ETG was borne through the vision of Mahesh Patel, a leading businessman in Sub-Saharan Africa. Born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1955, Mr. Patel’s keen entrepreneurial spirit and strong core values have helped shape the African agricultural industry.

Mr. Patel originally joined Export Finance Company Limited, which distributed and marketed consumer packaged goods. In 1981, with the company almost in receivership, Mr. Patel bought 100 percent of its shares, renamed it Export Trading Group (ETG), and changed its focus to sourcing and marketing agriculture commodities. Mr. Patel’s strength in logistics and ability to source commodities locally allowed the company to begin providing less expensive grains to aid organizations including UNICEF and World Food Program, along with enabling timely delivery to hunger-stricken areas.

Over time, ETG has developed strong connections with both ends of the economic spectrum, creating a direct relationship between the smallholder farmer/producers and consumers of commodity products around the world. With a value chain that operates between the farm gates of emerging African markets and supermarket shelves around the world, ETG is committed to connecting smallholders to the global economy, and the global economy back to the smallholders.

It is ETG and the Foundation’s belief that Sub-Saharan Africa can become the largest food producer in the world, and that smallholders are a critical component in making that a reality. We invest in them for several reasons:

• There are many of them. Over 25% of the world’s population is smallholders who occupy arable land, representing a significant number of potential suppliers and consumers seeking to connect with the global economy.
• They are generally poor due to limited education and resources, making agriculture their best avenue for survival. With support and training, they can work their way out of poverty by becoming contributors to the world’s food production and economy.
• We need them to contribute. Since the World’s food production is not keeping up with population and dietary changes, smallholders can help increase global food security and worldwide stability.