Established in Kenya in 2006, One Acre Fund was founded with the core objective of providing crucial support to smallholder farmers. Its initiatives include offering access to naturally-produced hybrid seeds, quality fertilizer, and training on farming best practices. The overarching goal was to alleviate poverty, ensure food security for families and communities, enhance nutrition, and boost the incomes of participating farmers.
Impactful Interventions
The social enterprise operates in collaboration with family farms in rural areas, striving to foster resilience within communities and the environment through climate-smart farming practices. Notably, it has led a tree-planting initiative, engaging farmers in a movement aimed at planting 1 billion trees over the next 15 years.
Technological Advancements
One Acre Fund leverages technology to empower the farmers it serves. These smallholders are able to utilize mobile phones for loan repayments, product and service sign-ups, and access to training, among other valuable resources.
Milestones and Expansion
By 2023, One Acre Fund had positively impacted the lives of 4.8 million farmers globally with the assistance of its approximately 8,290 staff members. The enterprise has set its sights on further expansion, with a target to reach 10 million farmers by 2030, representing approximately 10% of the families worldwide living on less than $1 per person, per day. Currently, it extends its services to over 1 million farmers across nine African countries: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, and Zambia.
Investment and Growth
One Acre Fund recently attracted significant investment from IB Impact Direct Debt fund, securing $16.3 million (€15 million) from multiple international investors, including pension funds and foundations. The fund is intended to allocate about 80% of its resources to developing countries, with a particular emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Its initiatives are geared towards enhancing access to essential services, supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation, promoting gender empowerment, generating employment opportunities, and fostering financial inclusion.