Eléphant Vert Leads Sustainable Agriculture Project in Kenya
Eléphant Vert has announced its success in the 2023 call for projects by the private sector study and aid fund (FASEP). The “ECOSTIM” project, led by Elephant Vert France in Kenya, is one of the 11 winners of the FASEP “Sustainable Agriculture and Food” call for projects. The announcement was made at the “Bercy France Export 2024” event by the French Treasury Directorate General.
Under the theme “Improving the economic and environmental performance of farms through innovative biological inputs” the ECOSTIM project showcases our decade-long commitment and expertise in promoting healthy and sustainable agriculture on a large scale.
An ambitious project for sustainable agriculture in Kenya
In collaboration with BIO3G, the ECOSTIM project aims to demonstrate the economic and environmental performance of two innovative biostimulants across five key sectors of Kenyan agriculture: cut flowers, green beans, avocados, coffee, and corn. Spanning 40 demonstration farms, the project will establish technical references, crop itineraries, and indicators for economic (yield, product quality, shelf life) and environmental (greenhouse effect, land use, and terrestrial eutrophication) performance.
“International expansion is one of Eléphant Vert’s strategic priorities,” said Philippe Freund, Strategy Director of the Eléphant Vert group. “The ECOSTIM project is perfectly in line with this objective, for our development in Kenya, but also in neighboring East African countries which have similar crops and environmental conditions.”
Innovative biostimulants produced in France
Novastim and Econitrate, innovative biostimulants produced in France by Eléphant Vert France and BIO3G, are natural, patented products suitable for organic farming. These biostimulants have demonstrated their capacity to increase crop yield, quality, and produce shelf life, while reducing nitrogen use by 20% on European crops. The project involves multiple stakeholders in the agricultural value chain, including downstream actors such as buyers and exporters.
“Due to their mode of action and nature, biostimulants require numerous field trials to demonstrate their efficacy on crops and under local conditions that are very different from those in France,” said Coralie Robbe, Technical Director of BIO3G. “FASEP’s support will allow us to overcome this barrier in Kenya. This project is a great opportunity to internationalize BIO3G’s sales.”
Privileged local partnerships
The project will rely on local partners, with Kenya Biologics acting as the local relay. Professional associations and technical institutes in targeted sectors will play a pivotal role in promoting and supporting the agricultural sectors under consideration.
“This project will bring together farmers, private actors, associations and public authorities on a common platform,” said Martin Montbarbon, Managing Director of Kenya Biologics. “Together, we will be able to promote agricultural biostimulants for healthy and sustainable agriculture, in line with Kenya’s Climate-Smart Agriculture strategy. This is a step towards a more responsible and innovative agricultural future.”
A French commitment to sustainable development
We extend our appreciation to the French State for showcasing its commitment to French businesses and developing countries, particularly Kenya.
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