Overcoming Obstacles to Business in Africa
The Economist examines the opportunities and obstacles for enterprising people in Africa – and highlights TechnoServe’s work to bolster young entrepreneurs.
Helping Farmers Access the Tools They Need
High-quality fertilizer is helping coffee farmers in Kenya increase their yields.
Cashing in on Chips in Kenya
Hannah Karanja seized an opportunity to add value to potato products; now she's working with TechnoServe to expand her business.
Solutions for African Food Enterprises
Solutions for African Food Enterprises (SAFE) was a public-private partnership between TechnoServe, Partners in Food Solutions, and USAID that aimed to increase the competitiveness of the African food processing sector to expand availability of affordable and nutritious foods to local populations. The program benefited more than 1,000 food processors who source from more than 800,000 smallholder farmers in five countries.
Conservation Cotton Initiative
With support from luxury clothing brand Edun, TechnoServe launched the Conservation Cotton Initiative in 2011. The first phase of the program benefitted an estimated 59,745 people from 2011 to 2013 and managed to establish 150 producer business groups to better link farmers to markets.
Ripe Opportunities in Rural Rwanda
Agriculture for Impact recently visited STRYDE participants in Northern Rwanda who are demonstrating that agriculture can improve livelihoods for youth.
Enhancing Sustainability and Increasing Coffee Incomes in Ethiopia’s Sidama Zone
Some of the highest quality coffee in the world comes from the Sidama Zone of Ethiopia, produced primarily by 200,000 smallholder farming families, most of whom continue to live in poverty due to small farm sizes and low productivity.
Improving Efficiency in the Food System in Kenya
Reducing food loss can help to increase the amount of food that reaches market, helping to make the food system more sustainable. TechnoServe is working with The Rockefeller Foundation in Kenya to minimize food loss in the mango value chain.
Mobile Training for Rural Farmers
With large rural populations in Africa, it can be difficult to reach farmers for training and traveling to training can be costly and time consuming for farmers. The Mobile Training Unit project is an innovative agricultural extension training approach, which allows for large groups of smallholder farmers to receive audio and visual training lessons in rural areas.
How the World’s Largest Companies Can Help Africa’s Farmers
TechnoServe's Dickson Mbando offers insight into win-win scenarios that benefit both farmers and the private sector.
