Approximately 65% of Africa’s cultivable land is unable to support effective food production due to degradation. This situation affects at least 485 million people (65%) across the continent, resulting in an economic loss of nine billion dollars annually. The human cost, which includes lost jobs and deteriorating health, is immeasurable.

It is crucial to seek sustainable solutions to restore, protect, and preserve African land for the benefit of both people and the environment. The Land Accelerator provides entrepreneurs with the knowledge and skills necessary to address this challenge by developing economically viable, sustainable businesses that protect our planet and create jobs for millions.

Entrepreneurs throughout Africa have already gained from the Land Accelerator. Exotic EPZ, a graduate of the Land Accelerator programme, led by Jane Maigua and her partners, collaborates directly with 2,600 smallholder farmers in 12 counties in Kenya who are cultivating over 94,000 macadamia nut trees. Exotic not only enhances the livelihoods of smallholder farmers by purchasing the macadamia nuts, but the company also offers capacity building and access to seedlings as part of its land restoration efforts. In the next two years, Exotic plans to implement a programme that will assist farmers in planting and nurturing 150,000 macadamia nut trees across nearly 500 hectares, while integrating them with other high-value tree species like moringa.

Exotic EPZ incorporated land restoration into its business model in 2017. Since that time, the company’s sales have surged by over 1800%. The 2,600 partner farms earn an average of $1,013 each season. Recently, the company was awarded a $1 million grant from the USAID-EA ATI program to support the expansion of its operations.

“The Land Accelerator helped us understand the connections between our business growth and land restoration, enabling us to reshape Exotic EPZ’s business,” stated Jane Maigua, CEO of Exotic EPZ. “Through the Land Accelerator, we gained the confidence to present our business model to investors and had the chance for mentorship and peer-to-peer learning,” she added.

Interest in the second phase of Land Accelerator Africa was exceptionally high, resulting in over 1,400 applications from 41 African nations when it launched on April 26. The 100 chosen entrepreneurs underwent a demanding three-month online training and mentorship program. From this group, the top 16 companies were selected to receive one-on-one technical support and participate in the Land Accelerator Impact Days. These Impact Days include a week of in-person workshops on entrepreneurship, networking, mentorship, and a field visit. The event concludes with a Demo Day, where the entrepreneurs will present their businesses to a gathering of investors.

After graduating from the program, companies are more likely to secure substantial funding. For instance, TerraFund for AFR100 has provided $3 million in loans to 20 of these start-ups since 2021.

1. Aerobic Agroforestry
   Contact: Owolabi Adewumi

Email: ao@aerobicagroforestry.com.ng

Sector: Trees, timber, and non-timber forest products

Location: Nigeria

Aerobic Agroforestry cultivates and sells tree seedlings, plants trees, provides agroforestry consulting services, and offers feed additive supplements. They also sell tree products like food, fruit, and juice, while collaborating with local communities to gather timber and non-timber forest products. This approach yields environmental, social, and economic advantages.

Since its inception in 2008, Aerobic Agroforestry has gained significant expertise in the propagation and sale of agroforestry commodities, boasting the largest soilless nursery for tree seedling production in Nigeria. Young tree plants are distributed to clients across Nigeria, along with additional services to ensure successful cultivation.

Initially focused on supplying seedlings, the organization is now engaged in restoring one of Nigeria’s degraded forest reserves: Akure Ala Forest Reserve, which spans 12,000 hectares. They have successfully restored 1,250 hectares by planting, nurturing, and protecting 1,250,000 trees to date, with a goal of planting 5 million trees in the next four years. Recently, Aerobic Agroforestry secured a loan through the TerraFund for AFR100 to restore the semi-arid Igangan Forest Reserve and prevent further degradation. Discover more about their business in this pitch deck.

