Africa Foods Supply LTD
Africa Food Supply (AFS) was established in 2016 to provide locally grown, high quality, nutritional fresh vegetables, fruits, and grains to the national market. They work with local farmers, cooperatives and producers to encourage the adoption of new techniques that improve the quality and quantity of produce. They are also finding new ways to reach their customers, with a thriving farm to table restaurant, and plans for further market expansion.
Much of Africa Food Supply farmland, and their existing buildings are situated at the side of a busy road, an hour southeast of Rwanda’s capital Kigali, on the way to either Kivu to the East or Butare to the south. Serge Ganza, Director of AFS sees this traffic as an opportunity. AFS are in the process of building a roadside stopover, with space for a new coffee shop and eatery, numerous shop front spaces for produce, and —crucial to their plan —high quality, free to access public toilets.
Working with sanitation experts, AFS have developed safe and sanitary systems to collect human waste which can then be combined with other waste products to create compost. Strange as this may seem to some, it is the ultimate circular food system, and can be delivered safely, and with incredible benefits for food production, reducing reliance on imported industrial fertilizers.
This compost will support the increased growth of the full range of fresh agricultural produce, including tomatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, pineapples and cucumbers. Motivated to reduce waste, Serge, and the AFS team are also trying and scaling a range of food processing options, to retain high quality products cross-season, including biscuits, doughnuts and mandazi. The company currently caters for local markets in Kamonyi and Kigali, Rwanda, with plans to expand nationwide.
The stopover will also provide year-round sales and staffing opportunities, providing much needed employment to the local community, given that a large percentage of Rwandan employment is seasonal.
“We have a stopover, where we're going to have a market, but I need produce from the farms, from the farmers. So that's why I'm interested to work with farmers. Help them to get more production and then bring it to market. get money for the family, and then make money as a businessman.” Serge Ganza, Managing Director.
Working in partnership with government agencies, like Rwanda Agricultural Board, and inspired by CIRF training, AFS has embraced circular practices which is working to increase food production, improved access to markets, better yields to support national nutrition and employment opportunities.
