"Supporting local small farmers to become sustainable suppliers to the retail industry is the very mission of the Ackerman Pick n Pay Foundation," says Suzanne Ackerman-Berman, director of transformation at Pick n Pay. "For many years we have supported emerging farmers and small suppliers around the country, not only through providing much-needed market access, but also through mentorship and training programmes, as well as assistance with the acquisition of equipment, livestock and agricultural input requirements."
Ackerman-Berman said that part of the retailer's overarching produce strategy and vision is to support small emerging farmers. To this end, its buying teams work very closely with the Foundation and other supporting bodies such as the dti, IDC and NEF to develop and grow emerging farmers.
The company recently launched an organics project in the Tzaneen area with a large number of emerging farmers and continues to seek out other small farmers to assist with shortfalls in its growing programmes around the country.
"We have seen our organic produce category growing as consumers become increasingly more health and environmentally conscious and cannot keep up with the growing demand. Our current supply is very limited, as most of the organic farmers only grow on a small scale, which limits their continuity of supply and availability. The Tzaneen project is set to grow this category," she concludes.
