The Land Accelerator Mentorship Program

South Asia 2020

Photo Credits: WRI

2

3

AGENDA

1What is Land Restoration?

3The Land

Accelerator

4Land Accelerator

Participants

2Mentorship

Program

1WHAT IS LAND RESTORATION

AND LAND RESTORATION

ENTREPRENEURSHIP?

Image: Flickr

1/3of all people affected by land degradation

33%of agricultural soils severely damaged

48%of forests lost or degraded

LAND DEGRADATION IS A GLOBAL CRISIS

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Source:https://www.livemint.com/news/india/india-to-restore-more-degraded-land-end-single-use-plastic-says-pm-modi-1568013881235.html

India will restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, more than its earlier target of 21 million hectares, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a UN conference to combat desertification.

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India has high stakes in land

restoration, since 30% of its total land area has been hit by

degradation.

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Marine (-50%)Restore coral reefs,

remove plastics, reduce runoff

Freshwater (-20%)Trees reduce runoff, improve quality and

regulation of freshwater

Mangrove (-35%)New mangroves reduce

vulnerability, protect shorelines

Forest (-50%)Restore forests for better air,

water & carbon from peat lands, rainforests, dry forests

Grassland (-40%)Fence, fertilize, plant and weed to recover soils &

vegetation

Cropland (-34%)Restore soil fertility,

harvest water, improve resilience

Desert (-14%)Harvest scarce water,

restore soils & vegetation

DEGRADATION IS A GLOBAL CRISIS THAT REQUIRES INVESTMENT IN LARGE-SCALE RESTORATION

Marine (-50%)Restore coral reefs,

remove plastics, reduce runoff

Freshwater (-20%)Trees reduce runoff, improve quality and

regulation of freshwater

Mangrove (-35%)New mangroves reduce

vulnerability, protect shorelines

Forest (-50%)Restore forests for better air,

water & carbon from peat lands, rainforests, dry forests

Grassland (-40%)Fence, fertilize, plant and weed to recover soils &

vegetation

Cropland (-34%)Restore soil fertility,

harvest water, improve resilience

Desert (-14%)Harvest scarce water,

restore soils & vegetation

LANDSCAPE RESTORATION FOCUSES AT THE INTERSECTION OF FORESTS, GRASSLANDS AND CROPLANDS

FOREST

AGRO-

FORESTRY

AGRICULTURE-

FARMING

SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATION

AVOID DEFORESTATION

DEGRADED LAND

FOREST

AGRICULTURE-

FARMING

AGRO-FORESTRY

LANDSCAPE

RESTORATION

VISION FOR THE FUTURE

TODAY VISION

WHAT IS RESTORATION?

Restoration is an activity that improves the productivity and ecological function of a degraded landscape. This may include restoration of trees, other vegetation, or soil. Tree-based restoration can range from reforestation—completely replanting a deforested area with trees—to agroforestry—establishing agricultural systems that incorporate trees.

Link to Energy:

Trees provide 6% of global energy (FAO) in the form of fuelwood. In Sub-Saharan Africa, fuelwood accounts for 90-98% of household energy consumption (FAO), making it the leading driver of deforestation in the region. High reliance is driven by low affordability and electricity penetration.

Link to Agriculture:

Agriculture accounts for over 70% of deforestation at the global level (WRI) as vast areas are cleared for beef, soy, palm oil, etc. Trees can easily be incorporated into crop farming (agroforestry) or livestock farming (silvopasture), resulting in productivity benefits for farmers.

RESTORATION CAN CHANGE THE STATUS QUO

Restoration employs multiple approaches within productive landscapes to deliver multiple benefits

Every $1 invested in restoration yields $7-30 in benefits

RESTORATION GENERATES MANY BENEFITS

A scientific paper in PNAS by TNC, WRI and other partners found that restoration and conservation combined are around 30% of the climate solution needed by 2030 to keep the planet on a 2-degree pathway.

THE BUSINESS OF RESTORATION

A company whose core value proposition to customers centers on land restoration. These businesses recognize that continued environmental degradation is incompatible with growing demand for natural resources and that sustainable land management presents a significant commercial opportunity. Many target one of the markets below. Restoration enterprises can act at one or more points along a value chain.

What is a restoration enterprise?

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2THE LAND ACCELERATORMENTORSHIP PROGRAM

Seeking Mentors

The Land Accelerator is seeking amazing entrepreneurs and investors to serve as mentors to a qualified group of 15 land restoration entrepreneurs from India and other South Asian countries.

