Pepper for prosperity - PeaceTrees Vietnam
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Indigenous foods Louise Penny Travel to Vegas
THE MAGAZINE FOR COSTCO MEMBERS
Pepper for
prosperity
A unique program in Vietnam
yields special results 20
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020
KIRKLAND SIGNATURE
Product deep dives
Kirkland Signature
cooking oils
CANpC1_PeaceTrees_EAST.indd 1 2020-07-21 2:31 PM
COVER
STORY
PeaceTrees
pepper
In creating Kirkland Signature™ products, Costco
buyers often play a direct role in how the items are
made. For food items, this means working closely
with growers, producers and other entities to ensure
success for everybody. Here’s the story of a unique
case in Vietnam involving the production of Costco’s
Kirkland Signature ground pepper.
by Tim Talevich CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
ROBERT PAETZ
20 Costco Connection SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020
CANp20_24_CoverStory_PeaceTrees.indd 20 6/23/20 3:06 PM
Ho Thi At is one of the family
farmers growing new pepper
vines in Vietnam.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 Costco Connection 21
CANp20_24_CoverStory_PeaceTrees.indd 21 6/23/20 3:06 PM
PEACETREES PEPPER
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20
T he road from Hue passes
along Vietnam’s coastal plain, past rice
paddies and small lowland farms,
through Dong Ha and Khe Sanh, then
begins a long climb westward into the
lush mountains along the Laotian border.
I am travelling today with buyers
from Olam, a global food company, and
Olde Thompson, a California company
that manufactures Kirkland Signature™
spice products, to the Huong Hoa dis-
trict. Here, a number of farming families
have started planting pepper vines.
Through a program supported by Costco That’s where PeaceTrees Vietnam
and these suppliers, farmers in this dis- (PTVN) enters the picture. Founded in
trict are hoping to become part of the 1995, PTVN’s mission is to help rebuild
thriving pepper supply chain in Vietnam, Quang Tri’s communities by clearing the
which is the world’s largest producer of land; building schools, libraries and com-
this everyday spice. Costco uses munity centres; and providing expertise
Vietnamese pepper for its Kirkland to farmers to grow profitable new crops
Signature pepper products. (see “Building bridges” on opposite page).
The rich soil and seasonal rainfall PTVN started working with farmers
here offer ideal conditions for pepper. in this area in 2015, explains Ha Pham,
Growing on flowering vines, pepper can a Vietnamese woman who serves as
be cultivated by small-scale farmers, and PTVN’s in-country director. In response
can bring in higher prices than rice and to the growing global demand for pepper,
other crops. But first a life-threatening PTVN offered to teach these farmers the
obstacle has to be overcome: After all best methods for planting and growing
these years, the land is still riddled with pepper vines. Also, farmers who sign up
unexploded bombs, grenades, land mines to participate in the pepper program have
and mortar shells from the Vietnam War. their plots cleared by a specially trained
The heaviest bombing of the war took explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) squad
place here in Quang Tri province, on the managed by PTVN.
southern border of the demilitarized zone Costco’s role is to help secure market
that separated South and North Vietnam. access for the local farmers. To date, 60
Since the war ended, thousands of people farmers have joined the program. The
have been killed or injured by stepping first pepper crops were harvested in late
on unexploded ordnance in the area. 2018. The two annual yields have been
modest, but it’s a start, Pham says.
22 Costco Connection SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020
CANp20_24_CoverStory_PeaceTrees.indd 22 6/23/20 3:06 PM
New schools
are essential to
healthy towns
in Quang Tri
province. But
first, the land
must be cleared
of unexploded
bombs.
Building bridges
PeaceTrees Vietnam
(peacetreesvietnam.org)
was founded in 1995 with a
mission of building bridges
of peace and friendship
between America and
Vietnam as the countries’
relationship normalized
after the Vietnam War. Over
25 years, the Seattle-based
non-profit organization has
financed programs to clear
PHOTOS: TIM TALEVICH
unexploded bombs, land
mines and other ordnance
from the land; teach local
residents about the risks of
mines; build schools and
libraries to educate future
generations; and support
economic development for
Clearing the land stacked around the hole; smaller explo- sustainable prosperity.
