Botanic Treasures

Improving health and generating income with the nutritious Moringa tree
2015 SEED Africa Award; European Union
Sustainable Agriculture
Nairobi
Kenya

Botanic Treasures works with 500 local, smallholder farmers to cultivate the highly nutritious, drought-resistant Moringa tree. Its leaves, fruits and bark are processed into nutritional supplements and fortified foods that are sold locally at franchise stores, nationally by large supermarket chains, and exported abroad.

The enterprise assists in the formation of farming groups and collaborates with them to build collection and processing centers, links farmers with financial services, conducts trainings and workshops on safe agricultural practices, educates on agroforestry, and shares seeds.

By supporting the income generation of over 1,000 individuals across the value chain, improving health via nutritional training and increased access to the nutritional Moringa tree, and contributing to biodiversity and reforestation, Botanic Treasures is advancing the standard of living across whole communities.

Eco-Inclusive Impacts
Botanic Treasures improve the income of over 1,000 individuals across the value chain, improving health via nutritional training and increased access to the nutritional Moringa tree, and contributing to biodiversity and reforestation.
  • Generating stable additional income for smallholder farmers and their families.
  • Empowering women by working with 80% female employees and 60% female farmers.
  • Improving maternal and child health by encouraging growers to keep 10% of Moringa for personal consumption by providing access to nutritional training.
  • Planting over 500,000 Moringa trees so far promotes agroforestry, reducing soil erosion, increasing soil nutrients, and contributing to reforestation.
  • Encouraging the use of Moringa seeds for water purification, reducing the burning of wood to boil water.
  • Promoting the use of Moringa oil as biofuel.
  • Creating jobs and supporting income generation for over 1000 people along the value chain.
  • Increasing agricultural productivity via intercropping to increase the yield on the same land.
  • Increasing economic empowerment with the creation of local social-environmental enterprises.

Partners

Botanic Treasures leverages traditional farming techniques of smallholder farmers to grow the highly nutritious Moringa oleifera tree, processing the plant and marketing health food products nationally and internationally. Over 1,000 individuals are employed across the value chain, providing economic stability for rural communities. The consumption of Moringa oleifera is improving health, and reducing child mortality while the cultivation of the drought-resistant plant serves as to manage soil erosion and promote sustainable agroforestry.

Green Belt Movement assists with connecting the enterprise with local farmers and tree growing groups.

Kalro provides research and agronomic support to farmers.

Kiva gives zero interest loans to affiliated smallholder farmers through social lending.