Impact of Mentoring with The Land Accelerator

As a mentor you will help with:

• Identifying weaknesses and strengths in the business plan

• Guiding entrepreneurs as they seek investments

• Sharing resources (links, knowledge, contacts) with entrepreneurs

Mentor Responsibilities

• Join us for 1-3 90-minute screening calls in March 2020 (9am-10:30am EST // 7:30pm-9pm IST)

• Participate in 2-5 90-minute mentorship calls from April to July 2020 (9am-10:30am EST // 6:30pm-8pm IST)

• If in Delhi, come to the Land Accelerator (June 2020, exact dates TBD)

• Invite 1-3 other people to join as a mentor

How to join as a mentor

• Email Amanda, amanda.gant@wri.org with the following: • Your name, title,

organization, website and preferred email

• A photo for use on the website

• A biography (less than 1000 words)

What is a screening call?

From all applicants to the Land Accelerator, WRI Staff will select around 30 entrepreneurs as semi-finalists that we will invite to a screening call.

Over a 2-week period in early March we will organize 10 90-minute screening calls, interviewing 3 entrepreneurs on each call.

Each mentor should join us for 1-3 calls

Agenda for interviewing each entrepreneur is: 10 mins intro and pitch; 10 mins pitch Q&A and feedback for the entrepreneur; 5 mins entrepreneur ask WRI staff questions about the Land Accelerator

Goal is: to decide which entrepreneurs will participate in the Land Accelerator

What is a mentorship call• From March-July 2020, WRI will organize one mentorship call for each

entrepreneur• This is a 90-minute call where 3-5 mentors join in to give feedback and ask

questions about the business• Mentors can select which entrepreneur they’d like to advise (2-5 are

suggested)• The entrepreneur will prepare a slide deck or business plan for mentors to

review ahead of time• Mentors will jump on the call prepared to give feedback and ask questions• Mentors will fill out a form afterwards which will deliver written feedback to

the entrepreneurs• Entrepreneurs are encouraged to reach out as needed to mentors• Mentors are encouraged to respond to the entrepreneurs

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Credit Suisse et al. 2014; Parker et al. 2012

Funding Shortfall for Restoration and Conservation

Reliable numbers on restoration finance are sparse, but all indications are that there is a large gap. We anticipate this is true in every region, including Africa.

Private investment has been particularly lacking for two reasons:

1. Restoration generates many positive externalities (biodiversity, carbon sequestration, water & air quality…) that are hard to monetize.

2. The business approach to restoration is fairly newand has not been socialized yet. Most mainstream investors—such as pension funds and mutual funds—are unaware of the opportunity. The strongest interest right now is from impact investors, who tend to make small investments.

RESTORATION FACES A MAJOR FINANCE GAP

• Hundreds of companies have entered the restoration space in recent years

• Fragmented industry with many, small enterprises

• Business models unproven, and scaling is in early stages

Stages of Growth

Mark

et

Siz

e

Current

State

The Restoration Economy

InceptionEarly

GrowthMaturity

• External funding support needed due to long time horizon to break-even

• WRI report “The Business of Planting Trees” highlights 14 companies in eight countries (incl. Kenya)

THE RESTORATION ECONOMY IS AT AN EARLY STAGE

IMPACT INVESTORS INTERESTED IN RESTORATION

INVESTOR PORTFOLIO GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE RELEVANT SECTORS

USD 60 MILLION COMMITTED CAPITAL

WEST, EAST AND SOUTHERN AFRICA, INCLUDING ETHIOPIA & MALAWI

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION

22 INVESTMENTS; USD 6.2 MILLION IN LOANS

MALAWI AGRO-PROCESSING, GREEN ECONOMY

EUR 356 MILLION AFRICAN CONTINENT-WIDE TREE PLANTATIONS, CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION

NEW EUR 100 MILLION CARBON CREDIT FUND

BURKINA FASO, KENYA, MADAGASCAR, SENEGAL; LOOKING TO EXPAND TO NEW COUNTRIES

AGROFORESTRY, MANGROVE RESTORATION, RESILIENT PRODUCT SUPPLY CHAINS

USD 80 MILLION ETHIOPIA, KENYA, UGANDA AGROFORESTRY, ORGANIC FARMING

USD 46 MILLION ACROSS 3 FUNDS

ETHIOPIA, KENYA, MALAWI, MOZAMBIQUE, TANZANIA, UGANDA

AGRICULTURE

USD 170 MILLION ACROSS 35 INVESTMENTS

GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE; CLEAN ENERGY

4 COMPANIES KENYA & UGANDA; LOOKING TO EXPAND TO MALAWI & NIGER

SECTOR AGNOSTIC

This is a subset of impact investors that are interested in restoration:

