Feature: Kenyan firm helping small-scale macadamia farmers access overseas market

As you crack open the hard shell and savor the buttery flavor, it is easy to forget that these tasty treats were grown thousands of miles away in the lush hills of central Kenya. Like many smallholder farmers in Kenya, Wambui was at the mercy of middlemen who offered low prices for her harvest and controlled access to the market. Everything changed when she joined…

NAIROBI, March 8 (Xinhua) — Imagine sitting in a cozy living room somewhere in the Netherlands, snacking on a handful of delicious macadamia nuts. As you crack open the hard shell and savor the buttery flavor, it is easy to forget that these tasty treats were grown thousands of miles away in the lush hills of central Kenya.

As for Eunice Wambui, a small-scale macadamia farmer in central Kenya’s county of Kirinyaga, her hard work and dedication to her crop have allowed her to share the flavors of her land with the world, including a cozy home in the Netherlands.

It is a true testament to the global reach of food production and the interconnectedness of the world.

However, this was not always the case for Wambui, who for years struggled to earn a decent income from her macadamia crop as she relied solely on middlemen to access the market.

These middlemen would take a significant portion of her earnings, leaving her with little to reinvest in her farm or provide for her family. Like many smallholder farmers in Kenya, Wambui was at the mercy of middlemen who offered low prices for her harvest and controlled access to the market.

Despite her hard work, it felt like a constant battle just to make ends meet. Wambui knew that there had to be a better way to access the global market and secure a fair price for her produce.

Everything changed when she joined One Acre Fund, a social enterprise that works with smallholder farmers to improve their livelihoods.

With One Acre Fund’s support, Wambui was able to access the lucrative European market for macadamia and earn significantly higher prices for her produce.

“Before One Acre Fund, we had to sell our macadamia to middlemen at a very low price,” Wambui said. “But now we have direct access to the market, and we can negotiate prices with the buyers. We are now earning good cash from macadamia.”

According to Martin Kanja, One Acre Fund’s quality assurance specialist at the organization’s macadamia processing plant in the central Kenyan town of Sagana, macadamia farming is lucrative, but many farmers shun it because of the poor earnings.

Despite their unwavering dedication and hard work, many farmers across Kenya have never been able to escape the cycle of poverty that has plagued them for so long.

They work tirelessly to feed the nation, yet often go unnoticed and unrewarded, he added.

Kanja noted that to ensure the quality of macadamia nuts is maintained and fit for the international market, One Acre Fund walks with the farmers through the production process from planting to harvesting.

“Our approach is to work with farmers from the farm to the market. We provide training and support to farmers on how to produce high-quality macadamia nuts that meet the standards of the European market,” he said.

According to Kanja, One Acre Fund provides farmers with training on best practices for harvesting, drying, and storing macadamia nuts, as well as on how to avoid contamination by pests and diseases.

The organization also provides farmers with equipment and materials to help them maintain the quality of their crops, added Kanja.

Once the macadamia nuts are harvested, One Acre Fund helps farmers transport the nuts to the processing plant in Sagana, where they are sorted, shelled, and processed for export.

The organization works closely with buyers to ensure that the macadamia nuts meet their quality standards and are delivered on time.

In its third year working with macadamia farmers in central Kenya, One Acre Fund is now eyeing the United States and Asia as the next marketing frontier for Kenyan macadamia.

Thanks to One Acre Fund’s support, Wambui and her fellow farmers are now able to earn significantly higher prices for their macadamia crops. This has improved not only their economic security but also their overall quality of life.

“We can now afford to pay school fees for our children, buy food, and even build houses. Our lives have really changed for the better,” Wambui said.

One Acre Fund’s success in helping smallholder farmers access the international market for macadamia is a promising example of how social enterprises can disrupt traditional models and empower communities to achieve sustainable development.

So far, the organization is working with over 20,000 macadamia farmers in central Kenya. By bypassing the middlemen and connecting directly with buyers in Europe, the organization is empowering farmers to earn a fair price for their macadamia nuts.

This is a huge step forward in creating a sustainable and equitable agricultural industry. Farmers no longer have to rely on middlemen who often take a large cut of the profits and leave the farmers with peanuts. Enditem