Staff Writer
Grown by Namibian community gardeners, a harvest of organic spring produce was quickly snapped up by shoppers at Shoprite Lafrenz in the capital city during Market Day on 27 October.
The project connects community gardeners directly with customers through a curated pop-up retail environment, which provides a platform to sell produce directly to the public while gaining practical market experience.
Groot Aub Fresh Producers and Hope Garden Lighthouse are among over 320 community gardens supported by the Shoprite Group across southern Africa, helping to strengthen food security in the region.
“Market Day is about so much more than the spinach, fresh herbs and the wide variety of farm-fresh seasonal produce that customers can purchase,” says Sanjeev Raghubir, chief sustainability officer at the group.
“When shoppers interact with growers in a market setting, it’s not only trading that takes place. This relaxed yet professional exchange is intended to help build confidence among the sellers, while giving buyers an opportunity to connect directly with the people behind the produce.”
On a practical level, valuable skills are passed on by the retailer to participants, including product presentation, pricing, customer relations, communication and record-keeping; these can significantly strengthen a budding farmer and entrepreneur’s business.
On the outskirts of Windhoek, Groot Aub Fresh Producers food garden grows a wide variety of crops, enabling project members to sell produce to community members and create employment opportunities.
Surplus produce from the six-year-old community garden is often donated to a neighbouring old age home and community centre.
“Being part of the community garden plays a big role in our life as a family, by contributing to food security in our country at large,” explains the project’s Julia Haipinge.
“I always look forward to participating in Market Day, where we provide affordable products to our community, and give away some produce to the most vulnerable. At the same time, we are learning customer service and hospitality from Shoprite, so that we can better supply in bulk.”
Beyond Market Day, the Shoprite Group continues to support community food gardens through its Act for Change programme, which has assisted hundreds of gardens with training, seedlings and infrastructure.
“Market Day is a manifestation of an ethos that where vegetables grow, so does hope,” said Raghubir.
“We couldn’t be prouder of all the gardeners, whose enthusiasm, dedication and hard work continue to improve lives and livelihoods.”
