Nairobi, Kenya June 3, 2019 —IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, today signed an agreement with Twiga Foods, a Kenyan-based technology food distribution platform, to boost the company’s food safety practices in line with global standards and ensure traceability of produce from the farm to consumers. The initiative marks a rare move to apply global quality certification to food products destined for the domestic, rather than export market.
Twiga Foods’ innovative platform uses mobile phone technology to connect smallholder farmers in rural areas to informal retail vendors in cities. Under the new agreement, IFC will advise the company on food safety and quality management systems in its produce handling facilities. Twiga’s staff will also be trained on internationally-accepted practices.
The agreement adds to a $10 million investment in Twiga Foods, made in November 2018, led by IFC, the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) and TLcom- a Pan-African venture capital firm to expand operations and offer new services.
Jumoke Jagun-Dokunmu, IFC Regional Director for Eastern Africa said “IFC’s investment in Twiga Foods will improve food safety standards while ensuring fair prices and transparent sourcing from smallholder farmers. We commend Twiga on their commitment to global best practices, that will give Kenyan consumers of all income levels access to quality food products.”
Twiga Foods will work with IFC to coach farmers on agricultural best practices and ensure that products are fully traceable. The project will initially work with 30 pilot farms across 20 counties to achieve GLOBAL G.A.P. certification, the worldwide standard for safe and sustainable agriculture, by end of next year. IFC will also support Twiga on agronomic practices to improve productivity, irrigation, and soil health, and better access to finance for Twiga’s growers.
Twiga Foods’ Chief Executive Officer, Peter Njonjo said “Food safety is an important consideration in our mission to provide affordable, quality, and safe food to Kenya's urban consumers, and reliable markets for farmers. This is the reason we are constantly reviewing our operating procedures, making strategic investments and striking strategic partnerships with institutions such as IFC to deliver and surpass global standards”.
By March 2021, Twiga hopes to have attained 100 percent product traceability and GLOBAL G.A.P. compliance from its contracted suppliers.
Twiga Foods is the largest domestic distributor of food produce in Kenya, handling an average of 130 tons of produce daily. The produce is sourced from 13,000 farmers, aggregated from Twiga’s collection points across 20 counties and is distributed to 10,000 vendors in Nairobi and neighboring counties.
IFC’s advisory team works with over 100 agribusiness clients worldwide, including on energy efficiency, sustainability and resource usage. As of June 2018, IFC’s investment portfolio in agribusiness was valued at $1.2 billion globally.
About IFC
IFC—a sister organization of the World Bank and member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work with more than 2,000 businesses worldwide, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in the toughest areas of the world. In fiscal year 2018, we delivered more than $23 billion in long-term financing for developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. For more information, visit www.ifc.org
About Twiga Foods
Twiga Foods is a business to business food distribution company that builds fair and reliable markets for agricultural producers and retailers through transparency, efficiency and technology. Twiga uses a platform where mobile technology, a network of food producers, pack houses and vehicles come together to supply and deliver a variety of produce directly from farmers to urban retailers. Other Twiga investors include; DOB Equity, Wamda Capital, 1776 VC, AHL Venture Partners and Alpha Mundi. For more information about Twiga Foods visit, http://twiga.ke .
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Contacts
In Nairobi Daniel Ngugi +254 727 209 958 daniel@twigafoods.com Everlyne Situma +254 701 961 045 esituma@ifc.org
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