Project Summary: Describe your contribution in one sentence

Our Vermi-Farm Initiative aims to empower smallholder farmers with sustainable and innovative agri-tech solutions that increase crop yields and reduce water usage, while creating market linkages for their surplus produce.

What are the additional countries or territories of impact?

Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda

Challenge Focus: What topic does your project most directly relate to?

Creating structures of support for regenerative solutions to today's climate challenges Creating inclusive pathways for people to contribute towards building a sustainable world

Website URL(s) or social media handles

https://instagram.com/vermifarmltd

The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve?

In Kenya, smallholder farmers, particularly women and youth, grapple with significant obstacles when it comes to accessing markets, financing, and resources necessary to improve their farming practices. These difficulties result in low productivity, inadequate income, and challenging living conditions. 

The agricultural sector contributes approximately 33% to Kenya's GDP and employs over 40% of the population, primarily in the informal sector, as reported by the World Bank. However, smallholder farmers continue to face numerous challenges, including inadequate farming infrastructure, limited access to financial services and markets, and the adverse impacts of climate change. Resolving these challenges is crucial for achieving sustainable and inclusive economic growth in Kenya while supporting the livelihoods of smallholder farmers like in my local village Ntirimiti where agriculture is the primary source of income. 

The Vermi-Farm Initiative is designed to address these challenges head-on by offering holistic sustainable and innovative solutions such as smart Vermi-Farm greenhouses, eco-friendly Vermi-Farm Premier fertilizers, and accessible financing through the Vermi-Farm Adapt Finance Product. By providing smallholder farmers with these comprehensive resources, we empower them to enhance their productivity, increase their income, and improve their overall living conditions. 

Your connection and commitment: How close are you to the problem and/or the community impacted?

Growing up in a small rural community, Ntirimiti at the slopes of Mt. Kenya, whose agriculture is the primary source of income, I witnessed firsthand the struggles that farmers faced in trying to grow crops without adequate resources, such as water and fertilizer. As I grew older, I realized that these struggles were not unique to my community but were a pervasive issue across Africa. This realization was the driving force behind bringing to life the Vermi-Farm Initiative.

Over the past three years, I have been actively involved in the development and implementation of the Vermi-Farm Initiative. Through our smart vermi-farm greenhouses and eco-friendly Vermi-Farm Premier fertilizers, we have helped more than 1,500 farmers increase their crop yields by at least 70%, while using 78% less water and improving the maturity rate by 10 to 27%. This has had a significant impact on the communities we serve, helping farmers to provide for their families and create economic opportunities.

Our commitment to this initiative goes beyond just the technological solutions we provide. We have actively engaged with local communities to provide education on sustainable farming practices, which has led to a deeper understanding and appreciation for the environment. We have also worked with local women's groups to provide access to affordable financing through our Vermi-Farm Adapt Finance Product, empowering women to take an active role in the agriculture sector.

Having been brought up by a single mother whose source of income was small scale farming, I understand the importance of creating opportunities for women. Through the Vermi-Farm Initiative, we have empowered more than 217 women farmers, who often lack access to the resources and tools they need to succeed like affordable financing.

Your approach: How are you enabling other people to identify as green changemakers? How are you influencing them to get involved in your initiative or care about the issue you are addressing?

At Vermi-Farm Initiative, we are committed to activating green changemakers by providing opportunities for people to participate in sustainable agriculture. Our approach involves educating individuals on the benefits of sustainable agriculture and providing them with the resources and tools necessary to engage in it. Through our smart vermi-farm greenhouses and eco-friendly Vermi-Farm Premier fertilizers, we enable individuals to grow their own produce in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. 

To multiply changemakers, we partner with local community organizations to promote and support sustainable agriculture practices. We also provide training and resources to individuals and groups interested in starting their own sustainable agriculture initiatives. By empowering individuals to take action and build solutions for a sustainable and equitable world, we aim to create a community of green changemakers who are committed to making a positive impact on the environment and their communities. 

Additionally, we are working on developing a franchise program to expand our reach and impact. This program will enable individuals and groups to start their own Vermi-Farm franchises, multiplying changemakers and creating sustainable agriculture solutions in their local communities. Through these efforts, we are actively working to activate and empower green changemakers to take action and build a more sustainable future.

Generally, our approach is centered on creating a sense of ownership and empowerment among individuals and communities, enabling them to become active participants in building a sustainable and equitable world. By providing them with the tools and resources they need, we are activating changemakers and building a movement towards a more sustainable future.

Community involvement: How is your approach involving community participation, especially the historically marginalized groups?

Our approach involves empowering local communities to actively engage in the development and implementation of sustainable agriculture initiatives. Through educational programs, we provide farmers with the knowledge and skills to adopt regenerative practices while co-creating solutions that address their unique needs and challenges. 

