Twiga Foods, Kenya’s fresh produce distribution company, says it aims at improving agricultural best practices and ensure 100% product traceability and GLOBAL G.A.P. compliance from its contracted suppliers by March 2021.
Twiga Foods’ Chief Executive Officer, Peter Njonjo said “Food safety is an important consideration in our mission to provide affordable, quality, and safe food to Kenya’s urban consumers, and reliable markets for farmers. This is the reason we are constantly reviewing our operating procedures, making strategic investments and striking strategic partnerships with institutions such as IFC to deliver and surpass global standards.”
He was speaking on Monday after IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, signed an agreement with Twiga Foods to boost the company’s food safety practices in line with global standards and ensure traceability of produce from the farm to consumers.
The initiative marks a rare move to apply global quality certification to food products destined for the domestic, rather than the export market.
Twiga Foods’ innovative platform uses mobile phone technology to connect smallholder farmers in rural areas to informal retail vendors in cities. Under the new agreement, IFC will advise the company on food safety and quality management systems in its produce handling facilities.
Twiga’s staff will also be trained on internationally-accepted practices.
The agreement adds to a KSh1 billion investment in Twiga Foods, made in November 2018, led by IFC, the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) and TLcom- a Pan-African venture capital firm to expand operations and offer new services.
Jumoke Jagun-Dokunmu, IFC Regional Director for Eastern Africa said, “IFC’s investment in Twiga Foods will improve food safety standards while ensuring fair prices and transparent sourcing from smallholder farmers. We commend Twiga on their commitment to global best practices, that will give Kenyan consumers of all income levels access to quality food products.”
Twiga Foods will work with IFC to coach farmers on agricultural best practices and ensure that products are fully traceable.
The project will initially work with 30 pilot farms across 20 counties to achieve GLOBAL G.A.P. certification, the worldwide standard for safe and sustainable agriculture, by end of next year. IFC will also support Twiga on agronomic practices to improve productivity, irrigation, and soil health, and better access to finance for Twiga’s growers.