PRIMARY BARRIERS FOR RESTORATION

ENTERPRISES

1. Long time horizon required

2. Considered risky

3. Projects are often small

4. Mismatch of capital and needs

7. Investment readiness is low

6. Technical capacity is low

5. Market links are missing

CapacityMarket forces

Project Characteristics

#1: LONG TIME HORIZON REQUIRED

Barrier

• Restoration projects can span 5-20+ years since trees grow slowly

• Investor time horizons have been shrinking around the world

• In particular, instability in many countries in Africa makes investors unwilling to invest in the region for the long term

• More long-term finance is needed

Source: OECD 2011.

Solutions

• Develop business models that mix long and short-term cash flows– Althelia Fund: agroforestry projects with

mixed revenue streams. E.g., 4,000 ha of cocoa, timber reserves (short-term); carbon credits (long-term)

• Seek out investors with longer investment horizons

• Securitize assets to ↑ liquidity

#2: RESTORATION IS CONSIDERED RISKY

Barrier

• Restoration = new investment area, perceived as risky (i.e., ↑ discount rate)

• No data on what financial returns have been on prior restoration projects

– In contrast, returns on traditional asset classes such as stocks and bonds are well documented

• Land tenure and geopolitical risks in Africa add to risk perception

Solutions

Public capital can be used to mitigate risk

• E.g., Insurance guarantees. MIGA (World Bank) supports foreign direct investment (FDI) in developing countries. It provided $49m in first-loss guarantees to EcoplanetBamboo for investments in Nicaragua

• E.g., taxes: The Solar Investment Tax Credit (SITC) has been used successfully to spur renewable energy investment in the US

#3: PROJECTS ARE OFTEN SMALL

Barrier• ↑ Deal size →↓ transaction

costs• Large funds: $50m - $100m

minimum investment• Most restoration enterprises in

Africa are looking for $250k-$5m in capital

• This results in↑ transaction costs and eliminates large investors

Solutions• Intermediation through a

restoration marketplace• Aggregation through an

investment vehicle

TerraMatch Marketplace by WRI

Debt

• Interest rates range from 15-40%

• High collateral requirements (sometimes above 100% of loan value)

• Payments start immediately (difficult given no cash flow from trees for several years)

• Time horizon only 1-3 years

• Currency risk for dollar-denominated loans that have low interest rate

Equity

• Venture capital (VC) funding very limited in Africa (less than 1% of US VC pool) and focused on tech and consumer sectors

• VC Investors typically want to invest $1-5m, not $100-500k

• Most investors are not interested in public goods, want easier and faster monetization

#4: MISMATCH OF CAPITAL AND NEEDS

Solution: Long-term equity capital under $1m, or long-term, local-currency debt at concessional interest rates. Short-term working capital loans also extremely useful.

#5: MARKET LINKS ARE MISSING

Barrier

• Most restoration enterprises in Africa target export markets due to higher market prices, bigger customers, and access to foreign currency that can be used to import equipment or materials

• But offtake agreements—foreign or domestic—are rare. Businesses have no guarantee of a buyer and bear the full risk of any changes in demand or market price

• These inefficiencies mean:

– It is tougher to attract finance. In contrast, a large well-known client gives confidence to investors

– The person planting the trees—often the smallholder farmer—captures a miniscule portion of the overall final value

Solutions

• A commitment from a large, international buyer such as IKEA to buy a certain amount of sustainable product from SMEs in Africa would go a long way to:

– Enable existing businesses to raise capital from investors by reducing uncertainty around revenue

– Incentivize new entrepreneurs to enter the restoration space to meet demand

– Convince smallholder farmers to plant trees

#6: TECHNICAL CAPACITY IS LOW

Barrier

• Most restoration entrepreneurs do not have formal backgrounds in forestry or agriculture. Often, they are young or are changing careers in order to re-green the planet

• While there is significant research being done by NGOs and governments on trees, crops and soil, this is typically not accessible to an individual business. Nor is it easy to standardize since the trees that are suited to one part of the country or region may be unsuitable for other parts depending on the soil and climate conditions

Tree nursery in Ethiopia. Source: WRI

• Most technical experts (researchers, scientists, etc) do not have the practical orientation that is useful to a business

Solutions

• Curated curriculum: Technical capacity was a key part of the Land Accelerator agenda (see following slides). Finding quality providers was a significant challenge

• Knowledge exchange: There is an opportunity for an intermediary to convene enterprises and research institutions for mutual benefit

