Shalem is a Kenyan family business: founders Ruth and Daniel Kinoti, along with their two children Victor and Joy, work daily in this company, which employs some 150 people. What began in the late 1990s with the buying and selling of grain grew into a leading company in grain processing in Kenya. And that has an impact.
"We are a company with a mission." says Ruth, CEO of Shalem. "We want to address the challenges of smallholder farmers with sustainable solutions as well as make safe, affordable and nutritious food available to all."
It now works with over 30,000 smallholder farmers (67% of whom are rural women) and processes over 100 tonnes of flour daily. Good for 150,000 affordable meals a day.
Ruth: "We support small farmers to increase production of staple foods and create wealth. We do this by giving farmers access to a stable and growing market. We process their grain into nutritious, affordable flour products for people from different sections of society, including low-income groups."
Besides impacting the living conditions of small farmers and food security, Shalem is also of significance for employment in the country. Moreover, the company sets the tone when it comes to sustainable food production: with the processing of residual streams into animal feed and the use of solar panels for energy supply, but also by encouraging responsible farming practices and sustainable product innovation.
Ruth is pleased with the partnership with the Fair Factory Development Fund: "We see this partnership as a gift from God. We are pleased to have capable partners who support us technically and financially."
Fair Factory Stories #1
Who are the people behind the companies we invest in? What are the challenges in different countries? And what does 'investing with impact' mean in practice? Take a look behind the scenes with the Fair Factory Stories!
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