O-Farm Program

Overview

Closing the Food Systems Loop in Kenya

Kenya loses at least Sh72 billion in food waste and post-harvest losses at different stages of the value chain (FAO and USAID Report, 2020).  By 2050, it’s estimated that the Earth’s population will be 9B hence the urgency to find a sustainable solution to feed the growing population without depleting the earth’s resources.

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 the natural resources.

About us

The O-Farm Program

O-Farms is the first African SME accelerator completely focused on circular agribusiness.  It is an initiative supported by the IKEA Foundation to help scale circular agribusiness innovations in East Africa.

O-Farms, led by Bopinc and Village Capital, is focused on accelerating the next generation of innovative circular agribusinesses in Ethiopia and Kenya. In doing so, O-Farms will build innovation support infrastructure that enables circular agribusiness to grow and develop. 

In Kenya, E4Impact Accelerator will implement the O Farm’s Agri-circularity Accelerator Program targeted to SMEs within the agribusiness circular economy that aims to support the 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.

E4Impact’s Agri-circularity Accelerator Program implemented with the support of Village Capital and BopInc is a 6-month program targeted to SMEs within the agribusiness circular economy. The program aims to support the 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.

The O-Farms accelerator program seeks circular agribusiness in Kenya that meet the criteria as described below to apply  for the program that officially runs between October 2021 and  March 2022

Farmland
The Process

Our Work Process

Grow and scale your business with the support of Agri-circularity Accelerator Program Accelerator by accessing the following services:

Customized training program on agri-circularity businesses

Technical Assistance to embed circularity principles in the business model including strengthening the systems and processes.

Coaching and Mentorship - personalized and group coaching to unpack training into business implementation

Links to financial and investment opportunities

Networking and peer learning to strengthen innovations and build a community of best practices in agri-circularity.

Competitive peer-to-peer awarded seed grants of up to Euro 25,000 (for 2 selected enterprises)

Join the O-Farms Accelerator TODAY!

Click the link below to fill in the application form in apply for the O-Farms Accelerator Program.

Requirements

SME Criteria

Guidelines

Innovation Criteria

If you are entrepreneur tackling the food waste/loss challenge in any of the following areas and with the potential to scale (in order of preference) 

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Are you not sure whether you have an innovation that fits the bill? Here are some examples of circular agribusiness ideas that O-Farms might support. 

  • Human food: converting whey, a by-product from cheese processing, into a nutritious yoghurt for low-income consumers. Or converting soy cake, coming from soy oil processing, into delicious soy chunks.
  • Animal feed: converting papaya seeds or orange peels into a new ingredient for animal fodder. Or growing black soldier fly larvae on organic waste to produce affordable proteins for cattle farmers.
  • Food packaging: converting by-products such as pineapple crowns or maize cobs into biodegradable packaging materials for the food industry.
  • Soil enhancement: converting rice husks into affordable fertilizer for smallholder farmers.
  • Renewable energy: converting agricultural waste into biogas that powers agricultural machinery. Or producing briquettes for low-income households to cook their meals on.

 

  • The O-Farms accelerator program seeks circular agribusiness in Kenya that meet the criteria as described below to apply  for the program that officially runs between October 2021 and  March 2022
Application

How to Apply & Deadlines

The period for applying to the program will be open for 30 days running from: 3rd September 2021-3rd October (close)

Any queries? Please send an email to accelerator.kenya@e4impact.org

Program Partners

We work with a number of dedicated companies to ensure our entrepreneurs get a vast range of advice and support form different viewpoints.

Published by e4iaccelerator 2021