Our Purpose
our mission
Recognize and elevate West Africa’s role in global food trends
Yaji spice products deliver inspired culinary experiences WHILE ACTIVELY honoring West Africa as the origin of flavors delivered via Black foodways. We do this by directly connecting our spice farmers with home and professional chefs in the African diaspora and culinary communities.
Quality and Flavor
We’re dedicated to bringing you the very best spices and rubs that West Africa has to offer. Our guiding principles are freshness and flavor that meet or exceed food quality standards set by the FDA – and if it doesn’t, you simply won’t find it here! Additionally, all our ground spices are freshly milled and blended during each production run to ensure you’re getting maximum potency and flavor, with no risk of stale or bland spices.
Sustainability and Livelihoods
Yaji was created to expand the spice industry by building new, ethical direct from farm supply chains. We source 100% of our ingredients from Ripples in Africa, a co-op of over 11,000 women- run farms in Nigeria and Ghana.
By cutting out the middlemen, we ensure the farmers access a larger portion of the value chain. Yaji always pays farmers a living wage that is at or above fair trade to ensure they have economic and food security and can send all their kids to school.
Women’s Empowerment
Ripples in Africa farm co-op business has created jobs for over 11,000 women and leadership positions for 1100 women in the agriculture sector. As Yaji spice grows, the goal is to expand this number to another 4,000 farmers and another 400 leadership roles for women.
Farmer Spotlight
Nnenna, Single Mother of 4, Ripples in Africa Farm Supervisor
When Nnenna began working with Ripples in Africa Farm co-op in 2015, she was a single mother raising four children on her own, struggling to overcome poverty.
Today, she is a farm supervisor, leading the cultivation of organic heirloom peppers and chilis for global distribution to brands like Yaji. She is not only able to feed her children and send them to school, she is able to afford healthcare and save for the future.
Nnenna is one of hundreds of Nigerian women who have been uplifted through participation in Ripples women run farm co-op. Your purchase of Yaji products not only supports Nnenna but allows Ripples to grow to include more women.
Climate and Nature
Ripples in Africa Farm co-ops follow nature- based solutions to climate change called agroforestry and regenerative agriculture. This means:
- trees are planted
- cash and food crops are rotated
- irrigation and clean water are supplied
- biodiversity and soil health are improved
Leading to…
- more food harvested
- more income earned
- more carbon captured
- more land reforested and protected from droughts and floods
As Yaji Spice grows, our goal is to expand the climate adaptation program to 8,000 more acres of land.
ripples in africa foundation
Learn more about Ripples in Africa and its impact to the Motherland