Kenya

iDE partners with rural entrepreneurs to make postharvest mechanization and support services more available to smallholder farmers in Kenya, with a particular emphasis on women and youth.

Featured Project

In Kenya, A Rural Entrepreneur Helps Young People Find Work

Farming and Entrepreneurship transformed Rosaline’s life, so now she’s helping young men and women from her community do the same.

Rosalina Siama, based in Western Kenya, joined iDE in 2023 and has launched successful agricultural and business ventures, including soy production, creating jobs for local youth and supplying nutritious food to schools.

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN KENYA

Capacity building for entrepreneurs in Kitui County
With funding from Oxfam Great Britain, Bountifield partnered with entrepreneurs to promote postharvest services for smallholder farmers in Kitui County.
March 19, 2024
Bountifield International Joins Forces with Global Nonprofit iDE
As described by Artful Living, Bountifield’s integration into iDE operations are two things that were meant to be.
March 1, 2024
iDE integrates Bountifield into its operations
Combining Bountifield’s postharvest expertise with iDE’s extensive global footprint will create opportunities to scale impact for last-mile communities, improving food security and reducing postharvest losses.
December 20, 2023

Kenyan Entrepreneurs Combat Climate Change to Transform Livelihoods with iDE

With support from iDE’s She Feeds Africa program, Kenyan farmers are transforming local food systems by running profitable agribusinesses, reducing post-harvest losses, and training others in climate-smart practices.

In drought-stricken Kenya, women entrepreneurs like Fedha Kyevo are accessing machinery, loans, and training through iDE to grow their agribusinesses, increase community incomes, and build resilience to climate change.

Why we’re here—

In Kenya, smallholder farmers are responsible for 80 percent of all agricultural output. One of the leading economic sectors, agriculture accounts for 33 percent of the country’s GDP, 65 percent of export earnings, and 70 percent of rural employment. Despite the prevalence of agricultural activity, much of the population is still food insecure. Undernourishment has increased over the past decade from a low point of 20 percent of the population in 2015 to 27.8 percent in 2023. Food loss is estimated at 30 percent of all stored products and, with limited access to reliable postharvest processing equipment, many farmers, particularly women, still process crops using manual labor. Severe drought conditions over the past few years have made matters worse for farmers, with low rains decreasing yields and impacting the health of livestock. This is further aggravated by international conflicts and events that cause food prices to surge and disrupts the global supply chain.

In Rural Kenya, Winfred Builds Better Business from Maize Shelling

For Winfred, entrepreneurial success meant supporting farmers in her rural community.

With technical and business training, Winfred builds her business from the ground up to provide postharvest services and other agricultural support to farmers in her community.

Nutrition

Improving the environment for mothers and children to thrive

iDE works to develop a supportive environment for communities to have availability of nutritious foods, maximized incomes for increased access, and information to support families to make healthy choices around food consumption.

How We Do It —

Agriculture

iDE supports strengthening markets by providing rural entrepreneurs with access to postharvest mechanization along with technical training, financing options, and business mentoring. Through a one-to-many approach, these entrepreneurs develop processing businesses in which they provide small-scale farmers in their communities with essential postharvest mechanization and support.
This helps farmers, particularly women, save valuable time and labor that would otherwise have been used to manually process crops. In addition, postharvest mechanization greatly reduces food loss, improves quality and increases the profitability of farmers.

Learn more about iDE's commitment to Agriculture.

Nutrition

While overall hunger trends have been decreasing in Kenya, the past decade has seen a rise in undernourishment of the population, rising from 20 percent of the population in 2015 to 27.8 percent in 2023.

By promoting high-value, nutritious crops, iDE empowers farmers to earn more income and provides their families and communities with a more varied diet, fueling them with the energy and mental ability they need to be successful.

Learn more about iDE’s commitment to Nutrition.

iDE Ex Bangladesh Key Agriculture Project

Seeding the market with the right agricultural technologies

Increasing crop yields through dynamic private sector partnerships.

Axial flow pumps, power-tiller operated seeders, and mechanical reapers have the potential to transform farming practices by increasing precision and conserving resources. iDE works with local entrepreneurs who can ensure farmers have access to these machines.

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Postharvest technologies provided by entrepreneurs benefit Kenyan farmers

Switching from manual to mechanized processing saves time and increases profits

The She Feeds Africa project, funded by Zinpro Corporation and the Anderson Foundation, provides women entrepreneurs with access to financing, tools, and training, equipping them to improve postharvest practices and incomes across Kenyan communities