Integrated Moringa Value Chain

Moringa is one of the most nutrient-dense plants in the world with high levels of protein, iron, calcium, vitamins and antioxidants. The tree is important for vegetarians and rural farmers who cannot afford meat, as it contains the essential amino acids methionine and cystine, which are among the hardest amino acids for the body to acquire from plant-based diets.

Bootstrap Organics has a vision of using Moringa to improve nutrition and livelihoods worldwide through a self-sustaining, profitable model.

Now past the proof-of-concept phase, the company is ready to scale its model.

There are over 1.5 billion acres of arable, uncultivated land throughout Africa, 70% of the world’s poor live in rural areas and the majority are smallholder farmers, and the tropics thrive with plants that can serve as both food and cash crops. Yet, limited resources, a lack of affordable value-added processing technologies, and a disconnection from the global market prevent rural farmers from utilizing their land and crops to their full potential.

Bootstrap Organics exists to tackle two key problems:

• Nearly 1 billion people worldwide are affected by severe hunger and poverty. Many are farmers who rely on small plots of land (about one to two acres) for their food and income.
• According to USAID; Malnutrition is a major burden on the Zambian health care system and contributes to low human capital. Nationally, 40 percent of children under 5 years are stunted. A further 9 per cent of children have a low birth weight of less than 2.5 kg. High levels of stunting in Zambia mean many children are not getting the best start in life. (USAID)

“Across the world, Severe Acute Malnutrition is the largest killer of children under five years of age, contributing to nearly half of all childhood deaths”.

Solution:

Our solution is an integrated Moringa value chain that mitigates risk for smallholder farmers and allows them to capture the economic and nutritional value of the Moringa tree.

We provide inputs, nutrition, and cultivation training to farmers, upfront on credit and serve as an anchor buyer for the Moringa leaves and seeds they produce increasing their incomes by 6x - 30x.

We process these leaves and seeds using latest technologies and sell the high quality moringa products to conscious brands and consumers worldwide. We convert our extraction by-product into feed for animals, organic fertilizers, bio-stimulants and flocculants for water purification. We reinvest profits into the expansion of our farmer network. We further teach them how to integrate moringa into their everyday diets; improving nutrition and health of families and communities.

Through the vertically integrated supply chain; farmer livelihoods are improved and their underutilized moringa is turned into nutritious snacks, baby porridge, beverages and into clean body care products as well as fertilizers.