Goshen Farm Exporters Ltd

Alex Goshen, CEO, Goshen Farm Exporters Ltd

The company was co-founded by Mutua Muli, who was motivated to help his community and family, who are fruit farmers, prevent food loss and overcome challenges accessing markets. The company expanded to include other farmers and aggregate their produce. To create a sustainable and impactful business, the company transitioned into food processing and export.

Goshen’s business model is centred around value addition, including by reducing post-harvest losses and creating high-quality foods and ingredients. The company processes tropical fruits into dried snacks and food ingredients and also supplies vegetable-based ingredients. It is currently focusing on processing chillies into ground chilli pepper, a vital ingredient for food manufacturing and the spice industry. The majority of the company’s products are exported to the EU, while the remaining produce is sold locally. Currently, Goshen is in the growth stage, focusing on increasing sales, reducing costs and generating profits. Its vision is to grow Goshen sustainably into Africa’s leading food processor while meeting the expectations of both producers and consumers. Goshen has received Global G.A.P. certification, ISO 14001 certification, and Organic certification from the Netherlands’ Control Union certifications body. Goshen Farm Exporters Ltd is also BRCGS certified.

The company facilitates the production of agroecological products and organises a fair value chain. It provides farmers that practise agroecology with organic inputs and pre-production support, then purchases the farmers’ products for processing and sale. This process promotes the consumption of healthy foods.

In addition, the company operates a biofertiliser hub and a biogas plant. The biofertiliser hub converts organic waste into biofertiliser frass. This is sold to smallholder farmers on a check-off system, reducing their input costs and offering an organic alternative to chemical fertilisers. The biogas plant generates fuel for the company’s boiler, reducing costs and promoting sustainable energy use.

The company’s value proposition is based on the principles of agroecology, specifically reducing post-harvest losses through food processing and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Customers purchase food ingredients knowing they not only generate sustainable income for farmers but also support agroecology. The produce complies with agroecology principles, reassuring consumers that their food is safe and organically produced.

The company is experiencing increased operational costs, from power to logistics to packaging, due to global inflation.

In addition to the financial strain caused by inflation, the company is also facing a unique set of challenges in the European market. Goshen exports a substantial portion of its products to Europe, but economic recession there has significantly affected purchasing behaviours and market dynamics. It would therefore like to diversify into alternative markets using new funding.

Goshen Farm Exporters Ltd has previously used external funding for capital expenditure, using the funds mainly to build and buy equipment for its factory in Konza. Goshen’s main goal is to become a market leader in exports of value-added fruit products to the EU and US markets. The company aims to expand its supply base to more than 8,000 farmers and plans to double its factory capacity within the next 18 months. It also intends to utilise green energy, particularly solar power, for its operations. Lastly, Goshen plans to fully commercialise and scale up its biofertiliser unit to provide affordable inputs to farmers. Increased finance could facilitate these developments, leading to increased revenue, profitability and growth for the company. Doubling Goshen’s factory capacity and commercialising its biofertiliser unit will promote job creation, contributing to local economic growth.