Alongside its large-scale farming operations, Amatheon Agri has been using its commercial farms as a nucleus to support and trade with small-scale farmers and facilities that guarantee highest hygiene and food safety standards for all products grown by smallholders. Amatheon has a structured access to a network of smallholder farmers, allowing to significantly increase trading volumes while simultaneously achieving significant social impact. By incorporating smallholders into the rural value chain, Amatheon Agri helps in building vibrant Outgrower networks, fostering entrepreneurship, stimulating local productivity, and diversifying sources of income.
In the initial phase of its Outgrower Programme in Zambia, Amatheon Agri provided farmers with free trainings on conservation farming and business skills as well as established more than 30 rural depots to sell inputs and buy grain, linked farmers to credit facilities and issued loans to emerging farmers. With local and international partners such as USAID, DEG and MUSIKA, Amatheon Agri was able to reach out to more than 10,000 farmers surrounding its farm in Zambia. Furthermore, a smaller number of farmers were trained and certified in organic cultivation techniques.
In 2019, Amatheon reshaped its Outgrower Programme and started a new initiative which introduced a high-value crop, Quinoa, to more than 1,000 small-scale farmers in the first season and connected them to national and international markets. The activities provided learning opportunities for farmers to diversify their crop portfolio, increased productivity, reduced post-harvest losses and increased average annual household incomes. Furthermore, a smaller number of farmers were trained in the organic cultivation of Quinoa, and Amatheon continued the incremental adaption of organic farming techniques in its Outgrower Programme in the next seasons. Input support in the form of seed, extension services and a guaranteed off-take of the harvested crop ensured the sustainability of this initiative. At the same time, Amatheon processed and stored Quinoa in a superfood warehouse to guarantee international hygiene standards and food safety practices of this highly-nutritious export-oriented crop.
Growing Value.
