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Anthony Ngugi

Mavuno Organics

Hi, I’m Anthony Ngugi and I am the CEO of Mavuno Organics. Together with around 80 passionate farmers we grow, sort and pack organic avocados here in Kenia. Thank you for buying our products!

Although Kenya is known for its rich soils and excellent agricultural climate, the country does not have a very long history when it comes to avocado production. As demand for organic fruits and vegetables and in particular avocado’s continues to rise, more growers are choosing to grow these delicious fruits. The growers we work with intercrop the avo’s with papaya, corn, banana, macadamia nuts and coffee ensuring a rich soil and a wide variety of flora and fauna.

At Mavuno Organic we ensure that the growers are well rewarded for producing premium organic fruit. This means that they now receive almost three times more money for their fruit compared to their conventional neighbours. These contracts ensure the farmers cannot only invest in the future of their children but also improve the quality of their orchards. Through close communication, mentorship and technical assistance in the field we are able to bring the quality of our Hass avocado’s to an even higher level.

Interview with Anthony

N&M: What motivated you to get involved in organic farming?
Anthony: from 1996 – 1999, I studied Bio-intensive Agriculture at the Manor House Agricultural Center in Kitale. There we learned about fertilization and crop protection the natural way! For me, to a large extent, conventional methods for food production do not make sense. It just does not feel right to use such chemicals when you are growing natural, nutritious food. We are all an ‘interwoven, part of the whole’ and we need to respect the lifeforms in the way nature intended it to be.

N&M: What is your philosophy when it comes to paying the farmers?
Anthony: I believe that if you want to run a successful agricultural business you need to invest in the farmer. Our growers receive almost three times more than their non organic neighbor. We are seeing that the farmers are reinvesting their extra income into their family and their trees. This way we are not only improving the lives of the next generation but are also improving the quality and quantity of the avocados and that is good news for everyone.

N&M: When it comes to avocados, what are the plans for the future?
Anthony: Our focus is on quality and technical assistance. As mentioned by paying our growers much more than others they are able to invest in the quality of their trees. Although things are looking good we still have a lot of homework to do. That is why we will continue to focus on training and education for example regarding composting, pruning, pre and post harvest. Quality improvement is an ongoing process. You can never lean back in your chair and say you are finished.

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soil

To enrich the soil that feeds the trees, the Mavuno growers work mainly with manure from the cows that are also often part of the business. A small group are producing their own compost and we will be stimulating more compost use through providing technical “in the field” courses. Furthermore, apart from good green cover, many of our growers are planting elephant grass because these plants have deep, strong roots which help to avoid soil erosion.

biodiversity

Seeing the rich flora in this region and the fact that our growers work in a chemical free environment, the orchards are full of life. We have a wide variety of birds and every four seconds you see some form of animal or insect. The growers understand that these living organisms each has their own function in the ecosystem: from the tiniest micro-organism living in the soil to the mightiest tree towering above it.

Due to the rich vegetation in this region and the professional intercropping, the Mavuno growers are an excellent example of agroforestry in action. Apart from avocado’s the local farmers grow corn, macadamia nuts, papaya, coffee and bananas etc. Farming this way in harmony with the local surroundings is the best way to protect the region and simultaneously growing crops for home use, local market and export is both environmentally as well as socially sustainable.

individual

Every year 20.000 to 340.000 farmworkers die of pesticide poisoning and 1 to 5 million farmworkers get sick from it. In organic cultivation no chemical-synthetic pesticides are used and significantly less pesticide residues are found on organic products in the store. Research indicates (Fantke & Jolliet, 2016) that this also has a health effect for consumers. In short, we can say with confidence that organic fruits and vegetables, on the average, are healthier. And that also goes for our organic avocados.

society

Freedom relates to cultural life and freedom of the mind. Education and individual development are important aspects. That is why we invest heavily in training and schooling the growers . We are particularly proud of how knowledge is being shared amongst the communities.

Justice relates to societal life and involves human rights, equal opportunities and safe working conditions. One of the focus points is health. Since the growers do not work with pesticides, this eliminates the biggest health risk for the workers: worldwide, approximately 300.000 people die every year of pesticide poisoning. Furthermore, we believe it is important that all the growers have knowledge of health and safety issues and are able to conduct first aid. Here in Kenya there is an oral and moral obligation that when something happens to a farm worker during work, the owner or farmer is responsible for getting him or her to a doctor and paying the costs. This obligation is now being formalized.

Solidarity relates to economical life. At Mavuno Organic we ensure that the growers are well rewarded for producing premium organic fruit. This means that they now receive almost three times more money for their fruit compared to their conventional neighbour. These contracts ensure the farmers cannot only invest in the future of their children but also improving the quality of their orchards. Through close communication, schooling and technical assistance in the field we are able to bring the quality of our Hass avocado’s to an even higher level.

climate

In conventional farming, the manufacture, transport and application of fertilizers and pesticides can account for as much as 80% of the energy input. Since the Mavuno growers farm organically, their avocadoes are considerably more energy efficient than their non-organic counterparts. Most of the work in the orchards is done by hand. In the warehouse in Nairobi, electricity is used for lighting and cooling. Transport to Europe is done by boat, which is the most energy-friendly way.

The Kenyan highland climate and the rich soil is perfectly suited for avocado production. Therefore there is no need for artificial fertilizers or other chemicals which cause so much C02 emissions. Good organic farming methods help to sequester more carbon in the soil and reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses.

water

In this part of Kenya we have ample rainfall for agricultural production. Unfortunately in the world we live in today nothing is certain. Climate change, droughts, flooding, pollution etc. are threatening this vital resource and the future does not look all that good. It is therefore important that we continue to invest in the quality of our soil and compost to ensure the water bearing capacity of the soil is optimal. Organic compost increases the water holding properties of the soil, meaning that 100 liters of water goes much further on an organic farm compared to its conventional counterpart. The Mavuno growers generally speaking therefore use less water than non organic farmers. Some are also working with the efficient drip irrigation systems.

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