O-Farms, an SME accelerator focused on circular agribusiness, has began its next phase with a mission to make circular principles mainstream in the region’s agriculture sector.
The program, by Safi Organics, encourages innovative business solutions in Kenya and Uganda that bring food losses and by-products back into the food system. This initiative is crucial as East Africa faces challenges in producing enough safe and nutritious food while minimizing environmental impact.
In Phase One of the program, participating enterprises creating value out of previously wasted food and organic material benefited from support to improve the investment readiness of their business and networking opportunities. These enterprises have experienced numerous benefits, including increased sales due to enhanced marketing support, cost savings through improved circular practices, the formation of new circular and business partnerships facilitated by O-Farms, and the attraction of new funding.
In the second phase of O-Farms, the program will scale up its accelerator activities, welcoming another 100 circular enterprises in Kenya and Uganda. This phase will focus on growing SMEs to improve the viability and impact of their circular business activities. Secondly, the program will be nurturing smaller SMEs and start-ups to successfully launch their circular business ideas in the market. And thirdly, the program will continue to bolster in-country entrepreneurial support capacity optimised for circular SMEs, while putting more emphasis on advocacy to influence policy change for circular SMEs to thrive.
To support its expanded scope and impact, O-Farms has partnered with Biovision Africa Trust (BvAT) for advocacy and Unconventional Capital to manage a revenue-based financing facility for participating SMEs. These partnerships will strengthen O-Farms’ ability to support circular agribusinesses at scale.
According to Priya Motupalli, Program Manager at the IKEA Foundation, “The O-Farms program fosters innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability in the agriculture and food sector in East Africa. As a supporter of O-farms since its inauguration in 2021, we are proud to continue working together to advance circular agribusiness in the region and create a more sustainable and inclusive future.”