2. African Honey Products
Contact: Fredrick Matress

Email: fredrickmatress@gmail.com

Sector: Honey

Location: Malawi

African Honey Products is engaged in honey production and apiculture, offering modern beehives, equipment, technical training, extension support, and pollination services to growers. Honey is produced from their own beehives as well as through an out-grower network, providing an equitable market for harvests. The company also handles honey processing and marketing.

The business has strategically directed its efforts towards restoration activities within a government-owned natural forest reserve. The initial plan is to begin with 100 hectares, gradually expanding to 300 to 500 hectares within the next five years. Learn more about their business in this pitch deck.

3. NovFeed
Contact: Otaigo Elisha

Email: o.elisha@novfeed.com

Sector: Fish Feed
Location: Tanzania

NovFeed specializes in producing protein-rich fish feed derived from dried, inactive single-cell organisms cultivated through the fermentation of restaurant and market food waste. Their patented formula makes nutrients from food waste accessible for bacteria multiplication, which subsequently serves as food for fish. This solution promotes sustainable fishing and eliminates the need for fish feed production from plant materials on degraded land. Learn more about their business in this pitch deck.

4. Africorp International
Contact: Hanan Elhadi

Email: hananelhadi27@gmail.com

Sector: Organic farm conversion, processing, and marketing
Location: Sudan

Africorp International enhances human dignity by increasing the returns on smallholder farmers’ labor and investments, improving their quality of life and alleviating underdevelopment caused by poverty. They support farmers in transitioning to organic food production, currently collaborating with around 4,000 smallholder farmers in Sudan. They optimize efficiency through four manufacturing, processing, and cleaning plants. They export 15 products to over 40 countries across five continents. In restoring soil health, Africorp has initiated restoration on 1,449 hectares by planting 29,780 tree seedlings in the past three years. Africorp ranks among the top 100 restoration projects and businesses receiving funding from TerraFund for AFR100. Learn more about their business in this pitch deck.

5. Agribusiness Solutions Ltd.
Contact: Florence Alice Mathingau

Email: floalice63@gmail.com

Sector: Avocado oil and products, Black Soldier Fly farming
Location: Kenya

Agribusiness Solutions Ltd minimizes post-harvest loss by processing various avocado products. The flesh of avocados is converted into crude oil, while the peels are transformed into briquettes for cooking fuel, reducing the need for tree cutting for charcoal production. The leftover cake/sludge from oil processing is utilized to raise Black Soldier Flies for human and animal protein consumption. They have 12,000 contracted farmers managing a total of 24,000 acres under restoration. To address seasonal challenges in Kenya, they plan to engage 100,000 contracted farmers growing Hass avocados on 200,000 acres of land in East Africa by 2025. Learn more about their business in this pitch deck.

6. Ceriops Environmental Organization
Contact: Zipporah Chalwa and Levis Sirikwa

Email: chalwazipporah@gmail.com; levis.sirikwa@ceriops.org

Sector: Mangrove Nursery/Restoration

Location: Kenya

Ceriops produces high-quality mangrove seedlings to facilitate the successful restoration of degraded mangroves. They employ the Mikoko na Jamii Mangrove Restoration Model, which integrates community knowledge and scientific understanding to promote sustainable mangrove restoration. Collaborating with six community groups, they provide training, information packaging, data management, research, and resource mobilization, while community groups manage nursery setup, mangrove planting, and maintenance. Over the past year, they have restored 25 hectares of mangroves using three species. Their target is to increase the number of mangrove species in nurseries from three to six, aiming to restore up to 50 hectares of degraded mangroves in 2023. Current projects include nursery setup with SOA microgrants and active mangrove restoration in partnership with Absa Bank and OneTree organization through the World Economic Forum. Learn more about their business in this pitch deck.

7. BioLife
Contact: Ulrich Djido

Email: ulrichdjido@gmail.com

Sector: Organic compost and fertilizer

Location: Benin

BioLife reduces reliance on chemical fertilizers in fruit and vegetable production by creating high-quality compost and manure from farms and other locally sourced organic materials. They supply approximately 12,000 fruit and vegetable farmers and 500 rice producers, with BioLife organic fertilizers maintaining soil fertility for sustainable food production. Through its focus on organic fertilizer production and producer training, BioLife has contributed to the restoration of over 70 hectares of degraded land and aims to expand to over 500 hectares by 2025. Learn more about their business in this pitch deck.

