The promise of cardamom

Large cardamom pods are a crop that presents an excellent opportunity to Nepalese farmers and exporters because it has a high value on the world market and is easy to cultivate. Introduced to Nepal several centuries ago cardamom is environmentally friendly, protecting the soil of the fragile hillsides where it is grown. Moreover, there is unmet demand on the global market — particularly in India, the world's largest purchaser of cardamom — for a premium product, making it an excellent investment for Nepal's small farmers.

Mercy Corps' innovative new Panchthar Premium Cardamom project will support marginalized small cardamom farmers to raise their incomes by helping them improve the quality of the cardamom they produce. Mercy Corps will help link Nepalese cardamom growers directly to established cardamom markets, enabling them to eliminate brokers and thus boost their own profit margins.