#7: INVESTMENT READINESS IS LOW

Barrier

• Restoration businesses in Africa frequently have no idea how to pitch investors. Surprisingly, this is true even for promising businesses that have been in operation for several years

• The gap exacerbated by the rural locations of most enterprises, far from the urban centers where investors concentrate

• Most restoration entrepreneurs lack formal training in business (marketing, finance, accounting, etc)

Solutions

• Acceleration: WRI partnered with Fledge to create a custom program that combines business and technical training with investor introductions and mentoring

• Knowledge sharing: WRI also published a roadmap to attract private investment to restoration, targeted to entrepreneurs

Given the gap in investment and technical capacity among restoration enterprises, an accelerator is helpful in the following ways:

1. The application process brings forth companies in the space that may not have been on the radar previously

2. It builds the capacity of multiple enterprises at the same time through a rapid and intense program. The Land Accelerator has 10-15 companies in each cohort

3. It can combine business areas with technical areas to deliver a customized curriculum that is uniquely suited to the restoration enterprises

4. It connects companies to each other, to investors, and to mentors. Each of these networks is valuable and is tough for any entrepreneur to tap individually

5. The Demo Day convenes investors around restoration as an investment theme and showcases excellence among the participating companies. It can help several companies to raise capital

HOW CAN AN ACCELERATOR HELP?

WRI did extensive research on existing accelerators (including GAAAP, Impact Amplifier, Growth Africa, Village Capital, Spark, and Ecostar). WRI also interviewed 20 restoration enterprises to understand their needs. Findings:

1. Accelerators are disproportionately focused on the tech and consumer sectors. There is no accelerator that focuses on landscape restoration.

2. Most accelerators in Africa are run by people who have no entrepreneurial experience themselves. This leaves out the first-hand knowledge founders need.

3. Communication with investors, mentoring program, business development, and Demo Days were priorities for every accelerator. But the entrepreneurs we spoke with also expressed a strong interest in technical areas such as nursery management, climate resilience, and working with smallholder farmers.

4. Programs ranged in length from a week to a year. The entrepreneurs we tested the idea with had a strong preference for a short program that ranged from 4-6 days.

WHY THE LAND ACCELERATOR?

The Land Accelerator has been held twice in 2018 and 2019 and has graduated 26 entrepreneurs from across Africa. The Land Accelerator will launch in South Asia and Latin America in 2020.

DEMAND IS HIGH FROM ENTREPRENEURS

• Despite limited promotion, there were 245 applications from 25+ countries in 2018 and 337 applications from 30+ countries in 2019. Country mix for 2018 shown on the right

• After rigorous screening of online applications and Skype interviews, 12 companies were selected in 2018

– 5 were founded or co-founded by women

– 10 with revenues, most running for 2+ several years

– Sustainable agriculture was the most common theme (such as moringa, bamboo, cashews, macadamia)

• On-stage Demo Day event for live audience; videos posted online

• Introductions to impact investors through Demo Day

• Each company was matched with 2-3 one-on-one mentors

• Mentoring and investor introductions continue after the event on an ongoing basis

Kenya 27%

Niger11%

DRC7%

Rwanda7%

Tanzania7%

Ethiopia 5%

Liberia5%

Ghana4%

Malawi4%

Cameroon3%

Nigeria3%

Rest of Africa7%

Non-Africa10%

2018 Applicant Pool

Note: Only companies that indicated a country in their application are included above

UNIQUE, CUSTOMIZED PROGRAM

Pitch prep & practice

Demo Day

Lean startup

Realities of funding

Financial modeling & budgeting

Climate risks

Farmer psychology

Certifications

Restoration movement

Nursery management

Mentoring

Networking

Media engagement

Nuts and Bolts of the Land Accelerator 2018 Participants

SUPPORT FOR THE ECOSYSTEM IS BUILDING

Organization Initiative Support type Focus

Commonland 4 Returns Project developerDevelops landscape restoration projects that are based on business cases. Employs 4 returns approach

Conservation International

CI VenturesEarly-stage investment

Invests through loans in SMEs that operate in forests, oceans and grasslands in 7 countries (incl. Kenya and South Africa)

Climate Policy Initiative

Climate Finance LabIdea generation/ incubation

Develops and supports transformative sustainable finance ideas for low-carbon economy

EcoAgriculturePartners

1000 Landscapes Convening Accelerates integrated landscape initiatives to achieve triple benefits

ICRAFWorld Agroforestry Center

Technical and business support

Develops knowledge practices based on science that harness the benefits of trees for people and the environment

IDHSustainable Trade Initiative

Proof of concept and scaling up

Prototypes and drives sustainable business models for scale

IUCN CPICAwareness raising and scalingfinance

Mobilizes private investment in conservation through replicable blended finance models

Start Regenerative Ag.

