cotton and tea. In recent years, however, there has been a notable pivot influenced by global environmental movements and a deepening understanding of the long-term consequences of pesticide usage.
Tanzania is now witnessing a paradigm shift characterized by a steady movement toward integrated pest management, organic farming and biopesticides. Remarkably to me, but not Tanzanians, many farmers now practise organic or near-organic farming even without formal certification because it requires minimal external inputs, uses locally available materials and promotes a holistic, diverse and stress-resistant approach to farming. For the smallholder farmer, organic farming is the only viable option.
Tanzania’s organic agriculture sector has also been buttressed by systems and institutions that make sustainable farming more accessible. A network of organic farmers, civil society organizations and businesses further energizes this sector from within. The rise of organic farming in Tanzania represents an opportunity for entrepreneurs, groups and investors to contribute to the nation’s green economy by producing safe, sustainable food.
Grind the gap
Historically, a tiny fraction of a spice product’s final retail value went to the farmer, with the Fairtrade Foundation estimating this at 5% to 7%. This imbalance is even more acute for women, who form a substantial part of the agricultural workforce but typically receive lower wages and have restricted access to resources and land.
While established multinational spice companies have made progress in addressing these disparities, significant gaps persist. Despite a growing focus on sustainability and fair trade, the reality often does not align with corporate sustainability reports. Challenges include opaque supply chains, lack of transparency, and a lack of genuine empowerment of local communities. To cut through the mud, I’ve found that establishing direct relationships with Zanzibar’s sustainable farmers has been the most effective way of ensuring fair pricing that enables farmers to invest in their communities, improve living standards and foster economic independence.
Having spent my entire career working within companies to advance sustainability and equity, my hope is now that the triumphs of one small company can serve as a case study that inspires broader change.
Shilpa Tiwari is the founder and CEO of No Women No Spice and Isenzo Group, an ESG strategy and communications firm.
