SpiceUp is a so-called consortium, consisting of eight Dutch and Indonesian partners. Verstegen has a supervising role. With SpiceUp, geo-information is made available to support 100,000 pepper farmers in Indonesia. This information is used to improve the quality and the amount of pepper production. This improvement will ultimately contribute to a liveable income, food security and achieve optimum consumption of water and fertilisers.
The pepper farmers in Indonesia receive geo-information by means of text messages or a mobile app. This information includes advice on drought prevention, irrigation, fertilization and optimizing good farming techniques. The advice also includes market information.
The SpiceUp focus is on pepper, as this is the most influential sector for economic growth in the regions Bangka Belitung, Western and Eastern Kalimantan and Lampung. Worldwide the demand for pepper has increased a lot. Pepper farmers in Indonesia face various challenges, such as weather conditions, availability of water and the increased risk of incidents with pests and diseases.
SpiceUp is expected to reduce local poverty and increase the resilience of farmers, both in relation to climate change and higher incomes. Both aspects will have a positive impact on food security. At Verstegen we believe in supporting small farmers by means of geo-data.
