Macadamia firm Pamoja secures Sh1.2bn funding, targets 13,000 farmers in East Africa
The firm's Nairobi-based processing plant facilitates access to international markets increasing income opportunities for local producers.
Pamoja, a company in sustainable macadamia nut production in East Africa, has secured an investment of $8.5 million (Sh1.2 billion) from Mirova, a French asset management company specialising in sustainable investments.
The fund aims to finance projects that contribute to land degradation neutrality.
The investment will enable the company to accelerate its projects in Kenya and Tanzania, where Pamoja is targeting 6,200 hectares of managed lands according to stringent sustainability criteria (Organic and Fair Trade) and support for 13,000 small local producers by 2031.
The injection of funds will fuel Pamoja's expansion plans in Kenya and Tanzania, with a focus on upholding stringent sustainability standards and supporting local producers.
In Kenya, Pamoja operates through its subsidiary TenSenses, collaborating with nearly 6,000 small-scale producers.
International markets
The company's Nairobi-based processing plant facilitates access to international markets increasing income opportunities for local producers.
Some of the macadamia farms owned by the Pamoja Company. (Photo: Farhiya Hussein)
In Tanzania, Pamoja's subsidiary Macjaro helps develop macadamia nut farms while prioritising the preservation of agroforestry ecosystems.
Macjaro aims to expand its operations by planting over 700 hectares of new coffee and macadamia nut farms, furthering its commitment to sustainable practices.
"The partnership will enable us to step up our efforts to promote sustainable and profitable exploitation of arable land and train producers in best practices. We will also be able to strengthen our industrial facilities, managed according to our Swiss standards, which enable our nuts processed in Kenya to compete with all other origins," Founder and Managing Director of Pamoja, Guillaume Maillard said.
Maillard noted the partnership is part of the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) fund, co-promoted by Mirova and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), aimed at financing projects that contribute to land degradation neutrality.
With this investment, Pamoja joins a portfolio of 12 sustainable land management projects in Latin America, Africa and Asia, in supply chains as diverse as coffee, cocoa, wood, nuts, fresh fruit, ingredients for the pharmaceutical industry and payments for ecosystem services, demonstrating the effectiveness of the sustainable business model promoted by Mirova.
"Pamoja is now better equipped to develop its strategy around sustainable land management. This is in line with our objective of supporting the sustainable transition of the agricultural and forestry sectors while generating long-term financial value for our investors,” Mirova Managing Director Gautier Quéru said.
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