From illness to innovation: algerian teacher transforms personal health crisis into thriving saffron farm

What started as a health crisis has blossomed into an inspiring tale of agricultural innovation in Algeria. When schoolteacher Keltouma Adouane fell seriously ill in 2015, saffron-infused drinks played a crucial role in her recovery. However, the prohibitive cost of this “red gold” – the world’s most expensive spice – in her home region of Béjaïa sparked an entrepreneurial idea that would change her life.

Saffron’s astronomical price stems from its incredibly labor-intensive production process. Each delicate purple flower blooms for less than three weeks annually, yielding only three tiny red stigmas that must be hand-picked at dawn with extreme care. It takes nearly 200,000 flowers to produce just one kilogram of dried saffron, and the plants may take up to two years to flower. Despite these challenges, Adouane decided to grow her own.

Her gamble paid off spectacularly. After nearly two months of anxious waiting, she was greeted by what she describes as a “big purple carpet of flowers” – a sight so stunning she could hardly believe her eyes. Encouraged by this success, Adouane expanded her operation and joined the Association of Rural Women of Béjaïa (AFUD), a nonprofit supporting rural women’s agricultural projects and market access.

Through AFUD, she gained valuable training in mushroom cultivation, cheesemaking, and cosmetics production, diversifying her skills alongside other entrepreneurial women. Adouane’s journey demonstrates how personal necessity can evolve into sustainable agricultural innovation, particularly in Algeria’s rural Béjaïa province, home to 388,000 people where most residents depend on farming for their livelihoods.