East Africa

TechnoServe is working with small- and medium-sized maize, rice and sunflower oil processors to increase the supply of, and demand for, nutritious and fortified foods.

Cocoa production began in Tanzania in the late 1960s, yet has not been significantly promoted or developed as a cash crop in the past 40 years. TechnoServe, supported by a grant from Irish Aid, is working with farmers to improve post-harvest handling and better position farmer groups as credible sellers.

Aiming to increase smallholder farmers’ access to sustainable markets in Ethiopia, TechnoServe implemented the World Food Program’s Purchase for Progress (WFP-P4P) project by providing support to 16 farmer-owned cooperative unions.

With funding from Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee, TechnoServe is developing and implementing coffee waste water solutions in the Sidama region of Ethiopia, to reduce river water contamination.

Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and implemented in partnership with Heifer International, the East Africa Dairy Development (EADD) program is designed to boost the milk yields and incomes of small-scale farmers so they can lift their families and communities out of poverty.

A partnership with The Coca-Cola Company and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Project Nurture aimed to help more than 50,000 small-scale mango and passion fruit farmers in Kenya and Uganda double their fruit incomes. TechnoServe and its partners worked with farmers to identify new market opportunities, improve productivity and develop strong farmer business groups.

TechnoServe partnered with the Mastercard Foundation to help rural youth in East Africa transition to economic independence. The Strengthening Rural Youth Development through Enterprise (STRYDE) program delivered a comprehensive package of services including skills training, business development and mentoring to young people ages 18 to 30 in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

TechnoServe serves as the manager of the Technical Assistance Facility (TAF), which supports the African Agriculture Fund, a private equity fund, to address food security challenges across Africa. TAF provided technical assistance to small and growing businesses (SGBs) invested in by the African Agriculture Fund, and improved linkages between enterprises and smallholder outgrowers.