8. Herou Alliance
Contact: Rokiatou Traore

Email: routra7@gmail.com

Sector: Moringa

Location: Mali

Herou Alliance promotes economic, environmental, and social impacts for rural and urban women and youth by developing an inclusive Moringa value chain. They provide technical assistance to rural women to help them become effective organic Moringa suppliers while contributing to the reforestation of degraded landscapes. To date, the company has empowered 15,000 women and youth partners and has restored 1,000 hectares by planting 10 million Moringa trees. Recently, in partnership with 1,070 Malian farmers, the company planted over 20,000 Moringa trees. Additionally, they support farmers in transforming and marketing Moringa products through business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) models. They offer a range of Moringa teas, powders, soaps, and oils. Capitalizing on the growing awareness of Moringa’s nutritional and health benefits, they export to over nine countries, including Germany, France, the USA, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Togo, Benin, and Gabon. Learn more about their business in this pitch deck.

9. Horizon Business Ventures
Contact: Bernard Muchiri

Email: bvhorizon@gmail.com

Sector: Essential Oils

Location: Kenya

Horizon Business Ventures encourages community participation in conservation efforts while providing livelihood opportunities through the production of essential oils derived from the rich biodiversity of safeguarded forests. Their target markets include the cosmetic, food, and pharmaceutical industries, driven by consumers increasingly seeking safe, healthy, and natural products. They offer five tree-based oils and produce animal feed as an additional revenue stream. In collaboration with Climate Partners, HBV plans to plant 5 million indigenous trees, covering 5,000 hectares (263,000 already planted) over the next five years. Under the IKI(GIZ) project (2022-2024), they will plant 150,000 indigenous trees within three blocks of Mount Kenya Forest. Learn more about their business in this pitch deck.

10. Inkingi Eco Ltd
Contact: Faida Zoubeda Uwase

Email: inkingimodernfarmers@gmail.com

Sector: Cookstoves and tree nursery

Location: Rwanda

Inkingi Eco Ltd incentivizes communities to adopt sustainable, modern, cleaner energy cooking solutions, specifically solar cookstoves. These stoves reduce cooking fuel consumption, mitigating negative health and environmental impacts. They are more affordable, time-saving, cleaner, and more efficient than traditional cooking methods. This initiative helps protect forests from illegal logging, and through their restoration campaign, they work to restore degraded forests. To date, they have restored 286 hectares, with an additional 50 hectares of native and fruit trees planned. Learn more about their business in this pitch deck.

11. Kontiki Bamboo Works Ltd.
Contact: Dr Koojo Charles Amooti

Email: koojocharles@yahoo.co.uk

Sector: Bamboo Integrated Agroforestry and Products

Location: Hoima, Uganda

Kontiki Bamboo Works Ltd. focuses on bamboo, a plant that enhances soil quality, conservation, bio-energy, clean air, and socio-economic benefits for communities. They have created 500 jobs for women and youth, providing sustainable livelihoods while restoring land and addressing climate change. Kontiki produces and plants bamboo seedlings, having planted on 200 hectares and collaborating with 52 bamboo contract farmers (80 hectares). The company also manufactures bamboo products, including toothpicks, table mats, menu covers, furniture crafts/souvenirs, and construction poles.

Kontiki aims to establish integrated agroforestry, working with 10,000 household bamboo villages, combat deforestation, and restore 5,000 hectares over the next five years. This initiative is expected to generate $5 billion in income and create 50,000 jobs through bamboo value addition, supply chain development, skills training, innovation centers, eco-tourism, and carbon trading. Learn more about their business in this pitch deck.

