Empowering farmers for blooming business

IDH Farmfit supports the development of viable business operations that serve and source from smallholder farmers. Through improved service provision, the lives of hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers can be improved and business can become more profitable.

Together with more than 50 businesses, IDH Farmfit has innovated, learned, and deepened our understanding of how to transform smallholder engagement from CSR-driven subsidy programs into inclusive business operations that create impact at scale. IDH Farmfit has proven that commercially viable and impactful service provision to smallholder farmers is possible, if far from easy. We want to share these insights with you and provide a podium for front-running companies to inspire innovation across the sector.

Join us at the IDH Farmfit Forum in Nairobi on November 18th and 19th 2019.

The Forum will be a unique, creative workspace, where business representatives, investors, and donors, can collaborate, discuss strategic challenges and learn from each other actionable best practices. IDH Farmfit will share insights on what drives the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of service provision to smallholders.

Keynote speakers

Monday November, 18th

12.00: Registration, reception with small lunch

13.00: Welcome and opening 

Welcome speech: Joost Oorthuizen, CEO IDH
Keynote speaker

14.30: Introduction to Farmfit’s data-driven approach to unlock innovative business models and sustainable financing that can reach smallholders at scale.

Speaker: Bernd Isenberg, Manager Farmfit Intelligence

15.15: Coffee Break

15.45: Deep dives on innovative solutions 

  1. Revenue models – how to cover the cost of service provision?
  2. Driving effectiveness – how to increase productivity and impact?
  3. Driving efficiency – how to minimize cost?
  4. Driving scale – how to facilitate access to finance? 

16:45: Panel: key success factors to unlock more innovative business models

Moderator: Joost Oorthuizen

Panelist:

  1. Watipaso Mkandawire, DFID 
  2. Hans Bogaard, FMO
  3. Chege Thumbi, Sidian Bank
  4. Rose Mutuku, Smart Logistics
  5. Phyllis Warui, Ecom SMS
  6. Faith Mulwa, Agriwallet 

17.30: Closing network drink

  • Joost Oorthuizen

    Former CEO of IDH (2008-2020)

  • Bernd Isenberg

    Senior Program Manager, Farmfit

  • Hans Bogaard

    Manager

    FMO - Dutch Development Bank

  • Chege Thumbi

    CEO

    Sidian Bank Ltd

  • Rose Mutuku

    Managing Director

    Smart Logistics Solution Ltd

  • Phyllis Warui

    Director

    ECOM

  • Faith Mulwa

    Head of Finance

    Agri-wallet

Tuesday, November 19th

09.00: Opening and keynote speaker: Catalyzing commercial investment into smallholder finance

Speaker: Dorcas Onyango, Director of sustainability and supplier development at Coca Cola

10.00: Breakouts – Common challenges collective solutions. Participants work together to create a collective understanding of their most pressing challenges.

10.45: Carousel sessions (part 1) – Farmfit shares data driven best practices, companies share concrete experiences on:

  1. Farming models
    Alluvial (Von Kemedi)
    United Services Stores (Martin Silayo)
  2. Partnerships for impact and scale
    Tulaa (Hillary Miller-Wise)
    Raphael group (Lazaro Mwakipesile)
    Neumann Kaffee Gruppe Kenya (Gabrielle Rosenau)
  3. Using farmer data to improve sourcing and service deliver
    Natural extracts industries (Juan Guardado)
    Usomi (Denis Fidalis Mujibi)
    Intellecap (Manish Shankar)
  4. Growing business and effectively improving livelihood for women and men
    Smart Logistics (Rose Mutuku)
    Ecom (Phyllis Warui)
    CGAP (Stephen Rasmussen)

12:00: Lunch

13.00: Carousel sessions (part 2) – Farmfit shares data-driven best practices, companies share concrete experiences on:

