Organic cluster project for smallholder farmers in Nigeria

23 July 2019
1,100 individuals – of which 500 entrepreneurial women farmers – benefited from the capacity building and micro-credit project funded by the Louis Dreyfus Foundation and coordinated by local NGO Springboard.

The joint project focused primarily on the promotion of organic sustainable farming practices to improve the country’s food security and nutrition. This was done through cluster farming (cluster farms are farms combining several smallholder farms) that helped to increase farms’ productivity and yields by 20% and qualitatively improve their diets.

Another project’s objective was women empowerment through the micro-loan program. As a result, 150 women developed small businesses and diversified sources of income for their families. Some of the examples of small businesses started by women are cocoa and oil palm nurseries, poultry and household items retail. 

In addition to women, the project specifically targeted young adults who are now able to stay in their villages and work for cluster farms - from product processing and packaging to sales, over 1,000 jobs were created because of the project.