Our Vermi-Farm Initiative franchise model enables farmers to start their own sustainable agriculture initiatives. We offer comprehensive support like training, access to financing, markets and one-on-one mentorship programs, to help them establish and scale their businesses successfully. This approach fosters community ownership, resilience, and economic opportunities. 

We actively work towards increasing women's participation in our programs, recognizing their crucial role in agriculture. We provide targeted support, including training and resources, to empower women farmers and entrepreneurs. By addressing gender inequalities and promoting women's economic empowerment, we contribute to more inclusive and sustainable agricultural systems. 

Our approach is based on the principles of agroecology, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of ecological, social, and economic systems. We work with farmers to help them understand the importance of preserving biodiversity, conserving natural resources, and promoting social equity in their farming practices. 

Your Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions already out there? How is your approach original and innovative? We are particularly interested in solutions that use regenerative approaches.

Vermi-Farm Initiative is an innovative approach to promoting sustainable agriculture while addressing the issue of food insecurity. We are leveraging technology to create smart greenhouses that use either aquaponics or aeroponics to grow crops with minimal water usage and reduce carbon footprint. Greenhouses are designed to adapt to various weather conditions, making them suitable for different regions.

We are providing eco-friendly Vermi-Farm Premier fertilizers that are made from worm castings and organic matter, a regenerative approach that helps to restore the soil's fertility. We have also implemented a green financing program through table banking economic models that provide affordable financing to farmers, especially those from marginalized communities. This initiative has been crucial in enabling more farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices, thus, enhancing food security in the communities.

We are implementing a franchising business model for value addition of products and market linkages for value-added products. This approach empowers farmers to earn more from their harvests and access broader markets, hence promoting economic growth and reducing food waste.

Our approach is unique because we have integrated various solutions to create a sustainable and scalable system. Use of smart greenhouses and regenerative fertilizers reduces the amount of water and energy used in agriculture, while our green financing program and franchising business model enable more farmers to access the resources and market linkages they need to succeed.

Generally, our Vermi-Farm Initiative is an innovative approach that uses technology, regenerative practices, and community involvement to promote sustainable agriculture, enhance food security, and promote economic growth.

Founding Story: Share a story about the "Aha!" moment that led the founder(s) to get started or the story of how you saw the potential for this to succeed.

Vermi-Farm Initiative was co-ounded by Diana Wairimu and I. In 2019, I was struck by the inhumane pictures of hunger and food insecurity circulating online during a severe hunger strike. I reached out to Diana, who was in her second year at EARTH University at the time. One day, she went for a field study at an organic farm in Guatemala, where she learnt about the role of worms in achieving sustainable agriculture and reducing food waste, which we thought could be a solution for smallholder farmers. 

We did more research and in 2021, we received seed funding through the Resolution Project Fellowship to actualize the idea. After 6 months of providing farmers with affordable eco-friendly fertilizers, we realized it wasn't enough. We thought of providing them with low-cost smart greenhouses to help them increase their yields and income. Our Product Innovation and Sustainability Manager drafted an idea for the low-cost smart greenhouses that integrated either aquaponics or aeroponics. 

To further support the farmers' resilience towards climate change, we introduced green financing, which was made possible with support from the Kenya Climate Innovation Centre through investment of KES 1,200,000 into the initiative. 

This was because of the realization that farmers needed a holistic solution to address the challenges they face in achieving food security and increasing their income.  

Impact: How has your project made a difference so far? How is it contributing to a zero-carbon world- where every person thrives, and nobody gets left behind?

1. The Vermi-Farm Initiative has positively impacted over 1,679 smallholder farmers in Kenya. Our eco-friendly vermicompost fertilizers have improved soil quality and increased crop yields by up to 43%, enhancing food security and boosting farmers' income. 

1. We have provided 298 farmers with low-cost smart greenhouses, integrating aquaponics and aeroponics. This has maximized crop production by upto 43%, diversified and increased income streams, and built resilience against climate change. 

1. Through our green financing model, we have facilitated affordable and flexible credit access for 121 farmers that takes in form of table-banking economic model, enabling them to acquire greenhouses, tools and equipment and eco-friendly inputs for improved farming practices and sustainable environment. 

1. Our initiative contributes to a zero-carbon world by promoting sustainable agriculture practices and reducing waste sent to landfills, mitigating climate change impacts and supporting planetary regeneration. We have diverted at least 100,000kgs of food waste by converting them into highly nutritious fertilizer through vermicomposting. 

1. We have created 24 additional job opportunities for young women and men through our franchise business model. They engage in value addition, packaging, and marketing of value-added products, fostering community strength and empowering women through income generation. 

