The Foundation is unique in two key aspects:

We start with the market

Before we approach our smallholder farming partners, the Foundation invests in analyzing market demands and how they relate to cultivatable land to determine the best opportunity for production and profitability based on past production and future trends. In this way, we secure the market to ensure that regardless of market fluctuations, there will always be a buyer for every farmer’s product.

We know Africa because we are an African company

We understand the agricultural landscape, as well as the communities that develop it, and can therefore, deliver more accurate assessments that lead to optimal outcomes.

The working relationship between ETG and EFF is a key component of the long-term sustainability model. ETG sources agricultural commodities from millions of smallholder farmers across 25 African countries. EFF leverages these interactions to stimulate agricultural production and drive rural economic growth through skills development and knowledge transfer.

EFF provides farmers access to a complete value chain that operates between the farm gates of emerging African markets and international supermarket shelves. We are committed to connecting smallholder farmers to the global economy and the global economy back to the smallholders. EFF has shown significant outreach and impact due to successful strategic collaborations with international and local development partners, government institutions, financial institutions, and other private sector partners.

Led by a team of skilled and dedicated professionals, agronomists, and analysts, the Foundation teaches smallholder farmers skills in crop cultivation, holistic farm management, and land preservation. Farmers also learn best business practices, including crop performance monitoring, record keeping, and goal setting, and are introduced to farming technologies, such as high yielding seeds, the use and benefits of organic and inorganic fertilizers, compost, manure, cash crops, and machinery.

In support of each project, ETG provides:

  • Research-based insight of the most marketable crops
  • Facilitation of transportation from farms to distribution points
  • Training on how to process and clean crops
  • Cost-efficient grain and seed each season, along with mechanization where possible

Between the Foundation and ETG, a complete life cycle has been established, from individual smallholder farming communities, to the horse-drawn carriage drivers who transport their products to warehouses, to the warehouse workers who store and protect those goods, to those who deliver the goods to distribution centers and ports, to markets around the world and finally, to consumers – the families and children who rely on this food for survival. Every person in the cycle plays a critical role in facilitating the “handshake” between smallholder farmers and the worldwide marketplace.