Jorsey Ashbel Farms

Congratulations! This Entry has been selected as a semifinalist.

Jorsey Ashbel Farms

NigeriaNigeria
Year Founded:
2012
Organization type: 
hybrid
Project Stage:
Growth
Website:
https://www.changemakers.com/nil
Share page with AddThis
Project Summary
Elevator Pitch

Concise Summary: Help us pitch this solution! Provide an explanation within 3-4 short sentences.

The story of Jorsey Ashbel Farms (JAF) tells of how an unconventional livestock farm is pioneering a ground breaking feeds production model that makes poultry/livestock products affordable for the rural poor in Nigeria - complemented with an innovative marketing strategy that empowers rural women.

About Project

Problem: What problem is this project trying to address?

Good nutrition is the cornerstone for survival, health and development. In Nigeria, where 7 in 10 people live on less than $2 per day – most poor rural families are negatively affected because they are UNABLE TO AFFORD PROTEIN-RICH FOODS such as eggs, poultry/livestock products, grains etc. These foods are unaffordable BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSIVE COST OF /POULTRY LIVESTOCK FEEDS used by smallholder farmers. The result is that children and women are UNABLE TO CONSUME ADEQUATE PROTEIN-RICH FOODS and consequently THEY SUFFER FROM PROTEIN-ENERGY MALNUTRITION (PEM) described by FAO and WHO as the most lethal form of malnutrition/hunger. UNICEF says PEM affects 10.9 million Nigerians & hampers psychological/career/social development, making it a very significant social and health issue.

Solution: What is the proposed solution? Please be specific!

Our holistic approach integrates four solutions: 1. INNOVATION: Instead of corn (expensive), we use Mango seeds, Doza-mill waste & sea weeds as alternative raw materials for producing low-cost, healthy, organic & culturally-suitable poultry/livestock feeds. Also, we are considering organic fertilizer production from some of these materials. 2. GAME-CHANGING JOB CREATION: We empower rural women to own their businesses by selling these protein-rich products within their communities. 3. AFFORDABILITY: These products are sold ONLY to rural NOT urban consumers at 50 – 80% lower than regular prices. 4. AGRO-INNOVATION CO-OPERATIVE: Like Food Commons in USA, we plan to establish self-sufficient co-operatives where women vendors and/or smallholder farmers can: (i) Receive relevant agriculture, nutrition, and entrepreneurship training & support; (ii) Supply (sell) Mangoes, Seaweeds, Eggs, Chicken, and Livestock etc; and receive payments, feeds, fertilizer etc to promote rapid scalability.
Impact: How does it Work

Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.

In collaboration with 3 local groups we have recovered 58 tonnes of waste mango seeds ($100/tonne), processed them into low-cost livestock feeds (approx 28 tonnes of JAF feeds costing us $120/tonne), from this we have produced approx. 14, 400,000g of livestock products over a period of 18 months i.e. 45,000 eggs, 3,070 chickens, and 32 pigs. Using mango seeds as alternative source of feed instead of corn enables JAF to produce livestock products at a cost 65-80% cheaper than regular farms. Thus, we profitably sell our products at a price 50 – 80% lower than our competitors e.g. Ota Farms, Zartech Farms etc. Our system makes protein and amino acid rich foods more affordable for those who truly need these products the most i.e. the malnourished poor. Currently, we sell eggs at #15-#20 (i.e. $0.09 -$0.13), a full chicken at #1,100 (i.e. $6.88) etc (Note $1=#160). Using a distribution strategy that empowers women – we find, recruit, educate & support ten (10) women vendors to sell our products, where the average vendor generates $65 profit per week. JAF’s vendor network helps us keep market price of our product low to achieve our social mission. Testimony from a consumer Mama Kareem:“Thanks to JAF we now eat ‘rich man’s food’ regularly. My health & that of my kid, Kareem is restored" We are currently working on launching “JAF MOTHER HEN!” – a full time low cost feed & fertilizer production facility and farm, at Edo/Delta State, Nigeria which will also serve as the first location for the Agro-Innovation Co-Operative. This will foster rapid scalability of our project; empoweri

Impact: What is the impact of the work to date? Also describe the projected future impact for the coming years.

