At the spice markets of Zanzibar, the scents of cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom fill the air. The spice trade has been an important livelihood source for Zanzibaris for hundreds of years. The 77 Percent meets the entrepreneurs and people trying to modernize the market in a more sustainable way.
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00:00 Zanzibar, an island group off the east coast of Africa.
00:05 For centuries, spices have brought this Tanzanian archipelago wealth and global renown.
00:10 But residents here are not resting on their laurels.
00:13 All across the islands, entrepreneurs are finding new and creative ways to use the iconic crops.
00:19 Growing up in Zanzibar, spices are always a part of our life.
00:25 Spices are part of our tradition, part of our culture, part of our economy.
00:34 From black pepper to vanilla, nutmeg and more, spices came here via the Indian Ocean trade routes
00:41 from as far away as Indonesia and beyond, eventually taking root in Zanzibar's fertile tropical soil.
00:48 More than 150 years, spices, the product that made Zanzibar known to the world.
00:56 There are a lot of cloves here, a lot of cinnamon.
01:00 I love this. It's very sweet.
01:03 Cloves in particular made the islands rich, but the spice boom also had its dark side.
01:09 Under the Sultanate of Oman, Zanzibar became the centre of East Africa's slave trade
01:15 and vast strata of pristine forests were being cut down to make way for clove plantations.
01:20 It's a legacy of environmental damage that continues to this day.
01:25 Many farmers were growing spices in old ways, but later on, the farmers started to use chemical fertilizers
01:33 to harvest more and more so they can sell a lot of products and get more money.
01:38 We decided to do things in a different way.
01:42 But Zanzibar's spice industry is changing.
01:46 Ali and his company source their spices from farming corporates from across the archipelago
01:51 and train growers in organic farming practices.
01:55 The spices are harvested, dried and then used whole or in powder form.
02:00 And in the hands of Ali's customers, they are sometimes transformed into something entirely different.
02:07 So this is the clove soap.
02:09 We started off with oils, we were mixing them, they've been put in a mould,
02:14 they've been cut, stamped and packaged.
02:18 Cloves have both antifungal and antibacterial properties
02:24 and through this cosmetic brand, they're sold in Zanzibar and beyond.
02:29 Back at Stone Town's central market, Zanzibar's spices continue to be sold
02:34 much the same way as they have been for generations.
02:38 For our company, it's just the beginning.
02:40 Spices are the heritage and traditions of Zanzibar, but it can also be our future.
02:47 (upbeat music)
02:49 (upbeat music)