Our approach
Building Better Food Systems From Farm to Market
We do not simply buy beans and sell food. We organise the chain that connects a smallholder plot to a family kitchen.
One Chain, Five Links
As processors and professionals in supply chain management, SLS focuses on the design, development and implementation of solutions to meet the challenges our customers and partners face. Our multi-disciplinary skills are replicable across diverse geographies and products, and we combine resources, capabilities and experience to meet specific needs through an integrated structured production and marketing system.
Farmers
Over 10,000 contracted smallholder women and youth farmers grow to plan.
Sourcing
Aggregation through COPMAS and the Mobile Aggregation Centre system.
Processing
Precooking, dehydration and milling in our own processing facilities.
Distribution
Formal retail and informal community channels, side by side.
Consumers
Families, schools, workplaces and institutions cooking nutritious meals fast.
COPMAS
COPMAS: Connecting Smallholder Farmers to Markets
We have implemented an out-grower production model to strengthen the role of farmers grass-root groups, increasing their members production capacity and active participation in fulfilling market needs. Smallholder producer groups are pooled together for collective production for a specific market.
The Community Production and Marketing System, COPMAS, is a model set up to strengthen the smallholder production system to better play in regional and international markets. It incorporates other services and ventures to plug in: instant payments, access to input financing, mechanisation, input sourcing and technology adaptation.
This increases the competitiveness of smallholder farmers by enabling collective production that guarantees quantity and quality. The Mobile Aggregation Centre system lets us set up highly versatile aggregation points anywhere, and PIMAPP automates weighing and payment so contracted farmers are paid instantly.
Collective productionQuality and quantityMarket accessInput sourcingInput financingMechanisationTechnology adaptationInstant payments
Farmer network
10,000+
Smallholder Women and Youth Farmers
Contracted through the COPMAS model, and supported alongside research and agricultural stakeholders including KALRO and CIAT. Counties were chosen to ensure quality and traceability of products.
MachakosMakueniKajiadoNakuruTaita-TavetaMeru
Processing & quality
Built to Run, Built to Be Safe
We have invested in production systems, land, factory and equipment, and in the qualified staff and support systems needed to serve our market with safe and quality products. The flour unit mills 2 tonnes of beans per day, the noodle line runs 20,000 packs per day, and an automated porridge-flour line rated at 4 tonnes per day is being procured.
3,000 kg per day
Precooked bean capacity, against demand of over 5,000 MT per month.
Two Routes to the Consumer
Formal Distribution
Formal retail chains in zoned territories, shops, minimarts and supermarkets, served by sales executives.
Informal Distribution
Consumer advocates, mainly youth and women, incubated by SLS and trained on business development and marketing so they can clearly explain each product USP, usage and nutritional benefits. Community health volunteers re-train the advocates and monitor information flow in the community.
Who We Sell To
We target low-income consumers and institutional markets, mainly comprised of women food hawkers, small food kiosks, retail outlets, minimarts, schools and factories. We also distribute the bean-based products to schools and factory workers, mainly in Machakos and Nairobi counties.
Women food hawkersSmall food kiosksRetail outletsMinimartsSupermarketsSchoolsFactoriesDistributorsExport markets
Who We Work With
We partner with research institutes such as KALRO and CIAT, government stakeholders and various input and service providers to ensure sustainability of our raw material supply chain.
KALROCIATGovernment stakeholdersInput and service providers