SDG12 startup of the week: Eweko 1MS

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SDG12 startup of the week: Eweko

"We must change the way we transact business; efficiently use resources with the future generation in mind.", founder Saheed Adams

25.03.2020.

What is the story of your startup?

"My love for nature propelled me into farming after a brief 12 years in the ICT industry. As a farmer, I experienced 1st hand the issues that smallholder farmers were experiencing and decided to work towards solutions that can help the farmers improve their livelihoods. Leveraging on my ICT, Managerial and project management experiences the organization Eweko concept was established in 2015 with the aim of promoting sustainable and profitable agribusiness; bringing together the 3Ps->People, Profit & Planet " said the founder Saheed Adams.

Eweko concept has an agribusiness firm has 3 strategic business units

1.Production: Production of Local & exotic vegetables using sustainable production approaches

2.Agribusiness support services
•    Provides business advisory services
•    Technical capacity building for value chain actors
•    Provide relational capacity building for value chain actors with a view of adopting inclusive business approaches
•    Market access & linkages for smallholder farmers
•    Facilitate access to support services for increased productivity
•    Trust building

3. Packaging  & distribution
Aggregation of farm produce(vegetables) ->sorting,cooling & distribution
Provide traceability framework and implementation for smallholder farmers & off takers

The aggregation SBU leverages partnerships for infrastructural support for cooling that is cost-effective and sustainable. To reduce post-harvest loses it was imperative to provide cooling systems that will be able to preserve/maintain the quality of the fresh produce aggregated from farmers till supply or pickup period.

Eweko Concept with support from 2SCALE facilitated the formation of the vegetable clusters within the epe axis. The smallholder farmer is clustered around Epe Lagos state and the location for aggregation also strategically places to serve offtake within the locality and also the metropolitan Lagos.

"We must change the way we transact business; efficiently use resources with the future generation in mind. Sustainability is the core of our business at the Eweko Concept and reflects in all of our business approaches. Inclusive business approach along the supply value chain of horticultural produce within the area of choice. Infrastructure support is driven by Solar-powered solutions and production practices that are sustainable.

Agribusiness support services are geared towards improving the productivity of the smallholder farmers through provision of market linkages; direct access to market(Market2Farm), minimizing post-harvest losses that may be related to disconnection to market. The farmers are also trained on practices that reduce post-harvest losses and best. "

How are you managing your startup today?

"With COVID19 pandemic, all activities are suspended until further notice.

The organization has been facing financing issues and has paused the production and slowed down the aggregation as well. The business nearly holding on as it struggles to survive.

The service support is an embedded service that leverages the other unit and also facing the same. Smallholders find it difficult to pay for such services and as such, it was strategic to embed the fees into aggregation.

We need support in terms of financing and putting up a sustainable business structure. Equity contributions, grants or donations are very welcomed" concluded Mr. Saheed Adams

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