What’s Next: What are your ideas for taking your project to the next level?

Firstly, we plan to scale up our current operations and expand our reach to more smallholder farmers. We want to establish partnerships with more organizations and government bodies to reach more communities and impact more lives. From the current 4 counties to 10 within next 2 years. 

 

We also plan to diversify our product offering by introducing innovative solutions such as smartbins to digitize waste management and incentivize waste collection. This is to be achieved within next one year. We have a prototype already at Kandisi. In addition, we aim to establish a mobile application to digitize our green financing product that is currently in the form of table banking. This will help us streamline the financing process and make it more accessible to more people.

 

To increase market access for smallholder farmers, we will create end-to-end market linkages for them and establish cold storage facilities to increase the shelf life of their products. This will help them reduce post-harvest losses and increase their incomes. This is our objective by 2025.

 

Our end goal is that we want to continue innovating and exploring new opportunities to make a positive impact on the environment and the lives of people, particularly those in marginalized communities. We believe that through our efforts, we can contribute to a zero-carbon world where everyone thrives and nobody gets left behind.

Your team: What is the current composition of your team (types of roles, qualifications, full-time vs. part-time, board members, etc.), and how do you plan to evolve the team’s composition as the project grows?

The Vermi-Farm Initiative team currently consists of six full-time members: Diana Wairimu and myself as co-founders, with Prince King’ori as our legal advisor, Eliud Mwaniki as the Operations Manager who is an agronomist, Prof. Luis Glenn as our project advisor, and Jie Zhao from The Resolution Project as our guide. Our team has a diverse background, bringing different perspectives and experiences to our work.

 

We also have 34 part-time workers who play various roles in the organization, including sales, waste management, sorting, technical expertise, and agronomy. As the project grows, we plan to expand our team to include additional technical experts to help scale our waste management solutions and improve our smartbin technology, and we will actively seek out individuals who bring different perspectives and experiences to our work.

We plan to establish an advisory board with experts in sustainable agriculture, waste management, and green finance to guide our strategic decisions.

Operational Sustainability Plan: What is this solution’s plan to ensure operational sustainability.

Our operational sustainability plan is built on three main pillars: financial sustainability, environmental sustainability, and social sustainability.

 

We plan to diversify our revenue streams through partnerships with waste generators, such as hotels, supermarkets, and schools, to supply our vermicomposting plant with a constant stream of organic waste. Additionally, we plan to sell our organic fertilizer and vermicompost to farmers and urban gardeners, creating a new market for sustainable agriculture practices. We will also continue to seek grant funding and impact investment opportunities to support our growth.

 

We plan to continually improve our waste management solutions, utilizing our smartbins and vermicomposting plant to process and recycle organic waste. We will also focus on reducing our carbon footprint by using renewable energy sources and minimizing transportation emissions. Our farm will also serve as a model for sustainable agriculture practices, and a research resource center. 

 

Finally, we will prioritize building strong relationships with our community and partners. We will involve local farmers and community members in our operations, creating job opportunities and promoting sustainable agriculture practices. We will also focus on providing education and training opportunities to increase awareness of sustainable waste management and farming practices. 

VIDEO: Please share the link to a 1-minute YouTube video that answers the following “I identify as a Green Changemaker because...”. Ensure that your video does not exceed 60 seconds

https://youtu.be/KLQPjAixjIw

Impact Model: While reviewing applications, we identified a need to better understand the impact models for the innovations that applied. How would you describe the activities you engage in and what outcomes and long-term impact do they lead to?

Our main activities include:

• Producing and distributing eco-friendly and highly nutritious organic fertilizers in form of vermicompost, improving soil fertility and crop yields.
• Providing low-cost smart greenhouses equipped with aquaponics and aeroponics systems, maximizing crop production and diversifying farmers' income.
• Offering the Vermi-Farm Adapt Finance Product, a green financing model that provides affordable credit access for farmers to enhance their farming practices.

Our key stakeholders are smallholder farmers, local communities and organizations like Neema Self-Help Group, women, and youth. Smallholder farmers benefit from our initiatives by adopting to organic fertilizers, utilizing smart greenhouses, and accessing credit.

Local communities and organizations collaborate with us to raise awareness and promote sustainable agricultural practices. Women and youth are empowered through skill and enterpreneurship development and active participation in the agricultural sector.

Short- to medium-term outcomes include improved soil quality, leading to increased crop yields, diversified income streams, and improved livelihoods. We measure outputs such as the quantity and quality of vermicompost fertilizers produced, number of smart greenhouses installed and operational, and the number of farmers accessing the green financing product and trainings.

Our long-term impact includes environmental sustainability, climate change mitigation and adaptation, economic empowerment and poverty reduction, gender equality and social inclusion, and community development and resilience. Most importantly, our goal is to create a sustainable and regenerative agricultural system that benefits farmers, communities, and the environment, contributing to a thriving, zero-carbon world.

