Sustainability in Agribusiness: Emerging Innovations, Empowering and Women and SMEs

Contributors

1. Jane Achieng - Head of ESG Advisory and Technology Solutions at TakaTaka Ni Mali

2. Wendy Boit - Group Head of Sustainability and ESG at Sasini PLC

Webinar Panelists and Moderators

We recently wrapped up an insightful webinar on sustainability and innovation in agribusiness, hosted by Taka Taka Ni Mali in partnership with Sasini PLC. The goal? To explore how farmers interact with trade systems and environmental factors that shape a resilient food system in Africa. Yes, it sounds like a lot, but let’s break it down and trace the journey of how food gets to our African tables.

Traditionally, African communities practiced shifting cultivation, clearing small plots for farming until the soil lost its fertility. Land was communally owned, and farming focused on subsistence crops to ensure food security. Livestock herding played a big role — not just for food but also for transport and social status among our forefathers.

Fast forward to today, smallholder family farmers still dominate Africa’s agricultural landscape. Farming remains largely subsistence-based, with a growing interest in modern methods. Key modernization efforts include the use of improved seeds, better farming techniques, mechanization, and increased use of fertilizers and pesticides.

The Real Price of Pizza Toppings: What It Takes to Go Green on the Farm

Modern-day agriculture seems riddled with newer, complex jargon: climate-smart agriculture, regenerative agriculture, conservation agriculture, precision agriculture — and now, the inevitable fusion of tech and farming. The list of terms is as endless as your choice of toppings at a pizza joint; if it looks good and sounds like it could taste better, we add it. We’ll reconcile the cost with the cashier later — for now, we just want a yummy pizza.

But here’s the catch. Unlike pizza toppings, these buzzwords don’t automatically deliver robust farms or luscious-looking crops. The backbone of African agriculture is still the smallholder farmer — and their farming practices aren’t transitioning nearly as fast as the jargon is evolving. And that’s largely because of one thing: barriers to transition.

One of the biggest barriers? Cost. In our pizza analogy, we can handle a few extra toppings — they don’t usually cost more than the pizza itself. But when it comes to sustainable agriculture, the “extra toppings” (i.e., new practices) cost a lot — and the return on investment takes too long. That doesn’t sit well with subsistence needs, which demand short-term survival over long-term returns.

Even when farmers are promised better prices or access to premium markets for sustainable products, economies of scale remain problematic. Smallholder farmers often need to aggregate to meet the volumes required by export markets. Practices like agroforestry — which could connect them to carbon markets — are long-term plays. They require a certain level of risk appetite and future-market literacy that many farmers don’t have the bandwidth for.

And then there’s the issue of technical support. Transitioning isn’t just about switching techniques — it’s about learning, adapting, and building confidence. In a recent webinar poll we conducted, 60% of attendees said that technical support — training, demonstrations, and agronomic guidance — was the single most important factor they needed to adopt regenerative practices.

The good news? There’s a growing continental effort from key players to support this shift. The type of support varies depending on geography, topography, and the policy environment in each country, but the momentum is there, and farmers are beginning to lean in.

Thule Lenneiye, Chief of Staff at AGRA and a seasoned food systems expert, gave us a powerful snapshot of the work being done to uplift smallholder farmers. AGRA has been at the forefront of driving agricultural transformation, working in collaboration with governments, NGOs, private sector players, and development partners to deliver proven, scalable solutions.

These solutions span across seed system strengthening, sustainable farming practices, inclusive markets, trade and policy development, and building state capacity — all aimed at improving food security and farmer livelihoods. The opportunity now lies in aggregation. By coming together, farmers can tap into these systems of support, access larger markets, and increase their resilience in the face of climate and economic challenges.

The SME Perspective: Innovation in the Heart of Agribusiness

In the evolving landscape of agribusiness, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are stepping up as powerful catalysts for change. One standout example is Tawi Fresh, a Kenyan Agri-SME reimagining how farm produce moves from soil to shelf. We were honored to hear from Cherotich Rutto, Tawi’s founder and CEO, during our webinar. She broke down what many often miss when discussing innovation in agriculture — that it's not just about tech; it's about systems, trust, and opportunity.

