Smallholder farmers are at the heart of our business
we sow seeds of success together
How we work
GreenPath Food brings Ethiopian farming families into the global organic supply chain. We currently support and source from more than 150+ smallholder farming families who typically farm on less than one hectare of land at our flagship site in Butajira, Ethiopia. At the centre of our production is their expertise in their land, climate, and community. We work in partnership with smallholder farmers, bringing value to their families and their land through:
Technical and strategic support: We recruit cohorts of farmers whom we are confident will thrive in working with us. We provide those farmers with seedlings, organic inputs and regular agronomic advice from field experts. As a result, we harvest carefully planned and grown produce each week.
A route away from seasonal dependency: Through an emphasis on perennial planting and regenerative farming practices, we provide a path to year-round productivity. No longer do farmers rely on the harvest of a single season to sustain them for the entire year, rather they learn sustainable farm management practices, and utilize inputs that preserve the environment and family health.
Holistic and sustainable production: We support and teach farmers to grow in a way that goes beyond the EU-organic standard. We encourage farmers to plant fruit trees and perennial crops, for their agronomic benefits and their long-term contribution to farmers’ livelihoods. Our planting is driven by a focus on intercropping, low-input growing and improving soil health.
Stable and supportive international market access: Smallholder farmers benefit from a system that rewards generously, without distorting local pricing. Their produce moves through our quality control processes at our pack house, before shipment to customers in the most demanding markets across the world.
Deputy Farm Production Officers pause to celebrate the achievements of some of GreenPath Food’s top-performing farmers at the annual company retreat in January 2020.
farmer successes
Smallholder farmers consistently report that their quality of life very much improved because of GreenPath Food. A few significant achievements include:
Access to education: Farmers have reported an improved ability to pay school fees, and several have been able to send their children to university.
Better home life: Farmers report an improved ability to pay household expenses, and are able to provide their families with televisions and transportation.
Steady, consistent income: Farmers transition from seasonal commodity crops like maize, to perennial crops, which they harvest and receive payment for weekly. Free from monoculture subsistence farming, the land instead yields a diverse offering of organic avocado trees and aromatic herbs. Input costs reduce and some farmers have more than doubled their annual incomes.
Farm-level upgrades: From purchasing dairy cows and oxen, to solar irrigation pumps and more land, smallholder farmers often reinvest their GreenPath Food income into their most valuable asset.
“Now because of GreenPath Food I am able to save money in my account and live a more comfortable life than before.”
future growth
In 2020 and beyond, we will strengthen and expand our farmer network throughout East Africa. The GreenPath Food impact reverberates beyond individual smallholder farmers’ properties and into their communities—creating jobs, funding construction of local roads, and bolstering economies. As more farmers adapt environmentally sustainable practices, soil quality and waterways improve, ensuring resilient farming communities for future generations.
Attention to detail: A key component of the relationship between Partner Farms and GreenPath Food’s staff of agronomists and experts.
