Thika Project

Central Kenya

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Our Thika project supports experienced macadamia and avocado farmers, establishing a market for fruit and nuts that would have been rejected.

Many farmers now hold their harvest for Fairoils, confident they will receive a fair price for their crop.

The Thika project is located around Thika, the largest town in south-central Kenya’s Kiambu County. It lies in the highland region, north of the capital city of Nairobi, at an elevation of 4943 feet above sea level.

The area experiences a subtropical climate, with regular rainfall and sunshine most of the year. It is a major agricultural region, traditionally known for coffee growing. Fertile soils provide the perfect foundation for farming produce, particularly macadamia and avocado crops.

Despite the area’s commercial potential, this farming region is very competitive and people still experience persistent poverty. Farmers grow fruit and vegetables, but produce buyers have a high quality threshold for rejection. This can mean that crops are not collected and payments are unreliable. There is also increasing land pressure as farming areas continue to be divided into smaller plots.

Local goals

Fairoils aims to offer a better alternative to farmers who are at the mercy of the fresh produce export market. Our goal is to create the largest fairtrade and organic macadamia and avocado project in East Africa. The growth of this project will positively impact the entire community.

In this market, Fairoils ensures growers receive a fair price for their produce and reduce wastage of this high-value crop. We offer long term supplier contracts, helping reduce uncertainty and provide security. We also promote sustainable farming practices, which offer greater long-term yield and income for farmers.

Fairoils’ approach

Within this project, Fairoils has partnered with experienced macadamia and avocado farmers. We provide a second income stream by purchasing produce that would usually be rejected by exporters. These exporters only purchase unblemished stock of a particular size, leaving a significant proportion of produce rejected for minor imperfections.

Faroils has had this project Fairtrade and organic certified. We give these farmers access to revolving credit to buy organic fertilisers, new seedlings and soil inputs. There is high demand for these crops and the group continues to grow in size.

Fairoils employs field officers and buying clerks to best support farmers. We offer stable pricing, with a reasonable safety net price to protect farmers from wide fluctuations in the value of their crops. We’ve built a reputation for fast and reliable payments. We often pay in advance and help farmers with income between harvests.

Raw of Macadamia integrifolia or Macadamia nut hanging on plant.

744

small-scale farmers

Many farmers’ families are involved in growing.

40%

of farmers are female

This growing industry creates opportunities for women to participate.

1,227

acres of land being farmed

Helping rural farmers grow new crops and develop vital skills to gain a valuable second income from their land.

field officers

Field officers provide agricultural education and support.

different crops grown

Macadamia
Avocado

Community impact

Fairoils has become one of the few fair and ethical buyers in the area, with many farmers outside our group holding their produce and waiting to sell directly to Fairoils.

Fairoils supports five community-based organisations (CBOs) around Thika. These groups have a democratic structure that works with the community to invest funds into community projects, including priority health, medical, education and infrastructure projects.

Grown at this location

Avocado

Persea gratissima

Macadamia nut

Macadamia integrifolia

Building Communities

Partner with us to ensure farmers and workers receive a fair price for their produce and labour.