NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 12 – O-Farms has unveiled the second cohort of agri circularity SME program which is set to help 10 Kenyan-based startups define their circular solutions, strengthen their business models, and access grant funding of up to 50,000 euros.
The startups which address food losses and by-products represent key sub segments of the agri circularity sector that include human food, animal feeds, fertilizer/compost, biodegradable packaging and biofuels.
O-Farms is an African SME accelerator completely focused on circular agribusiness with the goal of making circularity a mainstream approach for improved rural livelihoods and sustainability.
It is an initiative funded by the IKEA Foundation to help scale circular agribusiness innovations in East Africa.
Yummy Pot Ltd, a startup that sells instant mashed potato flour and raw potato flour to households and businesses as well as Janabichi Agri Solutions which converts rejected tomatoes and capsicum to various sauces have benefited the programme.
Others include Sbike Ltd which uses market organic waste and supplements it with by-products from the sugar production process, such as pulp and molasses to produce ethanol and Agribusiness Solutions which process avocado oil using a zero-waste circular process and go on to process the avocado waste to make briquettes and nutrients for black soldier fly farming.
Soil Doctors, Organic Fields, Stawi Seeds Ltd, Korogocho Market Traders Association (KMTA), as well as Vermitech Consultants Ltd-manufactures, also benefited.
O-Farms was launched in 2021 as Africa’s first accelerator program focusing on agri-circularity with the goal of making circularity a mainstream approach for improved rural livelihoods and sustainability.
E4Impact Accelerator is implementing the O-Farm’s Accelerator Program in Kenya. So far the programme has supported 11 SMEs, and it is now back for a second edition.
“As E4Impact our aim is to support SMEs to refine their innovations, strengthen their business models, access financing opportunities and create a founding community advocating for better adoption of a circular economy and supportive policies & legislation. We are looking forward to receiving the 2nd cohort of agri-circularity SMEs as we strive towards cementing Kenya as an agricultural hub in Africa,” said David Cheboryot, Director of the E4Impact Entrepreneurship Centers.
Led by Bopinc and Village Capital, O-Farms is focused on accelerating the next generation of innovative circular agribusinesses in Kenya and Uganda.
Agri-circularity creates a more sustainable food system that drives innovation through developing innovative business models that reduce agricultural losses, thereby creating new economic opportunities and jobs in the region.
In this regard, Kenya is able to sustainably feed its growing population, without depleting its natural resources. O-Farms will build innovation support infrastructure that enables circular agribusiness to grow and develop.