  1. Farming models
    FMS (Bunmi Akingba)
    Gourmet Gardens (Clemens Fehr)
  2. Partnerships for impact and scale
    Syngenta (Felistars Obonyo)
    Agri-Wallet (Faith Mulwa)
    Eclof (Esther Moyi)
  3. Using farmer data to improve sourcing and service delivery
    Anatrans (Harm Voortman)
    Master Card Farmer Network (Sammy Mwangi)
    Intellecap (Manish Shankar)
  4. Growing business and effectively improving livelihood for women and men
    Smart Logistics (Rose Mutuku)
    Ecom (Phyllis Warui)
    CGAP (Stephen Rasmussen)

14.15: Breakout sessions – Common challenges collective solutions (continued) participants discuss what they have learned to solve their challenge, how they will work on it (together), and what support/data/insights they still need to make it happen.

15.15: Panel reflection and insights on finance for scaling

Moderator: Roel Messie, Farmfit Fund

Panelist:

  1. Wouter Kool, Rabobank
  2. Samuel Ssenyimba, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
  3. Bonano Badia, Agriculture Finance Corporation (AFC) – Deputy Director
  4. Ken Obimbo, CEO/MD Rafiki Bank

16.30:  Closing

  • Dorcas Onyango

    Head of Sustainability, Southern & East Africa Business Unit

    Coca-Cola Africa PTY

  • Von Kemedi

    CEO

    Alluvial

  • Martin Silayo

    Production Manager

    Union Service Stores Ltd

  • Hillary Miller-Wise

    Founder and CEO

    Tulaa

  • Lazaro Mwakipesile

    General Manager

    Raphael Group Limited

  • Gabrielle Rosenau

    Bloom Manager – East Africa

    Neumann Kaffee Gruppe

  • Harm Voortman

    CEO

    Anatrans SA

  • Samuel Mwangi

    Manager Customer Delivery - Agriculture Incubation

    Mastercard Labs for Financial Inclusion

  • Rose Mutuku

    Managing Director

    Smart Logistics Solution Ltd

  • Phyllis Warui

    Director

    ECOM

  • Stephen Rasmussen

    Lead, Digital Rails

    CGAP

  • Bunmi Akingba

    CEO

    FMS Farms

  • Clemens Fehr

    Founder/owner

    Gourmet Gardens

  • Felistars Obonyo

    Business Development Manager

    Syngenta

  • Faith Mulwa

    Head of Finance

    Agri-wallet

  • Esther Moyi

    Head of Marketing and Business Development

    Eclof Kenya

  • Juan Guardado

    Managing Director

    Natural Extracts Industries Ltd

  • Denis Mujibi

    CEO

    Usomi

  • Manish Shankar

    Associate Vice President

    Intellecap Advisory

  • Wouter Kool

    Head Trade and Commodity Finance Africa

    Rabobank

  • Bonano Badia

    Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC)

  • Ken Obimbo

    Managing Director

    Rafiki MF Bank

Practical information

Dates & times:
Monday 18th of November starting at 12.00 until cocktails at 17.30
Tuesday 19th of November from 09.00 until 17.30

Venue details:
Radisson Blu Upper Hill
Elgon Road Nairobi KE,
Kenya

Accommodation:
Accommodation can be booked at the following hotels for special delegate rates:
• Radisson Blu hotel at a rate of USD 200 per night (https://www.radissonhotels.com)
• Crowne Plaza at a rate of USD 170 per night (https://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/gb/en/reservation)
Both hotels have restaurants within to cater for meals.

Transportation:
For the attendees who do not reside in Nairobi, when making hotel bookings, include an airport transfer to ensure you are picked by the hotel vehicles from the airport. If you do not have an airport transfer booked, you should only use the airport yellow cabs for safety reasons, or Uber.

Visa:

Participants who travel from outside Kenia may be required to apply for a visa. You can apply here: https://immigration.ecitizen.go.ke/index.php?id=5

Safety:
While we will be in the safest hotel in Nairobi for the Forum, please note:
1. Keep valuables in your hotel safes and always in sight while at the conference
2. Use trackable transport when moving around (e.g. Uber)