The Neycha Accelerator & Fund is a joint initiative of Biovision and SHONA.
Our Mission
Our mission is to advance food system innovators and entrepreneurs who are working toward a more regenerative and agroecological food production and contributing to a more holistic and circular agrifood economy in East Africa.
why agroecology enterprises?
Why Agroecological Enterprises?
We believe Agroecological Enterprises play a key role in the transformation towards a more agroecological and regenerative food system by:
Providing key inputs to farmers practising agroecology, including agroecological knowledge, seeds, organic pesticides, etc.
Producing or processing healthy food by practising Agroecology, including large agroecological farms.
Acting as key output markets for farmers practising agroecology including processors, retail outlets, markets, restaurants, hotels and more.
Connecting farmers and consumers and ensuring access to healthy & nutritious food for all.
Generating local value and resilient localised food systems.
Every Agroecological Enterprise can reach thousands of farmers and many more consumers to join the transition to Agroecology.
Why is it important to transition towards a more agroecological and regenerative food system?
Healthy soils, climates and ecosystems are responsible for all the food that sustains us and keeps us healthy. But the future of soil and ecosystems is at crossroads; land degradation is on the rise, soil fertility declining, the water cycle breaking down, pests and diseases are more prevalent and resistant, and biodiversity loss is at its record high. All while food insecurity and rural poverty continue to persist.
There is overwhelming evidence that our current conventional farming systems based on monocultures and external inputs, are a root cause of these challenges and, to make things worse, further exacerbate climate change. If we want to combat and mitigate climate change, regenerate soil fertility, retain biodiversity and enhance farmers’ livelihoods as well as their and consumers’ health, we need to change the way we produce food.
Agroecology is a sustainable approach to agriculture that promotes the production of healthy and nutritious food while regenerating soil fertility, improving biodiversity (animals, plants and microorganisms) and strengthening the livelihood of farmers and their communities.
It is a holistic approach to agriculture that integrates ecological principles and practices into food production systems. It seeks to optimise the interactions between soil, plants, microorganisms, animals, humans, and the environment while taking into consideration the social aspects of equity, diversity and being participatory, that need to be addressed for a nutritious and fair food system.
In short, it is about farming with nature, not against it. Rather than maximising individual yields, it is about optimising food outputs within a living ecosystem, to gain in terms of diversity and resilience.
To achieve this, Agroecology is based on a set of 13 principles summarised as:
Healthy and nutritional diets: Deliberately contributing to healthy, nutritional, diversified, seasonally and culturally appropriate diets.
Soil health: Ecological farming practices actively enhance soil life e.g cover crops, crop rotation, no-tillage, mulching, composting, agroforestry.
No Agrochemicals: Production that is free of synthetic inputs
Biodiversity: Farming practices that actively work towards increasing the natural diversity in and around your fields e.g. mixed cropping, hedgerows, biodiversity lanes, crop association, perennial crops.
Animal health: Where applicable, farming practices that actively eliminate suffering and enhance the quality of life experienced by non-human animals.
Fairness: Shaping human relationships in a manner that ensures fairness at all levels and to all parties, including farmers, workers, processors, distributors, traders and consumers, as a key element of doing business.
Holistic approach: Agroecology encompasses the whole food system and considers negative and positive impacts and the interconnectedness of soil, plants, microorganisms, animals, people and the environment.
The 13 principles of Agroecology
What are the benefits of Agroecology?
Agroecology has several benefits including:
By reducing the use of chemical inputs and promoting organic practices, it minimises pesticide residues in food and enhances its nutritional quality.
Through techniques like cover cropping, crop rotation, and organic matter management, agroecology promotes soil fertility, structure, and nutrient cycling, this can enhance the long-term productivity of agricultural land, reduce erosion, and mitigate soil degradation. Increasing evidence shows a direct relation between soil health, gut health and human health: healthier soils, tastier foods, more nutritious crops.
Agroecology reduces input costs associated with synthetic fertilisers and pesticides and also offers opportunities for value addition through organic certifications, direct sales to consumers, and increased market access for regeneratively produced goods.
By creating diverse agroecosystems, incorporating mixed cropping, crop rotations, and agroforestry, agroecology provides habitats for beneficial insects, birds, and other wildlife, helping create habitats for beneficial organisms, such as pollinators and natural predators of pests, contributing to the overall health of ecosystems.
Agroecology focuses on local food production, diversified farming systems, and knowledge sharing among farmers, leading to enhanced food security by increasing crop yields, reducing dependence on external inputs, and fostering community resilience to environmental shocks and market fluctuations.
Agroecology addresses the challenges of climate change by adopting practices that sequester carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By promoting organic farming methods, agroecology helps build soil organic matter, which acts as a carbon sink. It also encourages agroforestry systems that sequester carbon in trees and perennial crops, reducing the carbon footprint of agriculture.
Agroecology emphasises ecological principles and aims to promote sustainable farming methods. By minimising the use of synthetic inputs such as chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and herbicides, agroecology reduces the negative impacts on the environment, including soil degradation, water pollution, and biodiversity loss. By focusing on ecological principles, agroecology aims to enhance soil health, conserve water, and protect biodiversity, ensuring long-term food production without depleting natural resources.
Social values such as dignity, equity, inclusion and justice, are an incremental part of agroecology and therefore the contribution towards improved livelihoods and just societies. People as producers, processors and consumers are at the heart of food systems. Agroecology encourages equal sharing and valuing of local resources and knowledge. Furthermore, it also actively addresses gender inequality by empowering women through access to resources, knowledge, and active participation in decision-making processes.
Overall, agroecology offers a holistic approach to agriculture that aims to balance ecological regeneration, social equity, and economic viability. By prioritising the well-being of ecosystems, farmers, and communities, it holds the potential to create more resilient and regenerative food systems.
