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xupj

UPAJ

noun, feminine

Meaning produce, output, yield. Things that have been grown, typically by farming.

UPAJ is for
the people.

We started Upaj to bring Punjab-grown foods and ingredients to your pantry.

No more untraceable spices and flours bought from farmers at the lowest rates possible. We bring you high-quality produce, sustainably grown in Punjab, and purchased at prices that honour the hard work of farmers.

One of our farmers standing in front of his field.

Farming must become resilient

Much of Punjab’s identity and culture is seeded from agriculture and rural life. The villages and fields give more to Punjabis than just harvests and income; they are woven into the language, songs, and hearts of the people.

For generations of Punjabis, farming was a meaningful way of life that also provided a modest livelihood. Over the past few decades, however, many factors have led to a steady decline in agriculture that today has farmers suffering the burden of ecological and economic crises. 

At the center of Punjab’s agriculture is environmental decay, with an over-exploited water table, deteriorating soil quality, and toxic food and drinking water; and economic ruin, as a wave of indebtedness, poverty, and despair continue to drown the countryside.

Broad change to transition farming toward environmental and economic sustainability is vital to reinvigorating the soil, food, water, and people of Punjab. This requires an enormous shift and there is no quick or easy path forward.

We at Upaj are getting that shift started.

We help farmers earn sustainably

Upaj connects Punjabi farmers, who grow sustainably, to global markets. We purchase directly from independent farmers to help maximize their earnings.

We are sourcing high-quality crops that are better suited to be grown in Punjab’s climate, require less irrigation, and can be grown without chemical pesticides or fertilizer. 

By creating international demand for other crops like millets and turmeric, we hope to encourage crop diversification and enable farmers to switch away from growing water-intensive rice.

Our farmers receive steady, premium prices, higher than commodity markets and Fair Trade prices, that give them income stability.

We hope to make sustainable farming economically viable and provide a path to a higher quality of life for farmers and their families.