East African Nuts & Oilseeds – Kenya

Established in Kenya in 2006, Ten Senses Africa Ltd. (TSA) is a processor and trader of organic macadamia nuts. TSA sources macadamia nuts from a network of 5,000 organically certified smallholder farmers in Kenya. In 2022, the company was fully acquired by Pamoja Farms, a Switzerland based company with investments in four farms in Tanzania, specializing in Macadamia, Bananas and Coffee. Ten senses is the Kenyan macadamia arm of Pamoja. TSA's business model revolves around sustainable and traceable sourcing of macadamia nuts. The company focus on organic certification and responsible production and consumption practices, supported by various international certifications such as USDA Organic, Fairtrade, and FSSC 22000. TSA’s operational strategy includes providing agricultural extension services to farmers on the field, ensuring high-quality production and compliance with organic standards . To source macadamia nuts from smallholder farmers, the company have a lean and innovative operation with 28 buying centres located around Mt Kenya, where the majority of farmers are located. Ten Senses uses an owned software app connecting all its operations, including macadamia prices per Kg, so certified farmers working with Ten Senses knows in real time the field prices offered. The company operates processing facility in the Athi River Export Processing Zone, capable of processing 6,000 MT annually, employing over 90 full-time and 200 part-time employees. 

With CFC’s support, TSA expects to reach 10,000 of smallholder suppliers, of which 30% women. The average annual net income of smallholders is expected to increase from USD 750 to USD 980 with about 400 new jobs created. 

On November 2024, the project success fully repaid all outstanding amounts to the CFC, and the project is now financially closed.

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