Abstract

The case describes the objectives of Farm to Feed, a social enterprise in Kenya, to minimize food wastage and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by creating a market for ‘imperfect’ produce and improve health and nutrition among the poor and malnourished in Kenya. The case touches upon the issue of food loss and wastage globally and in sub-Saharan Africa, including Kenya. The case then describes how Claire van Enk (Claire) founded Farm to Feed and the reasons that made her decide to start Farm to Feed. The case also describes the operating model of Farm to Feed and the company’s focus on offline and online operations and how she created a network of smallholder farmers (SHFs), vetted charities, vulnerable groups, and customers. The case touches upon the impact of Farm to Feed on farmer’s income, food loss, carbon emissions, availability of produce to customers at an affordable price, and improving the affordability and availability of nutritious food. The case ends with Claire’s intentions to expand operations. Would Claire be able to achieve these objectives with the existing operating model? What else does she need to do to scale operations across Kenya and into neighboring countries of sub-Saharan Africa?

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Describe the operational models of social enterprises
• Understand the pre-requisites for a social enterprise to scale up its operations
• Recognize role of partners in the success of social enterprises

Keywords

Social innovation; Social entrepreneurship; Women empowerment; Business Model; Scaling-up; Market Development; Distribution Channel; Climate change; Startup; Social Enterprise; Climate Change