Unlocking value for customers of Quinoa and Chia seeds while enabling farming communities to prosper sustainably Produced by Jassen Pintado Interviewee Biswajeet Singh, General Manager for Olam Agri in Peru Art Direction Jassen Pintado
Olam Agri is bringing transparency, traceability, and sustainability into Peruvian quinoa and chia supply chains, offering high quality and safe products to customers and differentiating their business by working directly with smallholder farmers to drive positive impact in communities and ecosystems.
W
hen concepts such
OLAM AGRI IN PERU
as traceability and
The Olam group has been in Peru for
sustainability pop into
more than 15 years, with Olam Agri
most companies’ output, it somehow
appointing efforts into specialty grains
brings the sense of being in step with
such as quinoa and chia since 2017.
the times. If such is the case, Olam
Considering Peru’s geography and
Agri has set the tone well ahead
unbeatable microclimate diversity,
of most businesses by venturing
which favors a great variety of
into the food industry more than 30
superfoods to grow naturally and in
years ago. Its dedication, focus, and
abundance, it has become a very
understanding of high-growth markets
important origin for the company,
along with its processing capabilities
representing limitless opportunities.
have turned the company into a leading agribusiness with a global
platform of Olam Agri in Peru
footprint spread across more than 30
has become a leading supplier of
countries, managing multi-products
processed quinoa grains and chia
supply chains, and guaranteeing
seeds for distributors, manufacturers,
food quality from farm to shelf.
supermarkets, and brands globally.
“Our business is driven by our
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The Specialty Grains & Seeds
The company’s processing plant
ambitious purpose to transform
in Lima is “AA” certified under
food, feed & fiber for a more
BRC (British Retail Consortium)
sustainable and food-secure future”,
standards, boasting one of the best
says Biswajeet Singh, General
processing facilities with capability
Manager for Olam Agri in Peru.
for both bulk and retail packaging.
Food & Drink
Our business is driven by our purpose to transform food, feed & fiber for a more sustainable and food-secure future - Biswajeet Singh, General Manager for Olam Agri in Peru
Olam Agri operates in Peru to the highest quality and food safety standards, ensuring the needs of end consumers. Besides BRC, other certifications for Olam Agri’s products and operations include HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), GMP (Good Manufacturing
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Practice), Gluten-free, Kosher, Halal,
SUPPLYING GLOBAL MARKETS
and SMETA 4-Pillar (Sedex Members
WITH ORGANIC SUPERFOODS
Ethical Trade Audit).
IN HIGH DEMAND
Follow this link to take a walk-
Products -and ingredients- such
through quinoa processing at
as quinoa and chia share attributes
Olam Agri’s facility.
such as being plant-based with
“We are the largest organic quinoa
high nutritional value, high protein
and chia supply chain partner in
content, antioxidants, gluten-free,
Peru, working directly with 2,700
anti-inflammatory properties, and
smallholder farmers across all the
a high count of amino and
quinoa and chia growing regions in
omega acids, among other
the country”, the executive remarked.
qualities which earn them a place into today’s current trends.
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Food & Drink
And as the market for plant-based
CHALLENGES TURNING
protein and innovative alternatives
INTO OPPORTUNITIES
grows, Olam Agri offers quinoa, chia,
About 75% to 80% of the quinoa
amaranth, and other ancient grains
production in the world is harvested
that are beyond the conventional
between Bolivia and Peru. Just in
protein offerings from peas,
Peru, around 100,000 tons of
soy, and wheat.
quinoa are produced annually,
“Our priority is to ensure that
from which slightly more than half
consumers receive safe and high-
is exported, while the rest being
quality products by managing the
consumed domestically.
complete end-to-end supply chain
Still, the industry offers large
for all varieties of quinoa and chia
improvement opportunities, as
seeds”, Singh mentioned.
intermediaries in the supply chain
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“We are the largest organic quinoa and chia supply chain partner in Peru, working directly with 2,700 smallholder farmers across all the quinoa and chia growing regions in the country” - Biswajeet Singh, General Manager for Olam Agri in Peru
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Food & Drink
led to a highly fragmented market
the ground, Olam Agri ’s team of
representing a challenge to the
agronomists work hand in hand with
companies wanting to bring more
farmers by training them on good
transparency, direct reachability, and
agricultural practices according
correct value distribution within the
to international organic and trade
supply chain and local farmers.
requirements. Moreover, by providing
A company such as Olam Agri
them with personalized technical
is able to establish a business
assistance through all stages of crop
model based on sustainability and
growth, farmers are able to adopt
digitalization by working directly and
organic and regenerative practices
closely with farmers and bringing
while improving their yields and
innovation and technology to improve
product quality.
food safety and quality conditions.