Incubator IncubationInvests EUR 100,000 to kickstart up to four new projects in Europe that innovate profitable small-scale approaches to local food

This is a subset of organizations that are active in the restoration ecosystem (p1 of 2):

SUPPORT FOR THE ECOSYSTEM IS BUILDING – CONTD.

Organization Initiative Support type Focus

Soil Capital -- Scaling partnerPartners with farmers, organizations and investors to scale regenerative agriculture by improving performance of farms

The Nature Conservancy (TNC)

NatureVestMid-stage investment

Engages private capital to rapidly scale critical conservation work in land use and other sectors that deliver triple bottom line

UN Environment Program

UNEP FinanceConvening, capacity building

Promotes sustainable finance by innovating and convening 230+ institutions; climate bonds in Andhra Pradesh

Mirova (UNConvention to Combat Desertification)

Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) Fund

Mid-stage investment

Makes impact investments in private-sector projects focused on land restoration and sustainable land management

World Bank Carbon FundsLarge investments

Mobilizes financing to help develop projects that sequester carbon in forest and agro-ecosystems

World Resources Institute

New Restoration Economy

Capacity building, convening, scaling

Supports restoration enterprises to be commercially viable and to attract private capital

World Wildlife FundLandscape Finance Lab

Incubation, scale-up

Incubates sustainable landscapes; structures, launches and funds deals at landscape scale

This is a subset of organizations that are active in the restoration ecosystem (p2 of 2):

4LAND ACCELERATOR

ENTREPRENEURS

BUSINESS SCOPING BY WRI

• Through the New Restoration Economy, WRI has been developing a deep knowledge of and network among restoration enterprises

• We have come across around a thousand companies, of which over half are in Africa since that’s where we started the Land Accelerator. This happens in two ways:

– WRI reaches out directly or through consultants to businesses within a specific country. In Africa, we have conducted business scoping in Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Malawi and Niger

– Businesses from around the world reach out to us directly. They hear of us through other entrepreneurs or discover our research or meet us at events. Sometimes they are introduced through our internal and external networks

• Since the companies are around the world, most of our research is desk research conducted remotely. In some cases, we arrange phone calls, meetings, and field visits with businesses

• Where it is relevant, we do a more thorough investigation based on the 5 criteria outlined in the next slide. Only around a fifth of companies meet all our criteria

• All the companies in this section passed our screening process based on research to date. In most cases, this is limited to desk research and meetings. We have not done field visits with most of them

SCREENING PROCESS HAS 5 COMPONENTS

Profitability Scalability Replicability Environmental Impact

Social Impact

• What is the product?

• Who is the target customer?

• Is there a team?• Has a company

been set up?• Ongoing

operations?• Expectations for

revenues/ profits?

• What is growth potential?

• Targeted area of land (in ha)?

• Operating leverage?

• Marginal costs?• Customer

acquisition costs?

• Capital required to start?

• Expertise requirements?

• What else is required to start something similar?

• Relevant to other parts of country/ continent?

• Does it depend on resource extraction?

• Does it increase land productivity?

• Biodiversity?• Carbon

sequestration?• Soil health? • Air/ water quality?• Other impacts?

• Job creation?• % women

employed?• % poor employed?• % higher-value

activities done locally?

• Benefits to local community?

• Benefits to others?

18 RESTORATION ENTERPRISES IN AFRICA

EthiopiaAmba Honey Edenfield AgriseedSA Bamboo Works

KenyaAkili Group Better Globe Forestry Green Pot EnterprisesHoney Care AfricaKomazaLenteraSafi Organics

RwandaAsili Natural Oils EcoPlanet BambooNorelgaShekina

UgandaGreen Charcoal

TanzaniaCentral Park Bees

MalawiAfribamMoringa Miracles

Snapshots of 18 African companies follow. We are in the process of scoping India at the moment.

AFRIBAM (MALAWI) + AKILI GROUP (KENYA)

Afribam Akili Group

Country Malawi Country Kenya

About Southern Africa’s only bamboo company able to

supply certified tissue culture giant bamboo

plantlets to the region. Has bamboo nursery

plantation and nursery of 180 ha

About Provides the mentoring, tools and assistance necessary

to implement holistic, sustainably profitable, value

adding programmes for households in rural

communities

Business • Giant bamboo is a fast-growing, short-cycle,

non-clear-cut grass with a high permanent

standing carbon sink; it can yield 40 tons of

dry biomass per hectare each year

• Partnership with Indonesian biotech

company

• 25 full-time employees, founded 2014

Business • Programmes include an organic cultivation of

moringa trees, and propagation of rare tree

species such as prunus africana

• Has 2.5 year contract to mobilise upwards of

800,000 smallholder farmers around Mt Kenya.

