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News 2 mins Read 22 Jan 2025 Brussels

Kentaste Enhances Sourcing Strategies with Technical Assistance from EDFI Management Company

Brussels, Belgium – 22 January 2025 – EDFI Management Company (EDFI MC) announced its support for Kentaste, a leading player in the coconut market, through a new technical assistance initiative that offers Kentaste support in improving their sourcing strategies and long-term foresight.

Kentaste Products Limited is recognized as East Africa’s leading producer of coconut products, having established itself as a pivotal player in the coconut industry through collaboration with smallholder farmers along the Kenyan coast. Kentaste’s commitment to quality and sustainability has driven its growth, creating an opportunity to further enhance its operational capacity within the sourcing department. This technical assistance aims to address critical aspects of sourcing, including seasonal fluctuations, farmer loyalty, operational efficiency, and compliance with organizational certifications. By focusing on these areas, Kentaste can enhance its sourcing capabilities and ensure sustainable growth within the coconut value chain both locally and globally in the coconut market. EDFI MC technical assistance contribution to this project amounts to 37,500 USD and is fully funded by the European Union.

In 2021, EDFI MC committed, through its EU funded agriculture financing initiative – AgriFI, USD 1.5 million to Kentaste to improve the livelihoods of Kenyan organic coconut farmers. This investment aimed to boost Kentaste’s production capacity, allowing the company to double the number of coconuts processed daily from 30,000 to 60,000. The funding also supported long-term working capital needs, enabling Kentaste to source more products from smallholder farmers and ramp up its operations. This initiative contributed to local economic growth and rural development and empowered farmers and promoted environmental sustainability through agroforestry practices. 

 “We are excited to extend our support to Kentaste through this technical assistance project,” said Natalia Svarinska, Technical Assistance Specialist at EDFI MC. “By reinforcing Kentaste’s sourcing strategies and operational efficiency, we aim to enhance their market position and drive sustainable growth.”

Kyle Denning, founder and CEO at Kentaste added “This initiative will significantly enhance our sourcing strategies and operational efficiency, enabling us to better serve our customers and strengthen our market position. We are committed to continuous improvement and innovation, and this support will be instrumental in achieving our long-term goals.”

About EDFI Management Company: EDFI Management Company (EDFI MC) is a multilaterally owned impact asset manager that delivers innovative development finance solutions. The company enables European DFIs, development banks, and private sector investors to increase the scale and impact of their work, focusing on business models, technologies, and geographies where other investors have not been able to operate at the desired scale.

About Kentaste: Kentaste is Kenya’s leading manufacturer of coconut-based products. Based in Ukunda along Kenya’s coast, the company manufacturers high-quality virgin coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut cream, coconut flour, and desiccated coconut using coconuts sourced from thousands of organic and fair-trade certified farmers. The products are sold through retail channels and in bulk across East Africa as well as in the USA, Middle East, and Europe.