At a Glance

Location: Peru

Impact Areas: Labor Inclusion, Sustainable Income

People Supported:
Small Producers & Artisans, Rural

Joined NESsT Portfolio:
2021

pescopescaderia.com

Overview

PesCo. is a social enterprise that connects seafood lovers directly to artisanal fishing communities in Peru. Through stores located in key locations of Greater Metropolitan Lima, it makes sustainable seafood easy to purchase from home, at local supermarkets, and in restaurants. By reducing the number of intermediaries in the supply chain and by ensuring sustainable and traceable seafood to consumers, PesCo. is able to pay artisanal fishermen a higher price for their catch resulting in more sustainable livelihoods for their families.

PesCo. currently works with 228 artisanal fishers on the Peruvian coast. Before working with the enterprise, most fishermen lack the training, fishing gear, and the post-catch handling techniques necessary to sell high-quality sustainable seafood. PesCo. trains these producers to meet sustainable seafood regulations enabling them to sell seafood at a premium to environmentally-conscious consumers.

In addition to generating income for local artisanal fishing communities, the enterprise will be engaging women in value-add roles so that they can generate their own income in a sustainable manner. Because of the long-term relationships of the management team with local fishing communities, PesCo. understands the demand for all family members of fishing households to also participate in the local fishing industry responsibly, so as not to deplete their food source and the history of this trade, one that is typically passed on across generations.

NESsT Investment

PesCo. launched its business during the pandemic, emerging onto the culinary scene as an e-commerce direct-to-consumer brand. One of the reasons why the enterprise reached a high volume of clients quickly is due the brand recognition of one of the co-founders and members of the management team, Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, a renowned Peruvian chef and serial entrepreneur. Schiaffino is chef/owner of Malabar and ÁmaZ, two of Lima’s most cutting edge and innovative restaurants, and founder of the catering company, Schiaffino Gastronomika. 

With support from NESsT and IKEA Social Entrepreneurship, PesCo. will expand into more stores and restaurants, through a franchise model. As the business grows, the management team will be implementing operational manuals and processes that improve decision-making across the company. 

The enterprise will also focus on improving its use of a blockchain e-marketplace technology that allows fishermen to sell their seafood to clients while still at sea and to ensure traceability. As part of the portfolio, PesCo. will implement a social impact measurement program with long-term tracking plans that enables responsible management of marine resources and buy-in from a growing number of stakeholders.