Funded by MasterCard Foundation

Impact • How it restores: plants sustainable bamboo.

This mitigates the continued depletion of

Malawi’s tree cover

• Planting along river banks has added

benefits of flood control and soil retention

Impact • How it restores: helps small farmers to plant trees

• Addresses inefficiencies associated with

smallholder agriculture by aggregating supply and

connecting it to large-scale value chains

AMBA HONEY (ETHIOPIA) + ASILI OILS (RWANDA)

Amba Honey Asili Natural Oils

Country Ethiopia Country Rwanda

About Generates income from apiculture (beekeeping)

by working with 1,000 smallholder farmers

under an outgrower scheme

About Produces natural cosmetic ingredients for customers

around the world, using plants grown by over 2,000

Rwandan smallholder farmers

Business • $250k in revenues; charges $11 for one

kilogram of packed table honey and has a

15 percent profit margin on the end

product

• Sells honey on the local market; plans to

reach the international table honey market

through wholesalers

• Participated in accelerator held by SNV

Business • Exclusive fair-trade supply agreement for

moringa oil with Body Shop International; other

international clients as well

• 40+ full-time employees; hundreds of seasonal

workers

• Founded 2013

Impact • How it restores: Bees play an essential

pollination function in ecosystems

• Beekeeping generates extra income for

smallholder farmers

Impact • How it restores: Has planted over 100,000

moringa trees in the most drought-affected

districts in Rwanda

• Connects smallholder farmers to high-value

international markets

BETTER GLOBE (KENYA) + CENTRAL PARK BEES (TZ)

Better Globe Forestry Central Park Bees

Country Kenya Country Tanzania

About Plants mukau (African mahogany) and other

species in northern Kenya on its own land, with

farmers, and with companies

About Honey producer that partners with smallholder farmers.

Sells in supermarkets and coffee shops in Tanzania;

exports to Nairobi

Business • Funded through crowdfunding from

Europe, where investment is used to plant

a certain number of trees and is expected

to be paid back once the mahogany trees

are cut and sold (20-30 year timeframe)

• Partnership with Kenyan utility company;

extends reach through outgrower scheme

Business • Produced 7 tons in 2017; expects to reach 200 tons

and EUR 950k revenues in 2020

• Grew from 15 farmers in 2015 to 520 farmers in 2018

• Manufactures/ sell beehives made locally to farmers,

who produce honey and sell it back to the company

at a fair price

Impact • How it restores: plants indigenous trees in

drylands in northern Kenya, where poverty

is extreme and land is highly degraded

• Educates school children on importance of

trees

Impact • How it restores: Bees play an essential pollination

function in ecosystems

• Helps farmers to improve their income through

sustainable beekeeping. Gives them access to free

training, equipment loans and guaranteed markets

that offer competitive prices

ECOPLANET (INTL) + EDENFIELD (ETHIOPIA)

EcoPlanet Bamboo Edenfield Agriseed

Country International Country Ethiopia

About Develops and manages 13,500 hectares of

bamboo as a sustainable alternative in timber

and fiber markets

About Provides quality seeds to restore deforested and

degraded land in Ethiopia. Focuses on seed supply

for both trees and agricultural crops

Business • Company owns plantations in Nicaragua and

South Africa –both of which are FSC certified

– and is developing another plantation in

Ghana with discussions underway in Rwanda

• Plantations mature in 5-7 years. Company is

targeting markets in pulp & fiber,

construction, etc

Business • Carries the seeds of around 40 species

• Counts NGOs and government bodies among its

clients

• Partnerships with World Agroforestry Center

(ICRAF) and International Livestock Research

Institute (ILRI)

• Founded 2008

Impact • How it restores: Plants bamboo on severely

degraded land without cutting any

vegetation

• Has created 500+ local jobs from fieldwork

to manufacturing

• Staff have access to clean water, health care,

and training

Impact • How it restores: Tree seeds focus on indigenous

species. Reliable seed supply is needed for

large-scale restoration

• Works with smallholder farmers (primarily

youth and women) to collect the seeds

GREEN CHARCOAL (UGANDA) + GREEN POT (KENYA)

