ACADES has invested in more than 10,000 smallholder farmers in Malawi. Their sustainable solutions, including tailor-made input loans, agriculture markets and training, have provided an on-ramp to farmers looking to increase their productivity, incomes, and livelihood. ACADES is investing in thousands of young farmers, ensuring that they can sustain themselves with better access to markets, working capital, equipment, and productive skills.
- Malawi
- Livelihoods, Youth, Agriculture, and Human Rights
- 78% of ACADES farmers are increasing their agricultural incomes through access to ACADES support services
- 41% of ACADES farmers are women; 87% are youth
- 80% of ACADES farmers are accessing skills needed to increase their agriculture production and sustain their productive resources
- 10,000+ farmers have been organized into productive groups and have accessed ACADES services and products, including financing, markets, and skills development training
- 3,000+ youth farmers in Lilongwe, Mchinji, and Kasungu have received agriculture loans from ACADES
- 6,000+ youth and smallholder farmers have access to fair prices for their products through the ACADES market
- 7,000+ farmers have been trained in best production practices, farm business management, and governance of the farmer groups
- ACADES advocates for the organization of smallholder farmers into productive groups that, once together, can increase their collective productivity while boosting profits
- The organization is bringing a sustainable and profitable market closer to the farmers in the last mile where farmers are often exploited by vendors and aggregators with unfair prices
- ACADES is making agriculture a viable option for rural youth employment creation and creating economic opportunities in rural areas where 80% of people do not have access to formal employment opportunities to support and sustain their livelihoods
Hastings Nhlane
Hastings is an Impact Investment enthusiast. He has spent the past decade leading impact investment programs in the areas of agriculture financing, access to markets and skills development. He is the Co-Founder of ACADES, a social enterprise that is investing in youth and smallholder farmers through agriculture financing, provision of markets and skills development. Hastings is a recipient of the Planning for Impact Award by the Social Impact Incubator, Malawi. He is an Africa Visionary Fellow, Perennial Fellow, International Jury at Seed Start-up Awards and National Lead for SADC Food, Water, Energy Nexus.
When we increase farmer incomes, we are not only enabling the farmers and their households to meet their essential life needs but we are solving many socioeconomic problems in that community that result from poverty.
