Indiegogo is committed to accessibility. If you have difficulty using our site, please contact support@indiegogo.com for assistance or view our accessibility notice by clicking here
Caret Left
Caret Right
Indemand
Indemand
Indemand
Indemand
Indemand

Help Safi and Takachar expand to a new community

Help Safi and Takachar expand to a new community

Help Safi and Takachar expand to a new community

Help Safi and Takachar expand to a new community

Help Safi and Takachar expand to a new community

We received a contract to deliver to 1,000 new farmers; we're raising working capital to fulfill it.

We received a contract to deliver to 1,000 new farmers; we're raising working capital to fulfill it.

We received a contract to deliver to 1,000 new farmers; we're raising working capital to fulfill it.

We received a contract to deliver to 1,000 new farmers; we're raising working capital to fulfill it.

Samuel Rigu
Samuel Rigu
Samuel Rigu
Samuel Rigu
1 Campaign |
Mwea, Kenya
$25,005 USD by 88 backers
$25,005 USD by 88 backers on Nov 25, 2019

Summary

Many rural smallholder farmers in Africa face soil degradation and reducing crop yields. Safi Organics, in collaboration with Takachar, produces a locally made fertilizer blend from new chemical process developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Our fertilizer---Safi Sarvi---improves farmers' yields by up to 100% at the same price they pay for agricultural inputs by restoring their soil fertility. At the same time, our carbon-rich, biochar-based fertilizer sequesters inert carbon into the soil. Therefore, we promote regenerative and carbon-negative agriculture while enhancing the livelihood of the poorest farmers.

We have already set up a production facility in Kenya and proven the technology and product.  Currently we are serving 2,500 farmers. Recently we received an exciting offer by the Nakuru County Government to expand our services to farmers in its county fertilizer subsidy program. This contract is for payment on delivery, and as part of this campaign, we are seeking an increase in our working capital in order to deliver on an order of this magnitude. Furthermore, in order to fulfill our expanded production sustainably in the future, part of the funds from this campaign will also be used to implement MIT/Takachar's newest production prototype in our existing operation.

If you have not already checked out our video above, please see it here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0HUk-dpftg].

 

Problem

Rural farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa often pay 2-3 times the world price for their fertilizers, due to the fact that most fertilizers today are produced in large-scale, centralized, and capital-intensive facilities, and then shipped via long-distance transport to rural areas. Due to the farmers limited income, they can often only afford the cheapest, synthetic varieties that over the long term may actually acidify and degrade their soil due to over-dependence. As a result, some farmers have seen their post-harvest yields decrease by up to 50% in the last 20 years. This is a significant concern for local food security.

Solution

We use a combination of technology (developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and proprietary recipes to decentralize and downsize fertilizer production, such that it can be carried out profitably on a village-level scale using locally available resources and labor. Imagine small-scale, low-cost, mobile systems that can be latched onto the back of tractors or donkey carts, and be moved from farm to farm to enable localized conversion of agricultural residues into a fertilizer base under 2 hours without needing external energy input. This base is then mixed with our proprietary recipes to complete the nutrient as standalone fertilizer application. Our process drastically reduces the long-distance logistics needed to deliver high-quality fertilizers to farmers by producing the bulk locally. Our branded and carbon-negative product, Safi Sarvi, improves farmers’ harvest yield and income by up to 30% for the same cost that they pay for fertilizer inputs. The technology as well as the product have been proven, in the course of the past 8 years, both in the lab and in the field (data available upon request).

Achievements to Date

We have our first production facility in Mwea, Kenya, from which we currently serve 2,500 farmers. Our product has been officially certified by the Government of Kenya as a standalone fertilizer as of 2018. As of 2019, our production has reached the financial breakeven point. We are winners of prizes such as the MIT Agribusiness Prize, MIT IDEAS Global Challenge Competition, the University of California Berkeley Big Ideas Prize, and the Total Startupper of the Year.

Our Ask

Recently, we received our first government tender: the Nakuru County Government wants us to supply US$58,000 worth of fertilizers to 1,000 farmers in a ward in Nakuru County. This is a huge progress for us in achieving scale and impact.

However, there is a catch: In Kenya, the normal standard of government orders is for payment to follow verified and documented product delivery. To finance production to meet the order, we need an increase in our current working capital. To increase our production capacity to fulfill anticipated future orders like this, we will also be implementing the newest production technique from MIT/Takachar. These activities require a total of US$25,000.

The funds we raise through this campaign will reside with us as an evergreen working capital, and will allow us to grow and fulfill other tenders and large orders in the future. Once the funds have been received from this contract they will be reinvested in the business to expand and hence create more impact.

 

The Impact

Meet Mr. Kibuchi, who holds a one-hectare rice farm. Over the past 15 years, he had seen his yield reduced by about half due to soil degradation. After using our product, his input costs remained consistent, but he has seen his crop yield increased by 30%, and income increased by 50%. This was sufficient to send his two children to school, and last year, for him to afford a second-hand tractor for his farm. Amongst the 2,500 farmers that we work with, these economic gains are widely reported, even after one season of using our product. For them, our fertilizer not only restores their soil health, but also leads to better economic outcomes.

Additionally, our work creates additional rural job and income opportunities, such that youths no longer need to migrate to cities to find jobs. Meet Japhet: he is from the local village, and joined our pilot production as a worker. After 3 years, he has been promoted to production foreman, and is considering getting an MBA degree in Nairobi to further his career.

Moreover, because our fertilizer is rich in inert carbon, when one ton of it is applied to the soil, it also effectively sequesters 1.5 tons of CO2 equivalent from the atmosphere for hundreds of years. Thus, the more we supply, the more carbon we also sequester.

Specifically, your contribution will help us fulfill our delivery to an additional 1,000 farmers in the Nakuru County through the government tender. Make your pledge today and help a new rural community in Karura Ward rise out of poverty.

Looking for more information? Check the project FAQ
Need more information
Let us know if you think this campaign contains prohibited content.

Choose your Perk

Shout out

$5 USD
Estimated Shipping
October 2019
6 claimed

Personalized thank you note

$10 USD
Estimated Shipping
October 2019
3 claimed

Plant a tree in your name

$25 USD
Estimated Shipping
December 2019
26 claimed

Specialty Kenyan coffee

$50 USD
Estimated Shipping
December 2019
23 out of 250 of claimed
Ships worldwide.
Personalized animal sculpture

Personalized animal sculpture

$100 USD
Estimated Shipping
December 2019
4 out of 250 of claimed
Ships worldwide.
True Moringa skin care oil

True Moringa skin care oil

$125 USD
Estimated Shipping
December 2019
4 out of 250 of claimed
Ships worldwide.

Combination gift set

$200 USD
Estimated Shipping
December 2019
4 out of 250 of claimed
Ships worldwide.
Soko Kenyan artisanal jewelry

Soko Kenyan artisanal jewelry

$500 USD
Estimated Shipping
December 2019
1 out of 10 of claimed
Ships worldwide.

Exclusive tour of our facility

$2,500 USD
Estimated Shipping
December 2019
0 out of 3 of claimed

Production plant in your name

$10,000 USD
Estimated Shipping
December 2019
0 out of 1 of claimed
Up Caret