We Recruit
We recruit and develop farmers according to the disempowered to empowered model (D2E Model). Farmers organise at communal level, organise as a cooperative and manage themselves in groups of 25-35 farmers.
We Train
Best practices, sustainable farming and management of cooperatives. We make use of the farmer-to-farmer training models.
We Support
Certification, pre-financing, insurance, extensions, agri-technology, farmers helpline (Toll-free one-stop for farmers in 4 major languages; Yoruba, Ignored, Hausa and English).
We Buy
Utilising the hub-spoke collection model, we buy 100% of quality produce at fair prices where farmers make a significant margin and also receive Fairtrade Premiums.
We Sell
We sell to locals and international markets at Fairtrade conditions.
Our D2E Farmers Model
Our unique model helps smallholder farmers become Empowered. Farmers, once they join our cooperative, are able to:
- run their farms as agribusinesses and move out of poverty (they are now able to earn over $1500 yearly)
- get a fair share of the retail price regardless of local market demand
- have high yield due to shared know-how and best practices
- receive support to grow more crops year-round and diversify
- benefit from targeted sustainable, productivity and business training
- have dependents who benefit from the improved income
- act as role models to rural youth to take up farming
Why Cocoa, Plantain & Rice
Springboard uses Cocoa, Plantain & Rice to permanently lift smallholder farmers out of poverty, create meaningful jobs for rural youth & women, contribute to nutrition, economic development and sustainable landscapes.
Cocoa
is a cash crop that can provide a good income for farmers – only if farmers benefit from fair trade and agribusiness support. It is a perennial crop with a relatively short gestation period. Demand for cocoa is growing and a market is readily available. Cocoa can be intercropped with other cash crops especially plantain, banana, coconut, oil-palm.
- In the 1960s to 1970s, Nigeria was the 2nd world’s largest producer of cocoa producing over 450,000 tons yearly. And the crop was a major foreign exchange earner for Nigeria.
- Today, Nigeria is the world’s 6th largest producer, producing 200,000 tons yearly. This reduction in productivity has been attributed to decades of neglect created by obsolete farming system and after the discovery of oil in Nigeria, agriculture stopped being a priority for the Nigerian government.
With 9 States (Ondo, Cross-River, Ogun, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Ekiti, Delta, Osun, and Oyo) having right climate and good soil to grow Cocoa in Nigeria and with the ever-increasing global demand for cocoa beans, the Nigerian Market is ripe with opportunity and farmers across these States can become benefit hugely from this opportunity.
Plantain
is one of the most common staple foods most grown in the tropical regions of Nigeria. Plantains are rich sources of complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. The demand for this crop is ever growing. And it can be intercropped with Cocoa.
Rice
is a major staple food in Nigeria and it can be grown in almost every part of the country. Unfortunately, Nigeria imports over 90% of the rice it consumes. Our farmers grow rice as a diversification crop – which they grow year-round and they grow it within Community Cluster farms.
Impact Goals
Help small holder farmers and farmworkers become more productive, professional and improve income.
Support rural women and youth to start Cocoa, Plantain and Rice farms
Connect small holders with fair, trusted, transparent market.