Agribusiness is Coming into Fruition!

There is a sector that is really blooming here in the Ye! Community, and that’s not only because venture capitalists have provided seed funding! From what we can tell, agricultural businesses are becoming increasingly popular, as the industry is filled with growth potential and there is so much to be developed within the market, especially in African countries.

According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation, climate change will affect agriculture through higher temperatures, elevated carbon dioxide concentration, precipitation changes, as well as increased weeds, pests and disease pressure. These threats to food security illustrate how important it is to stimulate agricultural production moving forward. Moreover, innovation is needed to ensure that future farming methods are resilient to climate changes and can still provide people with food.

Luckily, it seems that a number of Ye! Community entrepreneurs have started to do this through their agribusiness startups all around the world! Their businesses range from actual farming, to agricultural education, distribution and other online innovations. We rounded up some of the coolest ones we could find, and hopefully they’ll give you some food for thought:

• Saria Barnabas is the founder of Afri-Fish, a fish-oriented enterprise in Nairobi that aims to gain a market share in Kenya’s traditional food industry, make fish popular among health-conscious eaters and to expand into a number of outlets, including neighboring metropolitan cities, such as Nakuru, Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret.

• Cropital is a business that aims to provide investment to farmers in the Philippines through online crowdfunding. Rachel de Villa’s innovation means that anybody from around the world can gain returns on the profits of these farmers, which provides a sustainable form of investment, and secures the livelihoods of the farmers.

• Vaibhav Bajirao Dhage is the founder of Bhajicart, an online shopping store where Indian farmers can display their produce, and buyers can buy it directly, without a middleman! The platform was created to improve the standard of living of farmers as well as supply great quality products to consumers.

• Alex Kyeyune is an entrepreneur that wants to fight rural poverty through sustainable pig farming in Uganda, and started Pig Production and Marketing (PPM). PPM is a company which produces and supplies pork throughout East Africa, and also works with Breeds, Feeds and Meats Limited to use technology to increase the yield of low-cost pig production.

These are just some of the Ye! entrepreneurs involved in agribusiness, and so many have been vastly successful in providing food to people in their local communities, as well as internationally. While there will be a growing pressure on food production in the coming years, the determination and innovation from young entrepreneurs provides a promising future of agribusiness that is adaptable to climate change, and has socially responsibility at its core.

By Annabel Fenton