Audience: Who are you most directly impacting through your work? Who is the target beneficiary? Please specify if the population you are reaching is underserved due to any of the following characteristics?

Geography Gender Age - Youth Socio-Economic Class Other (Please Specify)

If you chose the "Other" option, please specify

The Vermi-Farm Initiative most directly impacts smallholder farmers, with a specific focus on women and youth. These groups are often underserved in Kenya and face challenges in accessing resources and opportunities in the agricultural sector. The Vermi-Farm Initiative aims to address the gender and generational gaps in agriculture by empowering women and youth to actively participate in sustainable farming practices and gain economic independence. While the initiative does not explicitly target other underserved populations based on characteristics such as chronically ill or disabled, geography, immigration status, work status, language, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age (elder or youth), or socio-economic class, it strives to create an inclusive and equitable environment where all individuals can benefit from its activities and outcomes.

How are you activating green changemakers?

Engaging emotions: Communicating climate change in a way that resonates with individuals’ specific situations to trigger an emotional engagement Building Understanding: communicating complex science, data and / or systems theory surrounding climate change in an accessible way, tailored to the specific audience and context Making progress visible: identifying tangible metrics that help people understand how their contribution is part of a bigger whole Imagining new possibilities: leading group processes to help people see the possibilities and consequences of acting; innovating new products, business models, or ways of organising Walking alongside individuals: offering one-on-one coaching, mentoring and troubleshooting; providing sustained energy to shift the inertia of the system Helping make the case: helping people to show the business case for emission reduction, find profitable products, innovating new business models Creating a community: bringing together peers to share learnings, reinforce behaviours, and develop positive social norms; hosting gatherings where people see their work as part of a bigger whole Addressing competing demands: helping people meet other needs and priorities to give them the capacity to attend to climate action Creating accountability mechanisms: developing climate pledges and other means of holding individuals, organizations, and collectives accountable Building enabling structures: using contracts, financial mechanisms, and other tools to facilitate and encourage action

If you chose the "Other" option, please specify

 

Organization Type: Which organization type best describes how your work or initiative has been organized or registered?

For-Profit

Tell us briefly about how you have and/ or would like to engage partners or other changemakers to enhance your approach:

1. Agricultural Organizations: We have collaborated with established agricultural organizations like Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) - Embu branch to access their expertise, and resources like research and sweet potato seedlings for Tumaini group of farmers in Igoji, Meru County. We greatly leverage their knowledge and amplify our efforts to promote regenerative agriculture.

2. Research Institutions: Collaborating with research institutions like the KALRO and Kenya Climate Innovation Centre allows us to stay updated on the latest advancements in sustainable environment and agriculture. By sharing knowledge and insights, we can improve our vermicompost fertilizers, greenhouse technologies, and farming techniques, leading to more effective and sustainable solutions.

3. Local Communities and Organizations: Building partnerships with local communities and Organizations is essential for the success of our initiatives. We actively involve community members in decision-making processes, incorporate their traditional knowledge, and empower them to take ownership of sustainable farming practices. This strengthens community resilience and fosters long-term sustainability. Our green financing product has been successfully rolled out as a result of partnership with Ntirimiti Farmers' and Neema Self-Help Groups.

Annual budget: Hint: What is the cost for your current operations every year (or most recent year)? This is expenditure for your project or organization. The reference currency is the U.S. dollar.

$10k - $50k

Winning Impact Potential: How would winning the Green Changemakers Challenge impact and leverage your work?

With the additional funding and mentorship support, we can easily scale up our operations and expand our reach to more communities. We aim to establish partnerships with more organizations and county government bodies like we have done with the County Government of Kajiado, allowing us to extend our impact to 10 counties within the next two years. This expansion would enable us to empower more farmers, improve food security, and promote sustainable agriculture practices on a larger scale.

Moreover, we shall focus on diversifying our product offering and introduce innovative solutions. We plan to digitize waste management through the implementation of smartbins, incentivizing waste collection and promoting a circular economy. Additionally, we intend to develop a mobile application to digitize our green financing product, making it more accessible to a broader audience as we scale.

Another crucial aspect of our growth strategy is to establish end-to-end market linkages for smallholder farmers and set up cold storage facilities. These initiatives will enhance market access, reduce post-harvest losses, and increase the income of farmers. By focusing on market-oriented solutions, we can create sustainable economic opportunities for farmers and contribute to a more resilient agricultural sector.

Skills Matching: If you win, you may have the opportunity to be matched with HSBC employees for skill-based mentorship. If matched, which of the following skills would you be most interested in receiving?

Planning & Strategy