Growing Futures

Growing Futures supported 800 young farmers in Trans-Nzoia County and 1,700 young farmers in Elgeyo Marakwet County to grow export-quality crops, set up sustainable relationships with buyers and boost their resilience to climate change and seasonal variability. The project helped young people in western Kenya set up profitable farming enterprises growing and selling vegetables that are in high demand, such as French beans, mangetouts, kale, tomatoes and cabbages.

The project also created a sustainable business model in which enterprising young farmers were recruited as village-based advisors (VBAs). The VBAs earn an income by providing agricultural extension services to farmers, facilitating farmer linkages to buyers and service providers as well as keeping records and collecting produce from their farmer groups on behalf of the buyers.

Farm Africa has worked with young smallholder farmers in the region since 2016, supporting them to increase their yields and the quality of their vegetables through tools such as solar irrigation pumps and climate-smart agriculture technologies as well as building their links to markets.

In 2016, Aldi UK started funding the Growing Futures project, donating over £260,000 over three years to support 500 young farmers in Trans-Nzoia County in Western Kenya. In 2020, Aldi extended their support to these and other farmers for another two years.

Additional funding from Medicor and UK Aid from the UK government in 2017-18 enabled Growing Futures to expand into two further regions of Kenya, reaching another 4,000 young farmers.

This project was also supported by HM Clause.