Inclusive avocado enterprise development
Strengthening avocado value chains, cooperative governance and climate-resilient livelihoods for smallholder farmers in Kuresoi South, Kenya.
KSAGCS members deliver their avocados to the aggregation centre, ready for collection by a buyer (Photo: Paul Mitei/KSAGCS)
Kuresoi South Avocado Growers Cooperative Society (KSAGCS) was established in 2020 to improve market access and incomes for avocado farmers in Nakuru county in Kenya.
Starting with 30 members, the cooperative has grown to 500 members from Amalo, Kiptagich, Kirenget and Tinet wards. Through collective marketing and farmer organisation, KSAGCS has become an important platform for strengthening smallholder participation in the avocado value chain.
Forest and Farm Facility activities
With support from the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF), KSAGCS strengthened its governance, management systems and avocado business operations. Cooperative leaders and members received training in governance, financial management, recordkeeping, avocado production standards, market requirements and climate-resilient farming practices.
More than 50 members, including women and youth representatives, were trained in cooperative leadership and management, while additional members received training on avocado quality standards and certification requirements.
FFF also supported business planning, improved financial systems, learning exchanges and inclusive leadership development. These interventions enhanced member participation, increased representation of women and young people in decision making, and strengthened the cooperative’s ability to engage buyers and negotiate contracts.
At farm level, members adopted improved orchard management practices, increased the use of organic inputs, and diversified their incomes through enterprises such as beekeeping and intercropping.
Significance of impact
The FFF support contributed to significant improvements in productivity, market access and farmer incomes. KSAGCS’s avocado sales increased from 32 tonnes in 2024 to 63 tonnes in 2025, driven by better orchard management and improved production practices. Fruit quality also improved, with high-grade avocados accounting for 80% of production, enabling farmers to access premium export markets.
As a result, cooperative earnings from avocado sales rose from 3.1 million Kenyan shillings in 2024 to 8.5 million Kenyan shillings in 2025. Membership increased from 350 to 500 farmers, reflecting growing confidence in collective marketing. Stronger aggregation improved their bargaining power and enabled the cooperative to secure more favourable contracts with exporters.
Governance improvements also enhanced transparency, accountability and inclusion within KSAGCS, with women and young people now occupying four of the nine board positions. And improved financial management and business planning strengthened the cooperative’s ability to access loans, grants and other financial services while deepening partnerships with exporters, government agencies and sector regulators.
Conclusion
FFF support enabled KSAGCS to build a stronger, more inclusive and market-oriented avocado enterprise. Through improved governance, better market access, higher productivity and adoption of climate-smart farming practices, the cooperative has increased incomes and strengthened resilience among smallholder farmers.
The experience of KSAGCS demonstrates how targeted support to producer organisations can create sustainable rural enterprises and unlock opportunities in agricultural value chains.
Further reading
News: Avocado cooperative provides appealing avenue to augment income, Forest and Farm Facility (2025)