Coca-Cola boosts small farmers
Jan 26, 2010
COCA-COLA, TechnoServe and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have launched a $11.5 (over sh22.5b) partnership to support fruit farmers.
By James Odomel
COCA-COLA, TechnoServe and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have launched a $11.5 (over sh22.5b) partnership to support fruit farmers.
The four-year partnership involves over 50,000 small mango and passion fruit farmers in Uganda and Kenya.
The farmers will supply the firm with fruits for the first time, Nathan Kalumbu, Coca-Cola’s East and Central Africa business unit president, said at the Kampala Serena Hotel last week.
He added that the project, to be implemented by TechnoServe, would increase the farmers’ productivity and double their incomes by 2014.
The Gates Foundation will give Technoserve a $7.5m grant for the project, Coca-Cola $3m and $1m from bottling partner Coca-Cola Sabco. The project, Kalumbu said, would also create new market opportunities for the local farmers whose fruits would be used for Coca-Cola’s locally-produced juice.
Participating farmers will be trained by TechnoServe on how to improve quality and production, forming farmers’ groups and facilitated to access credit.
“This partnership is a great example of sustainability. By partnering with tens of thousands of small farmers, we can help increase their incomes while meeting our needs for locally-sourced fruits. This will benefit the communities and us,†Kalumbu said.
COCA-COLA, TechnoServe and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have launched a $11.5 (over sh22.5b) partnership to support fruit farmers.
The four-year partnership involves over 50,000 small mango and passion fruit farmers in Uganda and Kenya.
The farmers will supply the firm with fruits for the first time, Nathan Kalumbu, Coca-Cola’s East and Central Africa business unit president, said at the Kampala Serena Hotel last week.
He added that the project, to be implemented by TechnoServe, would increase the farmers’ productivity and double their incomes by 2014.
The Gates Foundation will give Technoserve a $7.5m grant for the project, Coca-Cola $3m and $1m from bottling partner Coca-Cola Sabco. The project, Kalumbu said, would also create new market opportunities for the local farmers whose fruits would be used for Coca-Cola’s locally-produced juice.
Participating farmers will be trained by TechnoServe on how to improve quality and production, forming farmers’ groups and facilitated to access credit.
“This partnership is a great example of sustainability. By partnering with tens of thousands of small farmers, we can help increase their incomes while meeting our needs for locally-sourced fruits. This will benefit the communities and us,†Kalumbu said.