Africert is the only African-owned and managed agricultural certification company. Africert's major product is Global Good Agricultural Practice (GlobalGAP) certification, but also provides certification for British Retail Consortium (BRC - processing), HACCP, Green Coffee Utz certified (Good Agricultural Practices, traceability), Starbucks C.A.F.E. practices, Rainforest (GAP, traceability, conservation concerns), 4C (Common concerns for the coffee community), MPS (cut flowers), RHP (growing substrates), Organic (Ceres GmbH), Fairtrade. The delivery of these certifications provides numerous farmers and exporters with access to new high value markets and improved farming and environmental practices.

We have acquired equity and provided a loan to the business. Our investment has enabled the business to retire short term loans with ICIPE and Bridgeworks, acquire appropriate vehicles for travel within Kenya and expand its staff base in order to take advantage of the current growth in certification and accreditation services to exporters of agricultural produce from East Africa. This has leveraged further investment in the business from commercial sources.

www.africert.co.ke

Earthoil Kenya
The Earthoil partnership consists of Earthoil Kenya and Earthoil UK and was established in 1999 to produce and market cold pressed oils to major European and North America markets. The partnership's major products are moringa and macadamia seed oil, alongside a variety of other specialized seed oil products. Earthoil Kenya is located in the Nairobi Export Promotion Zone.

Our investment has enabled the business to substantially increase its factory capacity through the acquisition of cold pressing equipment and increase its working capital base for seed purchase. Partly as a result of our investment, the business has recently been acquired by Treatts plc, a UK-listed company manufacturing, distributing and marketing flavourings and aromatic extracts.

The vast majority of Earthoil's raw materials are purchased from smallholder farmers. Since 80% of seed are by-products from existing industries, this creates new value and provides new markets for approximately 7500 farmers across Kenya and Uganda. The buying price for Moringa, Papaya seeds and Cocoa beans have increased year on year, resulting in improved incomes of these farmers. The suppliers further support the farmers by setting up bank accounts and providing training on composting, organic and sustainable farming techniques and record keeping.

www.earthoil.com


Lachlan

Lachlan is a rapidly growing major distributor of agro-chemical inputs to the agriculture sector in East Africa. It is Dow Chemicals' agent for East Africa. It operates out of Nairobi and works with a number of subsidiary distributors and agents in East Africa.

Our investment is enabling the business to protect itself against the risk of over trading, strengthen its balance sheet, expand on its product range and acquire new machinery to enable it to repackage bulk chemicals for sale to agro-distributors and stockists throughout Kenya (and elsewhere in East Africa). The smaller repackaged agro chemicals are easier for smallholder farmers to access because of their affordability, distribution network and package sizes.

In terms of social impact, Lachlan provides direct employment to 30 staff, supports over 20 distributors and approximately 1000 retail outlets, which sell Lachlan's products and provide advice to farmers. Lachlan's products are estimated to reach approximately 500,000 smallholder farmers across East Africa, in addition to many large commercial farmers.

www.griculture.co.ke


Real IPM

Real IPM provides Integrated Pest Management (IPM) products and advice to the commercial horticulture sector throughout the region, providing an alternative solution to chemical pesticides. The primary product is the mite, Phytoseiulus, which preys on the red spider mite , the most damaging pest for rose growers. The secondary product is inoculum for the soil fungus trichoderma. Growth of trichoderma is associated with reduced infection by other damaging microbes. In order to make this economically feasible, Real IPM also provides consultancy and advisory services to its customers enabling them to take charge of their IPM programmes. IPM results in reduced use of pesticides by the horticulture and floriculture industries, leading to improved health of employees and consumers together with reduction in adverse environmental impact ? particularly for the lake Naivasha area.

The business has used our investment to complete its capital development programme, providing adequate working capital to scale up its current operations and supporting its ongoing product development activities.

In terms of social impact, Real IPM has brought new technologies and expertise to the region. They have provided employment to over 70 contracted Kenyans,

www.realipm.com


Sandstorm International

Sandstorm International Ltd was set up in 2003 and it wholly owns Sandstorm Kenya located in Nairobi's Jahmuri business park. The business manufactures high quality branded safari style canvas and leather bags in Kenya and markets them to the EU, USA and within East Africa.

We have acquired an equity holding in the Sandstorm Group. Our investment has enabled it to improve on Sandstorm Africa's current short term financial situation and upgrade its manufacturing facilities in Kenya. This will increase production levels and thereby increase the amount of leather and canvas that the group sources indirectly from smallholder farmers in both Kenya and Tanzania.

www.sandstormbags.com


Western Seed

Western Seed is a seed business in Kenya. It is based in Kitale in Western Kenya and its principal product is medium and low altitude hybrid seed maize, marketing and distributing a number of successful proprietary hybrids generated through its own research and breeding programme.

Our investment has enabled Western Seed to embark on a major capital expansion programme, with a view to increasing production and sales of seed maize from the current 1,500 MT pa to 4,000MT pa by 2011. This will result in the increased provision of improved seed maize varieties to smallholder farmers in Kenya and Eastern Uganda, the ultimate end-consumers of the product.

Western Seed currently provides employment to about 190 people and delivers seed to an estimated 200,000 smallholder farmers in Kenya. The company is now also exporting seed to both Uganda and Tanzania. Western Seed is also a key player in national efforts to bring new technologies to farmers such as Desmodium intercropping (push-pull) for control of striga and research to produce Quality Protein Maize varieties for improved nutrition.

www.westernseedcompany.com