Follow this link to watch Olam Agri’s
“The quinoa and chia industry has the potential of becoming one of the
work with its supply chain in Puno. “We encourage the use of ancestral
star products when it comes to the
practices that have worked well for
‘good for the planet and good for
the fragile Andean lands, increasing
people’ category”, said the executive.
farmers’ resilience to adverse climatic conditions”, Singh remarked.
IMPROVING FARMERS’ LIVELIHOODS THROUGH
DIGITAL RESOURCES TO PROVIDE
AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT
SOLUTIONS AT EVERY LEVEL
With a year-round presence on
Transparency and traceability are
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powerful drivers for achieving
allows the company to collect data
sustainability in food value chains.
at the farmgate level through a user-
This premise has led Olam Agri to
friendly mobile application. This data
invest significant efforts towards
is then analyzed on a web portal to
adopting digital technology to assure
identify individual farmers’ needs
that their products have been grown,
and provide them tailored resources
harvested, and processed responsibly. to increase the impact of their One of the results of these efforts is the development of “OFIS” (Olam Farmer Information System) which
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sustainability efforts. Another example is Olam Direct, a digital platform created
Food & Drink
to disintermediate supply chains
for agricultural supply chains,
and expand Olam Agri’s reach.
purposefully created to demonstrate
By connecting with farmers and
social and environmental impact and
empowering them to transact
drive change for farmers, communities
directly with the company, a more
and ecosystems. With more than 100
transparent sourcing process is
metrics collected through OFIS, the
ensured along with more value
company can identify improvement
to such farmers for their crop.
opportunities and create action
AtSource is Olam’s revolutionary sustainability insights platform
plans in partnership with clients to realize change.
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Follow this link to learn more about AtSource. “AtSource provides the company and its clients with the ability to track
THE ROLE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS PLAY Throughout all years of operation in Peru, Olam Agri has not only
the environmental and social impact of partnered with local farmers but has a product at each stage of its journey
also developed solid relationships
– from the farm through logistics and
and alliances with different actors
processing, and up to the customer’s
in the supply chain, such as local
factory door”, the executive explained. governments, international agencies,
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Food & Drink
NGOs, and clients. Recently, the company has
in Peru. The project’s legacy will also include deploying a structured
engaged with USAID (United States
technical assistance system by
Agency for International Development)
building local extension services
in a cooperative agreement for a
and creating manuals for organic
five-year project aimed at increasing
production in Quechua, the
yields, improving product quality,
Andean native language, which
and achieving organic certification
are currently non-existent.
for 1,500 smallholder quinoa farmers
“By aligning and collaborating with
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We believe our business in Peru is set to address current trends through an end-to-end model that is transparent, sustainable, and traceable - Biswajeet Singh, General Manager for Olam Agri in Peru
relevant stakeholders, we are able to
“We believe that the consciousness
scale our impact and achieve greater
of the above will benefit the overall
economic, social, and environmental
Agri and food sector in the long run.”
results”, Singh mentioned.
the executive pointed out.
AFTERMATH OF THE PANDEMIC
IMPROVING HEALTH & NUTRITION
Operations were obviously impacted
IN FARMING COMMUNITIES
experiencing challenges in supply
Besides ongoing efforts on the field,
chain, logistics, people, and other
working alongside farmers and
aspects, but most importantly this
their crops, Olam Agri also ventures
situation brought out some positive
into different social programs that
aspects as consumers became more
positively benefit quinoa & chia
aware of a healthy diet via plant-based farming communities in Peru. food, genuine value for supply chains
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One of its current nutrition programs
and climate change challenges, which
is focused on fighting iron deficiency
are currently being widely discussed
in children and breastfeeding women
and addressed.
through a series of workshops and
Food & Drink
promoting quinoa consumption due to its nutritional properties and antianemic potential. STEPS FORWARD ON THE ROAD TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY
INDUSTRY:
Food & Drink
The plant-based food trend is here to stay and is expected to grow between
CONTACT:
6 to 7% annually, as increased health
Vice President sanjeev.sharma@olamagri.com
and environmental consciousness continue to drive consumer desires and decisions. This will go along with consumers’ increasing expectations for more sustainably sourced products that are good for the people, farming communities, and the planet. “We strongly believe our business in Peru is set to address current trends through an end-to-end model that is 100% transparent, sustainable, and traceable
General Manager biswajeet.singh@olamagri.com Sustainability Head marisol.escobar@olamagri.com Sales Manager marjorie.nakama@olamagri.com +51 (1) 716 0720 Los Eucaliptos Lote 36, Santa Genoveva, Lima, Perú www.olamagri.com
from farm to the shelf”, Biswajeet Singh assured.
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