Green Charcoal Green Pot Enterprises

Country Uganda Country Kenya

About Manufactures carbonized and non-carbonized

briquettes from palm kernel husks, rice husks,

coffee husks, and other agricultural wastes

About Kenya’s first fully integrated bamboo company, with

operations ranging from large-scale nurseries to

establishment of a distributed network of bamboo

plantations

Business • Fast growth: 2017 revenues $98k; 2018

revenues were expected to be $260k

• Big market: There are over 850,000 urban

household in Uganda and each consuming at

least 1 tonne of charcoal annually

• Completed Nature Accelerator; targeting

$200k fundraise

Business • “Gated Community of Forests” taps into demand

for real estate and links it to restoration through

bamboo

• Plans to set up the country’s first commercial

bamboo factory

• Founded in 2014 by three people passionate

about the environment

Impact • How it restores: The company’s products

replace charcoal & firewood (leading cause of

deforestation in Africa). Charcoal accounts for

90% of energy in Uganda

Impact • How it restores: Non-invasive plantations

reforest degraded landscapes. Good for soil

health and reduces erosion

• Bamboo: high growth rate + high wood biomass

= renewable resource

HONEY CARE (KENYA) + KOMAZA (KENYA)

Honey Care Africa Komaza

Country Kenya Country Kenya

About Kenya’s largest honey company; has developed its

‘Business in a Beehive’ model that allows low-

income farmers to easily earn more money by

producing honey

About Sustainable forestry company based in eastern Kenya

planting and harvesting eucalyptus and mukau (a

native mahogany species) through an outgrower

scheme

Business • Evolved from raw honey production to

consumer goods such as packaged honey, nut

butters and crackers. Sales of over $1m

• Affected by surprise closure of Nakumatt, which

was its largest client

• Partners include Grameen Foundation and Root

Capital

• Started as NGO in 2000; converted to for-profit

in 2012

Business • Provides farmers with seedlings, training, and

technical maintenance (such as pruning), while

farmers provide land for planting and labor

• Outgrower approach costs <$1,000/ha,

compared to $6,000/ha for big plantations

• Closed Series A ($9m) in 2017; investors included

Novastar Ventures and FMO

• Founded 2006

Impact • How it restores: Bees play an essential

pollination function in ecosystems

• Buys honey and nuts from smallholders (3,000

in Africa, 1,000 in South Sudan)

• 6 of 7 honey aggregators are women

Impact • How it restores: Sustainable timber supply

reduces deforestation of natural forests

• Expects to plant 5,000 ha of land in 2020

• Provides 9,000+ farmers with cash

LENTERA (KENYA) + MORINGA MIRACLES (MALAWI)Lentera Moringa Miracles

Country Kenya Country Malawi

About Manufactures a range of organic and mineral

fertilizers in Kenya that increase yield, enhance

drought tolerance and facilitate restoration of

depleted soils and farm lands

About Produces moringa leaf powder, seed and seed oil in

Malawi for sale on the international wholesale market

Business • Works directly and indirectly with 3,200

farmers across Kenya and Uganda many of

whom have seen 30 to 40% boost in

productivity after using Lentera’s crop

nutrient solutions

• Silicon fertilizer is in especially high demand

Business • Moving from successful proof-of-concept trials to

operation phase

• Will start by producing moringa on the company’s

150-hectare farm; production expected to meet

UK import standards

• Partnership with Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

• Incorporated in 2012

Impact • How it restores: Soils in many parts of Kenya

are very degraded; natural fertilizers help to

rehabilitate the soil

• Enables farmers to adapt to climate change

through climate-smart farm inputs, precision

farming and conservation tillage

Impact • How it restores: helps small farmers to plant trees;

donated 400,000 trees to smallholders

• Plans to increase smallholder incomes by US$200

each per annum, a 61% rise in average annual

income

Moringa Miracles Ltd

NORELGA (RWANDA) + SA BAMBOO (ETHIOPIA)

Norelga SA Bamboo Works

Country Rwanda Country Ethiopia

About Introduced the macadamia nut as a crop to

Rwanda in 2010, serving both the domestic

market as well as exporting into the global

market

About Manufactures sustainable bamboo in Ethiopia,

producing flooring and ceiling tiles, laminated

furniture, and other bamboo-based products.

