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The O-Farms program formally launched the second cohort of agri-circularity SMEs.

The 10 Kenyan-based startups addressing food losses and by-products will benefit from a tailored circularity curriculum, which will help them define their circular solutions, strengthen their business models, and access grant funding of up to 50,000 euros.

The selected startups represent key sub-segments of the Agri circularity sector that includes human food, animal feeds, fertilizer/compost, biodegradable packaging and biofuels.

They include Yummy Pot Ltd which sells instant mashed potato flour and raw potato flour to households and businesses, Janabichi Agri Solutions converts rejected tomatoes and capsicum to various sauces, Sbike Ltd uses market organic waste and supplements it with by-products from 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.

Others are Soil Doctors who make low-cost, biodegradable carbon-sink bag sheaths, which cover trees and enable their independent growth without irrigation, the Organic Fields convert market food waste into an organic fertilizer for use in crop production, and the Stawi Seeds Ltd use spoiled papaya fruits to make organic fertilizers.

Also on the list is EcoRich Solutions make affordable carbon-friendly organic fertilizers from household waste, Korogocho Market Traders Association (KMTA) uses overripe avocados to extract avocado oil, avocado seeds to make biofuel, overripe bananas to make smoothies, dry banana leaves(charred) to make briquettes and make organic compost from market organic waste and the Vermitech Consultants Ltd manufactures Boom Max organic foliar, an organic water-based fertilizer that is made by recycling market waste, this involves blending vermicomposting tea and an organic biostimulant.

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.

“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 an innovation support infrastructure that enables circular agribusiness to grow and develop.