How do I get involved as a partner in the Neycha Accelerator & Fund?
We are always looking to work with partners including Agroecology Experts, BDS experts, Investors, Research Institutions, and more.
Who is behind The Neycha Accelerator & Fund?
The Neycha Accelerator & Fund is an initiative of SHONA and Biovision combining both their expertise on agroecology (Biovision) and business advisory (SHONA) to identify and support AEEs to grow their impact in East Africa.
Biovision is a Swiss-based foundation for ecological development. Since 1998, Biovision Foundation has been promoting the development, dissemination, and application of sustainable ecological agricultural practices, with a special focus on East Africa. Biovision is supporting the set-up and capacity-building activities of the Neycha Accelerator & Fund.
As part of her role in promoting agroecology, Biovision supports the Neycha Accelerator & Fund to unearth the business viability of agroecological enterprises and mainstream agroecology from a social movement and science to a bankable sector among investors and impact funders.
SHONA is an East African business development support organisation that exists to transform East Africa’s economies and societies by building a thriving African private sector driven by Good Businesses.
SHONA believes in Good Business and agroecological enterprises are perfect examples of good businesses. Their power to build back soils and ecosystems while providing social benefits by creating competitive business value, and decent jobs, and fuelling the growth of local and regional markets and economies makes agroecological enterprises worthwhile investments for our common future and the nuclei for our future food system.
SHONA provides technical business development and capacity building to AEEs that participate in the Neycha program.
SHONA Capital provides local SMEs with affordable and flexible loans to help them grow and achieve their full potential. Our financing is combined with hands-on management support from our team and preselected industry experts, experienced entrepreneurs, and other relevant subject matter experts.
SHONA Capital manages the Neycha Fund investments made into successful Neycha applicants.
FAQs
- Conventional Agriculture: This is the dominant form of agriculture practised worldwide. It relies heavily on synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, and genetically modified crops. Conventional agriculture often prioritises high yields and profitability, using mechanisation and monoculture (cultivating a single crop on a large scale) to achieve these goals. However, it can have negative impacts on soil health, water quality, and biodiversity.
- Organic Agriculture: Organic agriculture is a farming system that emphasises the use of natural inputs and processes, avoiding synthetic chemicals such as fertilisers and pesticides. Organic farmers rely on organic fertilisers, crop rotation, biological pest control, and other methods to maintain soil fertility and manage pests and diseases. The aim is to produce food while minimising environmental impacts and promoting sustainable practices. Organic certification standards vary by country but generally prohibit the use of synthetic inputs.
- Regenerative Agriculture: Regenerative agriculture goes beyond organic practices by focusing on restoring and enhancing the health and resilience of agricultural ecosystems. It aims to improve soil health, sequester carbon, enhance biodiversity, and enhance the overall ecosystem function. Regenerative practices include cover cropping, crop rotation, conservation tillage, composting, managed grazing, and agroforestry. The goal is to create a self-nurturing agricultural system that continually improves soil fertility and ecosystem services.
- Permaculture: Permaculture is a holistic design approach that seeks to create sustainable and self-sufficient ecosystems that mimic natural patterns. It integrates various elements, including agriculture, architecture, water management, energy systems, and social structures. Permaculture systems aim to maximise efficiency, reduce waste, and promote regenerative practices. Key principles include observation, diversity, integration, and thoughtful design to create resilient and productive systems.
- Agroecology: Agroecology is an interdisciplinary approach that combines ecological principles with social and economic considerations in agriculture. It emphasises understanding and harnessing ecological processes to design and manage farming systems. Agroecological practices include crop diversification, agroforestry, biological pest control, soil conservation, and the integration of livestock. Agroecology aims to increase productivity, resilience, and social equity in agriculture while preserving biodiversity and ecosystem health.
Transitioning to Agroecology is a journey that requires commitment, dedication, patience, intentionality and continuous improvement to learn about and incorporate agroecological practices and principles into what you do. Gliessman (2016) classified 5 levels of transitioning from conventional agriculture towards a more agroecological food system:
Level 1: Increase the efficiency of industrial and conventional practices in order to reduce the use and consumption of costly, scarce, or environmentally damaging inputs.
Level 2: Substitute conventional inputs and practices with agroecological alternatives
Level 3: Redesign the agroecosystem so that it functions on the basis of a new set of ecological processes.
Level 4: Re-establish a more direct connection between those who grow our food and those who consume it.
Level 5: On the foundation created by the sustainable farm-scale agroecosystems achieved at Level 3, and the new relationships of sustainability.
Level 4: Build a new global food system, based on equity, participation, democracy, and justice, that is not only sustainable but helps restore and protects earth’s life support systems upon which we all depend.
We are excited to be running two exciting initiatives committed to building a sustainable food system in East Africa.
The Neycha Accelerator & Fund is targeting existing(at least 3 years old) growth-oriented Agroecological Enterprises with revenue and growth traction in Uganda and Kenya.
Rootical Business Builder is using a start-up studio approach and targeting pre-idea, pre-team individuals that are excited and interested in building a new Agroecological Enterprise from the ground up.
Agroecology seeks to optimise the use of natural resources, such as water, soil, biodiversity, the entire natural ecosystem including optimal impact on social well being and equity. This signifies the unity between people and nature. All the mentioned are properties of nature which we chose to uniquely express as Neycha.
The logo icon is a minimal representation of “regeneration” depicting the old outer layers of an organism peeling off revealing a new reborn layer. This speaks to agroecology as a farming practice that allows nature to regenerate in a circular and self-reinforcing manner, just as humans are organisms that regenerate over generations and/or grow more resilient as communities.
