Portfolio
SNAPSHOT
APRIL 2012
The agribusiness portfolio
The Business Innovation Facility and Innovations Against Poverty have a range of projects
in the food and agriculture sectors which engage farmers. Some projects are focused on
sourcing specific crops from farmers, or helping them to supply their produce into higher
value markets. Others involve selling services to farmers to boost their production, including
weather forecasts and agronomic advice. A third group are focused on the processing and
retail of products originating with producers down the value chain.
BUSINESS INNOVATION FACILITY
INNOVATIONS AGAINST POVERTY
Bangladesh
Ghana
Agora stores: Agora is an expanding chain of retail outlets
in Bangladesh, run by Rahimafrooz Superstores Ltd. As it
expands, the company aims to build the capacity of small
and medium fresh produce suppliers to develop robust
supply chains. Many of these suppliers procure produce from
some of Bangladesh’s poorest districts.
Global Sourcing and Supply (GSS): GSS aims to
bring local farming communities into the profit streams
generated by oil and mining activities in Ghana through
the supply food to the employees. GSS plans to build
local capacity and source this food from low-income
farmers living near mines and drilling areas.
The Environmental Research and Analytical Service
(ERAS): This project aims to increase the incidence of soil
testing at the village level, by creating viable private sector
supply chains that give smallholders access to affordable
and effective soil testing services. Soil testing is an essential
tool for smallholder farmers to increase their harvests and
produce higher quality crops.
Ignitia: Ignitia is a business venture to distribute daily
weather forecasts and early warning information to
90,000 smallholder farmers. Farmers pay a small price
to receive a daily text message with a weather forecast
tailored to his or her specific location. This information
can help them to be more agriculturally productive,
more food secure and better able to plan for disaster risk
reduction when hit by natural hazards.
Shiblee Hatchery & Farms: Shiblee Hatchery & Farms plans
to engage 100 landless families as fish farmers of cagecultured tilapia. They also run a supply network, delivering
chemical-free fish and meat products to high-end clients in
Dhaka. This project aims to roll out a business model based
on a contract farming approach to production, and secure
investment to finance the farmers’ investment.
India
MCX: MCX’s Gramin Suvidha Kendra (GSK) Initiative uses
the postal network to reach out to farmers and provide
them with expert advice on agricultural inputs, farming
problems, warehousing and financing information for
their produce, as traded on MCX.
mKRISHI: The mKRISHI initiative of Tata Consultancy Services
offers personalised services in local language to farmers on
their mobile phones. Farmers in remote areas will be able to
connect to their traders, access quality agricultural inputs, find
advice on farming practices and get information on market
prices, weather and other essentials for improving yields.
India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia
Lotus Foods: This initiative is focused on the distribution
and sale of organic, fair trade heirloom rice. It aims to
establish new value chains based on the System of Rice
Intensification (SRI) cultivation methods, which involves a
set of practices for managing plants, water and soil that
is accessible to even the most resource-limited farmers,
allowing them to achieve higher yields with less water, less
seed and no agrochemicals.
Snapshots provide real-time
information on the project portfolio
for the Business Innovation Facility
and Innovations Against Poverty.
BUSINESS INNOVATION FACILITY
CONTINUED
INNOVATIONS AGAINST POVERTY
CONTINUED
Malawi
Mozambique
Afri-Nut: Afri-Nut, a Malawian start-up, has the first
processing facility in Malawi that can produce processed
peanut products such as blanched nuts and peanut paste.
International Development Enterprises (IDE): This
farm advisors network provides high quality agricultural
products and advice to small-scale farmers. IDE aims to
deliver irrigation products and other essential inputs to
the rural poor, allowing them to increase their yields and
incomes in a cost-effective and sustainable way.
Malawi Mangoes: Malawi Mangoes plan to implement
the first large scale fruit processing facility in Malawi,
powered by solar and biomass/biogas, that will convert
the fruit into concentrate and pureé. The company aims
to generate over 1,000 jobs in farm work and at their
processing plant.
MicroVentures: This project develops market linkages
between smallholder farmers and Malawian wholesalers,
retailers and food processors. It focuses on 850 women
who are already loan clients of MicroLoan Foundation,
enabling them to sell into value-added markets.
Zambia
Imagine Rural Development Initiative (IRDI): The
project aims to significantly increase the number of
Zambian farmers growing moringa crops – a flowering
plant that can be processed into a number of marketable
products – and establish moringa as a sustainable income
generation crop. IRDI will provide seedlings and skills to
farmers and process a range of products for sale.
Universal Industries: This project creates a new supply
chain and business model, sourcing fresh cassava root from
local smallholder farmers for high quality cassava flour.
Universal aims to engage 7,000 smallholder farmers.
Nigeria
AACE Foods: AACE Foods is a start-up company
establishing a value chain for locally sourced, processed
and distributed foods for business-to-business and
business-to-consumer sales. Products, such as fresh
ginger are sourced directly from farmer groups.
Zambia
Sylva Foods: Sylva Foods is a domestic SME that aims
to grow demand for and increase sales of traditional
Zambian foods and beverages based on an inclusive local
sourcing model. Sylva is extending its supply chain to
directly source produce from smallholder farmers in rural
communities across Zambia.
Tata Tannery: This project aims to better integrate
small-scale farmers and intermediaries into the Tannery’s
value chain. Currently, farmers merely sell their cattle to
the abattoirs for slaughter but do not receive any extra
compensation for their hides. By directly working with
farmers, abattoirs and its intermediary, Tata aims to build
capacity and create incentives to produce and supply
more and higher quality hide.
The Business Innovation Facility and Innovations Against Poverty support companies as they develop or grow inclusive
businesses. The Business Innovation Facility provides technical support and Innovations Against Poverty provides financial
assistance. Inclusive business is profitable, core business activity that also expands opportunities for people at the base of the
economic pyramid: either as producers, suppliers, employees, distributors, or consumers of affordable goods and services.
For further information and to view other Snapshot documents, go to:
Practitioner Hub on Inclusive Business: www.businessinnovationfacility.org
We welcome feedback on our publications – please contact us at enquiries@businessinnovationfacility.org
The Business Innovation Facility is a pilot programme funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), implemented by a management alliance led by Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP in
collaboration with other leading international institutions, operating in five countries. Innovations Against Poverty is a programme funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
(Sida) and implemented by by Pricewaterhouse Coopers (Sweden). It is a part of Sida’s Business for Development programme, which contains proposals for new forms of dialogue and collaboration with
industry. The views presented in this paper are those of the author(s) only y do not necessarily represent the views of the Business Innovation Facility, Innovations Against Poverty, our funders or project
partners, and do not constitute professional advice.