GGEM Farming
Farmer-centered marketplace boosting yields in Malawi.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| investor | €0.0 | round | |
* | $300k | Debt | |
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
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GGEM Farming is a social enterprise that operates a farmer-centered marketplace in Malawi to enhance food security and reduce poverty. Founded in 2018 by Dee Punungwe and Kondwani (Ko) Chijota, the company was born from their own farming experiences in the country. Chijota, formerly an intellectual property lawyer, transitioned to agriculture after moving back to Malawi and experiencing the sector's challenges firsthand. He and Punungwe, Head of Design and Operations, established GGEM to provide smallholder farmers with solutions they lacked.
The company's business model manages the entire agricultural value chain. It provides small-scale farmers with interest-free loans for high-quality agricultural inputs, training on climate-smart agriculture, and ongoing technical support. This support enables farmers to increase the quality and quantity of their crops. GGEM then guarantees to buy back all crops from its network of farmers at competitive market prices, ensuring they have a reliable income. After purchasing the produce, GGEM processes, packages, and manages the logistics to sell the food through a network of small retailers and markets, making it affordable for low-income households.
The enterprise started by supporting 16 local farmers in its first year and grew to over 3,500 by 2023, with plans to expand to 4,500 in 2024. GGEM targets farmers open to modern techniques, focusing on rice in the summer and legumes in the winter. The company operates as a for-profit social enterprise, securing working capital from impact investors and foundations to bridge the financial gap between paying farmers upfront for their harvest and receiving payment from market sales.
Keywords: agriculture, social enterprise, Malawi, smallholder farmers, food security, marketplace, value chain, crop financing, farmer training, climate-smart agriculture, impact investing, agri-logistics, food processing, rural development, sustainable agriculture, agri-economy, interest-free loans, poverty alleviation, market access, crop aggregation