Mercy Corps Ventures has established a transformative partnership with Stable Foods with a vision to pioneer a groundbreaking pilot program centred on IoT-based irrigation and regenerative agriculture for smallholder farmers in Laikipia, Kenya.

This bold initiative seeks to extend its reach beyond the water-rich regions around Lake Victoria, utilising borehole water as a sustainable alternative to address the pressing issue of water access inconsistency.

The primary focus of the pilot program is to introduce state-of-the-art IoT-powered irrigation systems and provide comprehensive regenerative agriculture training to farmers.

Through this innovative approach, the partnership aims to improve soil quality and strengthen climate resilience within the region. By utilising IoT technology, the program aims to optimise water usage, minimise wastage, and potentially reduce costs, thus ensuring efficient resource management.

Andrew Massaro, CEO of Stable Foods, emphasised the critical issue of inconsistent water access faced by farmers in Kenya, particularly in the arid and semi-arid lands.

READ ALSO:

Zambian Agri-Tech eMsika Sets Sights on East Africa

With only 1% to 3% of arable land in Sub-Saharan Africa currently under irrigation, the implementation of affordable irrigation solutions is crucial in enhancing productivity.

Stable Foods’ pioneering irrigation-as-a-service model, which eliminates upfront costs, has already proven successful in serving over 100 smallholder farmers in the Lake Victoria region, leading to a remarkable tenfold increase in agricultural production.

The primary goal of the pilot program is to showcase the positive impact of appropriate irrigation practices combined with regenerative agricultural techniques in enhancing soil health, improving farmer productivity, and ultimately boosting climate resilience.

The success of this model could pave the way for its scalability to other regions in Kenya and emerging markets, effectively offering feasible irrigation solutions to smallholder farmers currently grappling with water access challenges.

Founded in 2015 as the impact investing arm of Mercy Corps, Mercy Corps Ventures propels and invests in venture-led solutions aimed at enhancing the resilience of underserved individuals and communities.

Their initiative has supported 47 early-stage ventures, enabling them to scale and secure over $443 million in follow-on capital.

A significant aspect of their portfolio is the involvement of ventures with at least one female co-founder, coupled with a steadfast focus on climate adaptation and resilience-building solutions within adaptive agriculture and food systems, inclusive fintech, and climate-smart technologies.

READ ALSO:

Village Capital Invests in AquaRech and CoAmana to Drive African Agtech

Stable Foods, developed by Pyramidia Ventures, an agrifoodtech-focused startup studio, is committed to unveiling the hidden potential of smallholders on a large scale to produce affordable food for an expanding population.

The end-to-end platform offered by Stable Foods encompasses Irrigation-as-a-Service (IaaS), input provision, market access, and regenerative agriculture best practices training, providing smallholder farmers the flexibility to tailor solutions based on their specific needs.

By collaboratively pioneering innovative approaches to address food security and climate change challenges, this partnership between Mercy Corps Ventures and Stable Foods highlights their shared commitment to reshaping the agricultural landscape and promoting sustainable solutions for smallholder farmers in frontier markets.