Kutas Food Group is a Turkish company with operations in the herbs and spices value chain. The company is part of the Sustainable Spices Initiative. The initiative has the objective to drive sustainable production and due diligence in the spices sector by achieving 25% sustainable sourcing by 2025 and reaching 50% by 2030. This will be achieved through implementing interventions in the broader areas of people, planet, and product.
This analysis sought to answer the overarching learning question: How can Kutas secure its sourcing, improve farmer livelihoods, and support the inclusion of youth and women in the value chain while working towards its sustainable sourcing objectives?
The analysis established a business case for both Kutas and Oregano farmers. To answer the learning question, the report recommends:
- Encourage and support the diversification of farmers to increase income resilience.
- Deliberately establish mechanisms to progressively increase the participation of youth and women in the value chain. Such mechanisms should be based on the pillars of agency, rights, equity, recognition, and access to and control of resources.
- Establish long-term relationships with farmers to minimize the cost of acquisition and to improve the overall efficiency of service provision. This will also be pivotal in ensuring that farmers have stable livelihoods.