Chili pepper
Chili pepper originates from South America although but it is mainly cultivated in Asian countries. Most people think of chili pepper as the red Spanish variant, however, it comes in different sizes and species. Even mild peppers (capsicum) belong to this family of vegetables. Capsaicin is the substance responsible for the heat of the peppers. The level of spiciness is expressed in Scoville Units (SHU). A capsicum has 0 SHU, whereas the SHU of a Jalapeno pepper lies between 3,000 and 6,000.
Did you know…
- Chili peppers come in all different colors.
- Red peppers are ripe, green ones are not.
Most important export countries
- Mexico
- Spain
- Netherlands
- China
- India
Most important production countries
- India
- China
- Bangladesh
- Peru
- Ethiopia
Production chain
Drying usually takes place in the sun, a process that can take up to fifteen days. 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of fresh peppers produces 25-35 kilograms (55-77 pounds) of dried pepper. The dried peppers are ground to powder and, if necessary, mixed with other spices. Fresh and processed chili peppers are both available in the supermarket.
Problems
In the chili pepper sector, especially in India, wage rates are low and promote child labour. Children have very low wages and are exposed to harmful pesticides that can cause damage to their skin when handled.
Producers have low returns in the chili pepper sector. Farmers suffer from unfair agreements which prevent them from getting good returns. Traders and exporters keep the knowledge of the conditions regarding exports to themselves. In this way traders end up establishing the prices in which the producers sell. Subcontractors usually recruit labourers so that producers can pay employees piece-wages and send them away when they are no longer needed.
Major Chain Issues
In the chili pepper sector, Fairfood International has identified the following major chain issues:
| Major chain | Production stage |
 Insufficient income and income insecurity |
Production |
 Child labour |
Production |
 Unclear agreements |
Production |
Solutions
The guide below shows certification schemes whose standards indicate a match with some or all of Fairfood’s researched major issues for this commodity. To learn more about the schemes, click on their logo.
 Fairtrade |
 Global Gap |
 EU Organic Labels |
| Production |
Production | Production |
In addition to making use of standards and certification schemes, major issues in this commodity could also be addressed in a customised manner. The box below outlines a few examples of initiatives that deal with sustainability issues in this particular sector. Companies could join some of the platforms or roundtables mentioned below. These could serve as a stepping stone to increased sustainability. Other initiatives, in the form of corporate programmes and chain partnerships, could serve as inspiration for replication by other companies within the sector. To learn more about any of the initiatives, click on their logo.
Corporate Program |
Elephant Pepper is a social enterprise founded in 2004. Its goal is to improve farmers’ livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa by preventing elephants from raiding their farms by planting chilli peppers (elephants hate chilli peppers). Elephant Pepper also helps to create an international market for the peppers. They retain ten percent of the profits from this spice, which is used to provide training for farmers and to develop agricultural techniques that promote elephant conservation. |
