Specialist agricultural investor AgDevCo has announced a significant $9.5 million mezzanine loan investment in Agventure, a Kenyan farmer-owned enterprise that is at the forefront of promoting regenerative agriculture in non-irrigated cereal-based systems. This strategic partnership aims to enhance sustainable farming practices and boost local food production in Kenya.
Founded in 2010, Agventure is dedicated to helping Kenyan farmers adopt sustainable and regenerative agricultural methods. The organization brings together farmers, researchers, educators, and entrepreneurs to promote practices that improve soil health and enhance food security. Agventure currently supplies over 45,000 tonnes of food crops annually to the local market, including wheat, barley, maize, canola, sunflower, and legumes such as green peas, chickpeas, and fava beans.
Through its Centre of Excellence, Agventure provides training to more than 700 small and medium-sized farmers across Kenya. The program places a strong emphasis on crop rotation, particularly the integration of canola, to improve soil health. To support these farmers, Agventure guarantees the purchase of their canola harvest, which is processed and sold under the Pure Mountain brand in Kenya.
The $9.5 million investment from AgDevCo will enable Agventure to scale up its canola oil production and increase the purchase of produce from its network of outgrower farmers. Additionally, the funds will be used to establish Agventure Seed, a platform designed to provide high-quality certified seeds to Kenyan farmers.
Rebecca Sankar, AgDevCo’s managing director for East Africa, highlighted the importance of the investment:
We are excited to be supporting Agventure in its journey to add more value to commodity crops, increasing the availability of high-quality, locally produced food for the domestic market and reducing reliance on imports.
Agventure CEO Don White expressed optimism about the partnership, stating:
Agventure is looking forward to working with AgDevCo to expand and strengthen our business, enabling more farmers to adopt regenerative agriculture solutions.
This investment marks a significant step forward in Agventure’s mission to promote sustainable agriculture and food security in Kenya, while also contributing to the broader goals of reducing import reliance and enhancing the local agricultural economy.
