the-progressive-pantry

SUPPORTING SMALLHOLDER FARMERS

We’re working towards ending inequality and
exploitation in food systems that disenfranchise skilled farmers.

We do this by:

REDEFINING SUSTAINABILITY

Mainstream conversations around food
sustainability rarely consider the people involved in growing, harvesting,
transporting, processing and cooking food. Sustainability is discussed in terms
of environmental impact, or the comfort of livestock providing meat, dairy or
eggs.

We believe that the standard measures of
sustainability must evolve to consider the conditions in which the farmers who
drive global food supply chains earn their livelihoods. Single origin
ingredients draw attention to the unique environments in which incredible
ingredients grow and to the farmers with the expertise and commitment to grow
them well.

THE CHALLENGE IN OUR PATH

Our task is not a straightforward or easy one,
but worthwhile things never are. There are several significant challenges to
our direct sourcing model:

BUILDING A NEW GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN

The Progressive Pantry sources our spices
directly from farmer cooperatives and small farms, bypassing brokers and
middlemen who drive prices up and quality down.

We visit farms and spend time with farmers,
learning firsthand about the economic, social and cultural factors behind their
farming methods, and we support them to improve the quality, quantity, and
value of their products.

The farmers that work with The Progressive
Pantry benefit from:

The commodity spice industry focuses on a
limited set of spices, and grades those spices using outdated measurements
largely unrelated to flavor and quality. We work with our partner farmers to
identify unique varietals that are often overlooked by the industry – as well
as valuable byproducts – to maximize their earnings.

Then we send trucks to the farms to create the
shortest supply chain possible.

THOUGHTFUL SOURCING + SHORTER SUPPLY
CHAINS = EXCEPTIONAL INGREDIENTS

Our customers care about cooking with
exceptional ingredients. They appreciate the distinctive flavors imparted by
the specific environments where our spices are grown, and they understand the
importance of supporting small family farms locally and around the world.

A deeper understanding of the provenance of
coffee, chocolate, wine, and fresh fruits and vegetables has helped all of us
make better decisions about how we eat, and how we use our buying power to
advocate for better food for ourselves and our communities.

The Progressive Pantry extends that value
system to spices for the first time.