In the heart of Uganda’s lush farmlands, a transformative partnership is taking root. One Acre Ventures, the investment arm of the renowned One Acre Fund, has announced a strategic investment in Enimiro Uganda, a dynamic agribusiness empowering over 4,600 smallholder farmers.
This collaboration is set to redefine sustainable agriculture in the region, promoting climate-smart practices and boosting livelihoods through high-value export crops like organic vanilla, coffee, and dried fruits.
The Power of Partnership: One Acre Ventures and Enimiro Uganda
Who is Enimiro Uganda?
Founded in 2019, Enimiro Uganda is a vertically integrated agribusiness that collaborates with smallholder farmers to produce and export organic vanilla, coffee, and dried fruits.
With a focus on sustainability, traceability, and fair pricing, Enimiro has built a robust network of over 4,600 farmers across five Ugandan regions.
Its innovative approach includes digital traceability software, ensuring transparency from farm to fork, and EU Organic certification, with Fairtrade and UTZ certifications in progress.
Enimiro stands out for its youth- and women-led workforce, with most team members under 35 and strong female representation in leadership and field roles. This aligns perfectly with One Acre Ventures’ mission to create inclusive, farmer-first ecosystems.
One Acre Ventures: Catalysing Agricultural Innovation
One Acre Ventures, backed by One Acre Fund, is a blended investment fund and venture studio dedicated to supporting smallholder farmers across Africa.
By deploying capital and technical assistance, it addresses market failures in agricultural value chains, focusing on high-value, climate-smart crops.
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One Acre Fund itself serves over 5 million farmers annually, providing seeds, financing, training, and market access to enhance productivity and resilience.
This investment in Enimiro marks a strategic move to scale climate-smart agriculture, with a focus on expanding coffee production and strengthening export-driven value chains.
Why This Investment Matters for Smallholder Farmers
Empowering Farmers with Sustainable Practices
Smallholder farmers, who make up 70% of Uganda’s workforce, face challenges like unpredictable rainfall, degraded soils, and limited access to markets. Enimiro’s model tackles these issues head-on by providing:
- Agronomical Training: Farmers receive tailored training from extension officers who help them adopt sustainable practices for vanilla and coffee cultivation. This has led to significant yield increases.
- Direct Market Access: Enimiro’s collection points serve as agro-hubs, ensuring farmers can sell their produce directly, reducing contamination risks and securing fair prices.
- Digital Traceability: Enimiro’s technology allows end consumers to trace products back to the farm, meeting global demands for ethically sourced goods.
Climate-Smart and High-Value Crops
The investment will fuel Enimiro’s expansion into coffee production, complementing its established vanilla and dried fruit operations.
Coffee, a high-value cash crop, aligns with One Acre Fund’s efforts since 2021 to diversify Ugandan farmers’ income streams.
This shift has already increased farmer earnings by an average of $70 annually through partnerships with processors like UGACOF.
Additionally, Enimiro’s focus on climate-smart crops like vanilla and coffee helps farmers adapt to climate change.
These crops restore soil nutrients and are less vulnerable to environmental shifts, enhancing resilience and sustainability.
Economic and Social Impact
The partnership is set to create ripple effects across Uganda’s agricultural sector:
- Economic Growth: By connecting farmers to high-value export markets, Enimiro and One Acre Ventures are boosting incomes and encouraging economic self-sufficiency.
- Women and Youth Empowerment: Enimiro’s workforce and farmer network empower young people and women, driving community development.
- Food Security: By diversifying crops and improving yields, this initiative strengthens local food systems, addressing rising food insecurity.
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The Future of Smallholder Farming in Uganda
Looking ahead, the One Acre Ventures-Enimiro partnership aims to:
- Scale Coffee Production: Expand Enimiro’s coffee operations, building on its success with vanilla and dried fruits.
- Enhance Farmer Training: Deepen collaboration with One Acre Fund to provide advanced training and inputs, increasing yields and incomes.
- Strengthen Export Markets: Leverage Enimiro’s traceability and certifications to access premium international markets, ensuring fair prices for farmers.
This initiative aligns with One Acre Fund’s broader vision of serving 50-55 million smallholder farmers across Africa, addressing global hunger and poverty. By 2030, 9 out of 10 of the world’s poor will be African farmers, making such investments critical.
Ronnie Paul is a seasoned writer and analyst with a prolific portfolio of over 1,000 published articles, specialising in fintech, cryptocurrency, and digital finance at Africa Digest News.
