ABOUT THE FARMERS

Ten Senses Africa

Impact

Our main focus is to work with small holder farmers and groups as the supplier of nuts to our processing facility. Our Fair-Trade certification ensures that farmers are protected from prices fluctuations as it sets the minimum prices. Currently we are working with a total of 30, 000 macadamia farmers from Mt Kenya region and Taita Hills. Our farmers are duo certified into organic and fair-trade. Our processing facility is based in Nairobi, Kenya which employs a total of 800 workers.

Before Ten Senses was established, individual farmers were selling to middlemen who paid low prices. Now, Ten Senses collect the nuts from the farmers and pay them on receipt, direct from one mobile phone to another. The transaction is tracked and matched to the receipt against a message sent by the mobile transfer company.

The farmers receive better prices, are paid immediately and there are no risks associated with payment by cash.

Projects

Since 2008, TSA has been working with smallholder farmers in Kenya to grow organic macadamia and cashew for export. We have strong relationships with local farmers groups who are trained by qualified agronomists and certified to produce quality macadamia nuts. TSA works with farmers groups in Embu, Meru, Tharaka Nithi in upper eastern, Muranga, Nyeri and Kirinyaga in Central region and Taita Taveta in the coast region.

Nurseries Projects

Project area: Kirinyaga, Sondu, Kakamega and Taita Taveta

Project goal: To increase nuts supply in the country for robust industry growth by growing one million tree seedlings per year

Impact:

  • Livelihood improvement through income generation among small holder farmers
  • Climate change resilience and adaptation
  • Employment and industrialization

Oil Seed

The overall project goal is to reduce poverty and create sustainable income improvements for rural farmers and rural dwellers in Kenya through their inclusion in the development of a new Fair Trade and Organic value chain for four different types of oilseeds: macadamia, cashew, sesame and baobab.

Project areas: lower eastern (Kibwezi) Kilifi, Taita Taveta, Mt Kenya Region and Western Kenya Busia.

Impact:

  • To create income stream to the communities living in the target areas
  • To link small holder farmers to alternative markets through sale of fair-trade and organic certified products.

Research & Development

Dry fruits

This new venture is focused on product diversification and income generation. The new products include dry fruits such as pineapples and mangoes.

BTC (Belgian Technical Corporation) RWANDA

Project Goal

To increase macadamia production in Rwanda for sustained income among small scale farmers though setting up of tree nurseries and certification of farmers into organic and fair-trade standards.

Impact

The smallholder’s macadamia farmers will benefit from the increased income generated by:

  • Increased sales of certified macadamia nuts.
  • To increase financial strength of the smallholder households, thus impact on the households’ food security, living conditions and capability to finance education and other needs. Indirectly, the local business environment will benefit from the project as well.
  • Increased agricultural activity and the increased purchasing power of the smallholders.