The Ketchup Club sells ketchup that was produced and traded fairly in Albert Heijn supermarkets, catering establishments and restaurants. The ketchup is made from Kenyan tomatoes and mangoes. A Kenyan farmers’ cooperative grows, harvests and dries the produce according to the principles of regenerative agriculture and the Ketchup Club then produces ketchup from it in the Netherlands. The farmers are paid a fair price and receive assurance that their harvest will be purchased. Under the slogan of “the World Needs More Ketchup”, you can now become a co-owner through a crowdfunding campaign and, in so doing, help a new group of farmers create a brighter future.
Ketchup against poverty
Back in 2015, initiators Birte and Anne began their ketchup adventure, at the time, still under the name “the Ketchup Project”. They saw many farmers living in poverty because as much as 50% of the fruit and vegetables they produced remained un-purchased, simply because some of the tomatoes or mangos were too small. Prompted by this situation, Birte and Anne set up a farmers’ cooperative with 110 Kenyan farmers, introduced regenerative agriculture – for better harvests and healthier nature – and offered farmers the certainty of buying up their harvest.
The next step
Thanks to the Ketchup Club, the lives of farmers in the Kenyan village of Kwakyai have improved greatly. A steady income makes it possible to send children to school and take out basic health insurance. New roads have been constructed and electrical power installed, and 30 new jobs have been created in this remote area of Kenya. The market in the Netherlands continues to expand. In addition to catering to loyal customers like Hello Fresh and the Coffee Company, all the different flavours can now also be found in Albert Heijn supermarkets throughout the country. And the winners of the Postcode Loterij will find it in their (H)eerlijk prize package.
Become a co-owner
Considering the Ketchup Club’s plans for the future, you could certainly say the Ketchup Project was a resounding success. The Ketchup Club embodies the transition from a trial project to an ambitious venture with a mission. Crowdfunding should help to achieve this mission. The envisaged target amount aims to strengthen the brand further in the Netherlands, making the club a key player in the European market and ensuring work for at least 2,000 farmers in the years ahead. You can help achieve this ambitious goal. Visit www.crowdaboutnow.nl/campagnes/the-ketchup-club to invest and earn interest as well as receiving fun extras.
Thanks to the players of the Postcode Loterij, the DOEN Foundation began supporting the Ketchup Club for the first time in 2018. In 2022, DOEN Participaties invested in its continued growth.