The quantitative social impact is $53 for every $1 invested in JAF. This is the approximate sum of $7.35, $38 and $7.13, which the monetized social benefits are arising from the top three quantifiable outcomes which are listed below respectively: 1. Reduced number of children/women suffering from Malnutrition/Hunger 2. Increased income level for JAF women vendors 3. Increased quality of life and productivity We have already served 5,020 consumers. In the medium term, we plan to directly serve 200,000 beneficiaries through “JAF MOTHER HEN!” by November 30th, 2014. By 2016/2017, through 30 Cooperative micro farms JAF will serve 500,000 more rural consumers. Please note: The Cooperative micro farms include existing small holder poultry/livestock farmers who are members of the Agro-Innovation Co-op. As one of the key supports provided these member-farmers will use our low cost feeds for their existing farms – this will rapidly scale the feeds usage and production.
Sustainability

Financial Sustainability Plan: What is this solution’s plan to ensure financial sustainability?

Having proven the Originality of our innovation, profitability and social impact through our pilot study. We generate funds directly from sales of poultry/livestock products through our employed women vendors. Our next plan is to sell our feeds, fertilizer etc to rural farmers directly or through government/private partnerships - a proven scalability strategy. All profits generated are reinvested in expanding JAF profitably.

Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?

INNOVATIVE LIVESTOCK FEEDS PRODUCTION TECHNIQUE: Competitors e.g. Zartech Farms rely on expensive raw material for feed production. JAF uses readily available waste mango seeds as raw materials for feeds production. The feeds are medically tested & scientifically proven. Also, Nigeria produces millions of tonnes of seaweeds especially in Niger-Delta region, Lagos state etc that constitute as waste/obstacles to rural fish farmers. Yet, research has proven that sea weeds are far more nutritious than corn as raw materials for livestock feeds. JAF is also planning on producing Seaweeds-based livestock feeds for our farms while exploring other unconventional feeds including Doza-based feeds from waste milled corn and cassava. Our focus is on pioneering more cost-effective livestock production patterns
Team

Founding Story

I & Ashbel (co-founder) conceived the idea in 2010 and started pursuing JAF’s mission in 2012 through extensive study. Then we received mentorship support from Dr. Femi John – Veterinary Doctor & Farm Management Consultant. He helped us SEE THE INVISIBLE & guided us along the way. Ashbel & I launched a pilot in 2011/2012 after we successfully raised over $5,000 from family & friends – which we have paid back now! The little social impact we have created thus far is what motivates us to stay on course. Yes! getting to know that reducing the cost of livestock production is possible through reducing cost of livestock feed was an "Aha" for me. Stumbling on Mango seeds and seaweeds as cheaper alternatives to corn was an even BIGGER AHA MOMENT! Knowing that we can sell for cheaper prices to the rural poor and still be profitable gives me greater hope on pursuing this vision!
About You
Organization:
Jorsey Ashbel Farms
About You
First Name

Blessing

Last Name

Mene

About Your Organization
Organization Name

Jorsey Ashbel Farms

Organization Country

, GO

Country where this project is creating social impact

, GO

Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them

2012 Nigeria Youth Merit Award.

2012 Nigerian Champion, Global Students Entrepreneurs Award.

Grand Prize Winner, 2013 Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition organized by the Global Business Center, University of Washington, USA.

Grand Prize Winner, 2013 Indiafrica Business Venture Competition, organized by The Idea Works and Wits Business School, South Africa.

Center for Responsible Business Award Winner, 2013 Global Social Venture Competition, organized by the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley

Nutrients For All
Where do you ensure the availability of nutrients?

Healthy environments., Nutrient-rich farming, Human wellness and vitality.

If you had greater capacity, which additional sectors would you like your solution to target - either through expansion, partnership, or thought exchange?

Healthy environments, Nutrient-rich farming, Full nourishment foods, Human wellness and vitality.

How specifically would this added capacity help you improve the quality, efficiency, or sustainability of your existing product or service?

The added capacity would help:

1- Improve the quality of JAF's feed & fertilizer products.
2. Establish "Mother Hen" which will help scale our feeds to 50 -100 rural farmers so we can serve children who suffer from Morasmus & women who suffer from eclampsia & newborns’ low birth weight that lead to maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality.

In terms of efficiency, we are open to improvement and would love opportunities to improve our production efficiency in terms of livestock feeds, animal production, monitoring & evaluation, business processes, nutrient understanding etc.