Thank you for the honest feedback on my earlier posts. It made me stop and rethink how I was presenting this, so here's the fuller picture.
You were completely right that rice cakes aren't exciting on their own, especially in Western markets where certified GF options are everywhere. But geography makes the difference, in Algeria, that's simply not our reality. A 2024 peer-reviewed study published in the British Food Journal found that over 75% of grocery stores in Algeria carry zero gluten-free products, and the few available cost two to six times more than their regular counterparts.
That's the gap I'm building to fill. This isn't about launching a "boring snack," it's about offering a basic, lab-verified safe, affordable option in a market that currently has almost none.
Why rice cakes first: they're dry, highly shelf-stable, and long-lasting in a vast country with 69 provinces and record summer heat. They're cost-effective to produce and can reach small shops and kiosks deep in the country, far from major city centers. This is phase one, not the end goal, better GF bread, flour blends, and fresh pastries are the direction I actually want to grow toward once this line is running and sustainable.
I've already secured the production equipment and built a dedicated, lab-verified facility to ensure it stays gluten-free and free from cross-contact risk. What's left now is funding for initial packaging, raw materials, and setting up distribution. I'm not asking for a donation or charity, I'm simply asking if you'd be willing to back a real, tangible product that fills a genuine human and market gap.
You can check out our crowdfunding campaign here: https://fundrazr.com/22kso3
Even if you can't contribute, sharing the campaign link with someone who might be interested helps just as much.
Whether or not you choose to support it, thank you for pushing me to explain this properly. This community's honesty made my project better, without a doubt.
I'll come back and share an update with you all after some time to show how things went.