On our way to the pepper farms, we sives have been set around the bomb to
stop in a rural area where an EOD team destroy it on-site. PTVN was started by Jerilyn
is actively clearing a field. Working with A technician strings a detonator wire Brusseau and her husband,
bombing maps from the war provided by to our group, some 90 metres away, and Danaan Parry. Brusseau’s
the U.S. government, PTVN has identi- nearby farmers are warned through a brother, Daniel Cheney, was
killed in the war when his
fied this area as still dangerous from bullhorn to stay away. A countdown helicopter was shot down
cluster munitions—bombs containing proceeds to zero, and I’m motioned to while providing support for
smaller bomblets that disperse in a wide push the detonator button. A startling a downed fellow pilot
area. These bomblets had a notoriously explosion shakes the earth and a white (who was rescued). The
high failure rate—possibly 30%—Pham plume drifts above the area. organization was modelled
explains. The maps were accurate: The Since 1995, PTVN has removed more on other international
PeaceTrees programs that
team found 228 unexploded bombs in a than 100,000 dangerous land mines, foster friendship between
25-acre area. bombs, mortar shells and grenades from foes by planting trees in
Meticulously scanning the dirt step over 1,000 acres of land. Villagers have war-torn areas.
by step with metal detectors, the team is been able to move back into these areas
hurrying to finish the job within a two- and build homes and schools—and use The group’s first project
month window, as farmers will soon start the fields to farm again. However, it’s was to sponsor clearance
and plant trees on 16 acres
planting cassava and peanuts here. We estimated that only 20% of Quang Tri in Quang Tri province.
are informed that a small bomb was province has been cleared to date. Today, the area is known as
detected shortly before our visit. the Friendship Forest Park
The EOD team has cordoned off the Offering a market, and more and features 2,000 trees
area with yellow tape. We’re shown a hole Costco has been sourcing pepper from planted by volunteers from
that has been carefully dug around an Vietnam for several years to meet growing around the world.—TT
oblong metal object sunk into the earth, global demand, says John Lee, a Costco
about a metre deep. Sandbags have been CONTINUED ON PAGE 24
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 Costco Connection 23
CANp20_24_CoverStory_PeaceTrees_R1.indd 23 8/31/20 1:57 PM
PEACETREES PEPPER
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23
Three years after
planting, vines are
producing pepper
for Quang Tri’s
farmers. Costco and
several partners are
helping these
farmers get their
harvest to market.
PHOTOS: ROBERT PAETZ
spice buyer. Pepper grows in limited Olam for ongoing agricultural assistance
tropical regions. After the war ended, it and to sell their pepper.”
slowly gained prominence as a viable He adds, “Training isn’t anything with-
crop for Vietnamese farmers, but most of out market access. We gave them that.”
the growth has been in the past decade as
global demand has skyrocketed. While Helping communities be successful
touring pepper farms, Lee learned about The story of Quang Tri pepper is
PTVN’s efforts to expand pepper-growing representative of Costco’s goal in sourc-
farms to Quang Tri province. ing food products, especially those
Lee says Costco was interested in offered under the Kirkland Signature
supporting the program, as were Olde brand. The goal, spelled out in Costco’s
Thompson and Sahale Snacks, which col- Sustainability Commitment, is to sup-
laborated with Costco to donate a port farmers and their communities
portion of product sales to PTVN. Later, so that they can be successful in the
Olam, which partners with Costco to long run. The benefit to Costco is a
source pepper in Vietnam, agreed to sustainable source of food products in
provide technical expertise to the new the face of growing global demand, says
pepper farmers. Sheri Flies, who oversees Costco’s sus-
With this corporate support in hand, tainability efforts.
PTVN tapped the local Women’s Union, In this case, many stakeholders took
an organization that supports women’s risks with unique contributions to make
rights in communities throughout the program work. The pepper crops
COSTCO Vietnam, to lead the project. Union bring commerce to the villages, comple-
CONNECTION members set up a demonstration pepper menting PTVN’s schools, community
plot and served as the main contact for centres and mine-awareness education
You can find
Kirkland Signature farmers on best growing practices. programs to rebuild Quang Tri’s commu-
Whole Black Now, the PeaceTrees pepper is har- nities. “It’s a matter of self-sufficiency,
Peppercorn (Item vested and processed to go into the larger women’s empowerment and market
#164950), and a Vietnamese supply that makes up Costco’s access,” Flies says.
variety of other Kirkland Signature™ ground pepper. Pham agrees. “If we didn’t have the
Kirkland Signature
“It’s not a huge amount of pepper participation of these companies, it
spices, in your local
Costco and for in comparison to the total amount we wouldn’t work,” she says. “The only way
home delivery source in Vietnam, but it’s a start,” says to support people in the long term is to
through Costco Lee. “As the program becomes estab- help them find work and provide for
Grocery at lished, it’s possible that more farmers themselves. These partnerships introduce
Costco.ca. will join in and make it a larger crop. the opportunities for better incomes. This
And now, these farmers have access to way, the communities will thrive over the
long run.”
24 Costco Connection SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020
CANp20_24_CoverStory_PeaceTrees.indd 24 6/23/20 3:20 PM
You can also read