Tawi Fresh runs a B2B digital marketplace that connects farmers directly with buyers across Kenya. They’re not only making it easier to sell fresh produce, but they’re also making it fairer. By offering stable, transparent prices and linking farmers to financing and value-added services, they’re helping rebuild trust and resilience in the agri-value chain.

What makes their model impactful is how they’ve simplified and organized the supply chain from the ground up. They work closely with farmers to ensure consistent production and timely delivery, which reduces waste and improves reliability. Their warehousing processes — from grading and sorting to quality checks and dispatch — ensure that buyers receive fresh produce that meets market standards. At the same time, they invest in demand creation by building and nurturing long-term relationships with buyers. This end-to-the-end approach transforms the chaos of fragmented agriculture into a coordinated, scalable system that benefits both the farmer and the market.

Tawi Fresh is not just moving produce. They’re moving the entire conversation forward — one digital connection at a time.

Drones spraying crops in a modern farm field

Power Moves: How Large Agribusinesses Are Plugging into Sustainability

As one of Kenya’s leading sustainable agribusinesses, Sasini PLC recognizes both the responsibility — and the opportunity — that comes with scale. In an era where climate change poses an existential threat to African agriculture, we are acting decisively to embed sustainability across every level of our operations, from soil to shelf.

At Sasini, sustainability is not a checkbox — it is the foundation of our long-term business strategy. We are transforming our value chain by investing in renewable energy, adopting regenerative agriculture, and driving inclusive growth that enhances farmer livelihoods, community wellbeing, and operational transparency.

We are scaling nature-based solutions across our diversified portfolio — including reforestation, soil carbon enhancement, and sustainable water management. Our operations in tea, coffee, avocado, and macadamia are uniquely suited for regenerative practices. A standout example is the automated borehole monitoring system we’re implementing on our newly drilled borehole — designed to link water abstraction with real-time usage needs, enhancing both efficiency and conservation.

In our tea operations, solarization now meets 30% of our energy needs. Through the success of this initiative, we are evaluating an expansion to develop centralized solar energy hubs across our coffee, macadamia, and estate divisions.

Plantation with solar panels

Unlocking Value Through Tech: TTNM’s Innovation for a Greener Agri-Future

At Taka Taka Ni Mali (TTNM), we believe sustainability and innovation must go hand in hand — especially in a sector as vital as agribusiness. Remember the talk about new terms like agritech? Let’s show you how tech unlocks real value across the agri-value chain. Our focus is on building tech infrastructure that supports agricultural growth in a way that’s traceable, regenerative, and built for the long haul.

Through ecomali, our digital waste management platform, we’re rethinking how agricultural waste can be tracked, recovered, and transformed into value — from organic waste to plastics along the value chain. By creating circular models for resource use and embedding an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) lens, we help agribusinesses reduce waste, meet regulatory compliance, and explore new revenue streams through recycling and reuse.

Beyond waste, we’re also supporting agribusinesses with ESG and sustainability data management and reporting tools. Through our ecoloop platform, we enable businesses to collect, analyze, and report ESG data in ways that align with local frameworks and evolving international standards — including support for EU regulations such as the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive). The platform offers customizable solutions tailored to each agribusiness, helping them stay ahead of compliance requirements, unlock access to green finance, and compete in sustainability-driven markets.

If you’ve followed this journey with us, you’ve seen how putting food on our tables is more than just farming — it’s systems, it’s support, and it’s smart use of data. We’ve hopefully stripped back the jargon and spotlighted the real work happening on the ground. As the conversation around sustainable agriculture continues to evolve, one thing is clear: data, technology, and collaboration are the future. TTNM is proud to be part of shaping that future — one where farmers, SMEs, and big players thrive together, sustainably.