Local, Green, and Fair Snapshot: Meet Global Village Foods

By Jelena Dragicevic, SBN Intern

Global Village Foods is on a mission to bring allergy-friendly, African food to as many people as possible. Co-owner Damaris is a trained chef from Kenya who wanted to become an entrepreneur and celebrate food from the African diaspora early-on. After having a son with severe food allergies, Damaris and her husband Mel were inspired to open up Global Village Cuisine (since then changed to Global Village Foods) in Vermont in an effort to make their traditional, delicious African cooking allergy-friendly. 

Sustainability is also essential to their mission. During an interview, marketing director Wangene Hall stated, “For us, sustainability was really built into who we are and what we do, coming out of Vermont and being part of the authentic food scene.” Through all stages of its food production, Global Village Foods has prioritized sustainability. All packaging is recyclable, and they are hoping to move to compostable once it is feasible to do so. Most ingredients are sourced within 250 miles of Vermont, with a priority on local produce and farms. Really, Hall said, “We are always striving to strengthen and contribute to our own local food system, especially knowing that our local communities in Vermont and Massachusetts have been so supportive of us.” 

Indeed, a huge tenet of Global Village Foods is not only providing allergy-friendly, sustainable African food, but giving back to the community, either by donating meals to local homeless shelters and hospitals, advocating for social justice, or ensuring their production process maintains sustainable practices.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Global Village Foods’ community efforts really shined through in the “Vermont Everyone Eats” program. The program provides nutritious meals to Vermonters in need of food assistance, as well as a stabilizing source of income for Vermont restaurants, farmers, and food producers.  

Even so, Global Village Foods saw about a 60-70% drop in revenue during the economic shutdowns. While their ready-to-eat frozen foods generally fare well in Whole Foods, their samosas in the grab-and-go sections of co-ops and delis across New England were a strong driver of business.  The economic shutdowns did not allow customers to walk into stores and purchase their products, adding to the urgency of adapting to such difficult times. 

That is when Hall joined the team to help Global Village Foods pivot from a retail brick-and-mortar business to one that includes e-commerce. Customers across New England received orders that shipped to their door, and customers in Vermont could order for local delivery or pick up their online orders at the Global Village facility in Windsor, Vermont. This e-commerce pick-up feature will continue, having proved a useful adaptation during the pandemic and a successful component of their business. 

New developments are also in the works. Global Village Foods is planning on opening a new manufacturing facility in the near future that will allow them to expand operations and increase production capacity. Global Village Foods is hoping to feature regular community events to add to the community ambiance, making eating at their new Vermont facility an experience in and of itself! Several years from now, the hope is to expand Global Village Foods down the East Coast and eventually across the country so that everyone can get to experience delicious, pan-African food. Until then, Hall urges those interested to “Grab a taste, and join the Global Village” at the nearest Whole Foods! 

Word-of-mouth is a tremendous support to local businesses, and Global Village Foods always looks forward to serving you and your loved ones with bold African flavor! We are proud to have Global Village Foods as part of the Sustainable Business Network, and look forward to their continued success in bringing authentic African flavors for everyone to enjoy! For more information, visit their website.