12. Moto Feeds
Contact: Joseph Kiarie

Email: josekiarie1991@gmail.com

Sector: Grassland restoration

Location: Kenya

Moto Feeds is revitalizing degraded grasslands by offering sustainable fodder solutions to the Maasai community. Their approach combines planting Boma Rhodes grass for year-round fodder and trees. Seeds and hay are harvested, with excess sold for additional income. Moto Feeds has successfully planted 70,000 acres of grassland and 1,500,000 trees. The company is currently partnering with more pastoralist communities to expand this solution. Learn more about their business in this pitch deck.

13. Mundawathu Gardens
Contact: Berias Unyolo

Email: mundawathugardens@gmail.com

Sector: Fruit and Bamboo Seedlings

Location: Malawi

Mundawathu Gardens specializes in the multiplication and propagation of drought-resistant fruit trees and bamboo seedlings to address high deforestation rates and fruit imports through commercialization. They sell seedlings to agricultural cooperatives, the private sector, and environmentally conscious stakeholders at affordable prices to enhance productivity despite challenging climatic conditions. They offer over 20 varieties of high-yield fruit tree seedlings and provide planting and agricultural management services to cooperatives and the private sector. Since 2018, Mundawathu Gardens and its partners have restored over 65,000 hectares and expect to restore an additional 25,000 hectares using over 450,000 seedlings cultivated during the 2022 to 2023 rainy season. Learn more about their business in this pitch deck.

14. Obamastove
Contact: Yusuf Tura

Email: obamastove@gmail.com

Sector: Cookstoves

Location: Ethiopia

Obamastove is the second-largest cookstove manufacturer in Africa. They have scaled production and sold over 500,000 cookstoves without any grants or major investments. Their cookstove design reduces fuel consumption by 50% and harmful emissions by 60% compared to traditional cooking methods. Learn more about their business in this pitch deck.

15. Perfect Village Communities
Contact: Parfait Mugisha

Email: Mugparfait07@gmail.com

Sector: Diversified tree nursery

Location: Burundi

Perfect Village Communities addresses farmland degradation and malnutrition through land restoration. They produce tree seedlings and educate farmers and communities on sustainable land and soil management.

This year, they aim to restore 2,000 new hectares with a vision to reach one million hectares in the next five years. This will be complemented by intensive food production activities on restored land and transforming various tree species into final products for multiple uses (medicinal products, natural fertilizers, etc.) in collaboration with Community Production Units. Learn more about their business in this pitch deck.

16. African Oilseeds Processing Company
Contact: Ngoupeyi Kouemene Rinel Randolph

Email: ngoupeyirandolph@yahoo.com

Sector: Avocado oil and products

Location: Cameroon

African Oilseeds Processing Company aims to eliminate avocado post-harvest loss by processing avocados into various products. The pulp is converted into extra-virgin avocado oil, while peels and waste from oil production are transformed into organic fertilizer. Seeds are planted to grow more avocado seedlings, which are then planted on farmers’ land. Beehives are placed under the protective avocado canopy, and the products from avocados and hives are repurchased from farmers to produce more avocado oil, beeswax, and honey products. To date, they have planted 31,222 avocado seedlings on 295 hectares. In the next three years, they plan to plant 120,000 seedlings on degraded grasslands through an agreement with the chiefdom of Banfang Fokam. Learn more about their business in this pitch deck.

About Land Accelerator

The Land Accelerator program offers a cost-effective approach to restoring and developing rural areas globally. It achieves this through online and in-person boot camps and personalized mentorship, empowering entrepreneurs to pitch to impact investors and market their products more effectively while restoring degraded land. To date, the Land Accelerator has a network of 407 graduates in Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. These companies have engaged over 474,106 farmers to restore more than 620,789 hectares. Additionally, these companies have created over 11,501 jobs and generated an average revenue of $128,500. However, further investments and partnerships are necessary to help these entrepreneurs scale their efforts. An estimated $500,000,000 is required for these companies to expand and better serve communities while protecting the planet.

Source: World Resource Institute