Business • Evolved in a few years from an artisanal

processor to an emerging enterprise with

modern facilities for drying, cracking,

roasting and packing the nuts

• Supplies Rwanda’s national airline RwandAir

• Founded 2010

Business • Revenues in 2017 were $580k and were expected

to be $820k in 2018

• Capital invested to date: $3.2m

• Has a factory of 2,500 sq. meters for

manufacturing; sales outlet in Addis Ababa

• Founded 2012

Impact • How it restores: Trees improve soil health

and sequester carbo

• Mobilizes farmers into associations of

outgrowers to plant the trees

Impact • How it restores: Encourages small farmers to

plant bamboo by creating a market for it; more

than 3,000 smallholder farmers in the supply

chain

• Has created 300+ full-time jobs, including 220 for

women

SAFI ORGANICS (KENYA) + SHEKINA (RWANDA)Safi Organics Shekina

Country Kenya Country Rwanda

About Decentralizes fertilizer production, making it

possible for rural Kenyan villages to use their own

locally available resources, labor, and waste

About Food processing company that produces instant

meals from cassava leaves. Sold widely in local

supermarkets and exported to European countries

Business • $40,000 in annual revenues from a pilot

project producing 2.5 tons of fertilizer per day

• 2,500+ customers

• Won a $25,000 grant through a “Startupper of

the Year” competition by Total Kenya

Business • Brand names include Isombe and Akeza

• High margins: Average production cost = RWF

2,200/ kg; Average selling price = RWF 5,000/

kg

• Leaves are collected from smallholders at

collection centers; plans to add 10 centers

• Founded 2007

Impact • How it restores: Sequesters 1.7 tons of

greenhouse gases from the atmosphere by

boosting organic matter in the soil

• Improves access to fertilizers for African

farmers

Impact • How it restores: Encourages small farmers to

plant cassava trees

• Reduces waste by increasing shelf life

• Two-thirds of employment consists of women

8 RESTORATION ENTERPRISES IN INDIAProfiles Coming Soon

AgSmartic BeeBasketDharma

Life

DhartiAmrit

GrowTrees Harabaag Vasumitra

Afforestt

LAND ACCELERATOR MENTORS

Adam Camenzuli, Founder, Nyumba

Adam Camenzuli has experience in finance, international trade and has also founded an award-winning social enterprise in East Africa. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (UK), a Paul Harris Fellow (Rotary), a Laureate Global Fellow, a UN Global Accelerator, a Canadian Top 30 Under 30 and has a US patent. His work has been featured in Forbes Africa and CNN. He has language skills in Swahili, German, Spanish and French and has presented and won awards on five continents. He is a CFA Charterholder and has an International Bachelor of Business Administration (iBBA) degree from the Schulich School of Business, York University (Canada).

Camille RebeloCo-Founder & COO of EcoPlanet Bamboo

Camille Rebelo is the Co-Founder & COO of EcoPlanetBamboo and is responsible for the origination, implementation and management of the company’s commercial operations in Nicaragua, South Africa, Ghana and Rwanda. Through EcoPlanet Bamboo, Camille developed global and local frameworks within which bamboo can be a positive tool for achieving landscape restoration. Prior to co-founding EcoPlanetBamboo, she managed forestry projects ranging from large-scale commercial plantations to smallholder operations in more than 20 countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia. Camille is an expert in forest certification and carbon markets.

Ryan Ramkhelawan, Director of Acceleration,Start.co

Ryan Ramkhelawan is a serial entrepreneur. After taking two medical device startups through FDA clearance, market entrance, scale and one to exit, he joined Start Co. as Director of Acceleration. He oversees investment opportunities for accelerators focused on agricultural technology, medical devices, logistics, smart cities and smart home technology. Also, he teaches lean startup principles and acts as an executive coach to new startup CEOs. His accomplishments have allowed him to become a founding member of the Forbes Technology Council and a member of the Young Entrepreneur Council. He was recognized in the Memphis Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40

Samuel RiguFounder, Safi Organics

Samuel Rigu is an environmental conscious agribusiness manager, a social entrepreneur and an innovator with a BSc. in Agribusiness Management from the University of Nairobi in Kenya. Samuel comes from a rural Kenyan farming family and grew up witnessing how farms in his village were degraded by the dependency of synthetic fertilizers. Samuel founded Safi Organics in 2015 a company that decentralizes fertilizer production, converting farmers’ crop waste into high-yielding, carbon-negative organic fertilizers. Previously he founded a company producing eco-friendly mosquito coils from biochar. He graduated from the Land Accelerator in 2018.

Complete list of Land Accelerator mentors available here

https://thelandaccelerator.com/mentors-for-2019/

How to join as a mentor

• Email Amanda, amanda.gant@wri.org with the following: • Your name, title,

organization, website and preferred email

• A photo for use on the website

• A biography (less than 1000 words)