African Center for Social Innovation and Agribusiness (ACENSIA)

At ACENSIA, we don’t see our “beneficiaries” as dependents, they are our clients, business partners, and valued collaborators. We believe rural smallholder farmers, aggregators and value chain actors are empowered, capable actors, and our role is to support them with respect and dignity. This approach positions rural communities and actors in places of strength, fostering mutual respect and driving collaborative growth. #BusinessApproachtoPoverty #RespectAndDignity #ACENSIA

Recent surveillance data from ACENSIA confirms that agricultural expansion, farming activities and local economic activities (charcoal burning) are some leading causes of deforestation and land degradation in the North East region. As rural communities seek to expand their farms due to low productivity, the loss of tree cover and natural habitats is accelerating.These activities not only harm biodiversity but also accelerate soil erosion, leading to a significant decline in long-term land productivity. This creates a vicious cycle of land degradation, where decreased soil fertility drives further deforestation and unsustainable agricultural practices, deepening the environmental crisis. Improving smallholder productivity is key to addressing farm-led land forest degradation. Enhancing agricultural efficiency and promoting sustainable practices, can empower small-scale farmers to reduce the need for expansion into forested areas, mitigating deforestation. #Deforestation #SustainableFarming #ACENSIA #LandDegradation #Conservation

🌍 Leveraging Drone Technology to Combat Land Degradation in North East Region of Ghana. ACENSIA  is at the forefront of integrating technology with sustainable climate change mitigation action. One of our key initiatives involves utilizing drone technology for reality capture to monitor and fight land degradation. Through our Farmer Technology Center, we gather real-time, high-resolution data to create detailed maps of vulnerable areas. This initiative enables us to: 🌱 Monitor deforestation, bushfires, and agricultural expansion 🛰️ Track the decline of vital ecosystems, including Shea Parklands in North East region and Northern Ghana 👥 Engage with community leaders, showing them the visible impact of environmental degradation and partnering to driving action towards sustainable land management practices. Our drone-powered insights empower us to partner local communities and stakeholders to implement targeted conservation efforts, ensuring a balanced approach to agriculture and environmental protection. 🌿 #LandDegradation #SustainableSheaParkland #DroneTechnology #Agribusiness #Innovation #ClimateAction

Leveraging #Drone Technology for Environmental Protection at ACENSIA The vegetation and Shea parklands in Northern Ghana are facing severe decline due to agricultural expansion, deforestation, bushfires, and local economic activities like charcoal burning. This decline threatens the livelihoods of over a million vulnerable people, mostly women who rely on these vital resources. Billions of investment in the shea value chain could be lost if shea decline continues. ACENSIA, through our Farmer Technology Center, is leveraging cutting-edge drone technology to enhance our environmental protection efforts. Our investment in the DJI MINI PRO Drone enables us to monitor vegetation, collect real-time data, and create detailed maps of hotspots, allowing us to provide targeted interventions and campaigns to protect shea parklands and other natural resources. Through community engagement, we demonstrate to local leaders the extent of devastation caused by bushfires and farming activities, emphasizing the broader implications for the community using images from our drone. ACESNIA is actively seeking partners to further this program and amplify our impact in protecting these vital ecosystems. #Innovation #EnvironmentalProtection #SheaParklandSustainability #DroneTechnology #ACENSIA

#Calling All Data Enumerators in Ghana We are currently recruiting qualified field personnel for deployment across Ghana to work as interviewers under a World Bank-funded project on Jobs and Skills in Ghana. This assignment is led by Development Change Hub (DCH) and will cover the entire nation. We strongly encourage applications from candidates across all regions of Ghana. Please note that only successful applicants will be contacted. We appreciate your interest and wish you the best in your application. Click this link to apply: https://lnkd.in/gaqu29BA

#Meet Madam Karina, a Female Aggregator Partnering with ACENSIA Meet Madam Karina, a female aggregator working with ACENSIA in the North East region of Ghana and a beneficiary of ACENSIA's prefinancing scheme. After a decade of working as an aggregators, Madam Karina in 2023 stopped produce aggregation due to unfair pricing, limited funding and constrain in accessing reliable market. Through our pre-financing intervention, Madam Karina is back in business and has already increased her output by more than five-fold. Madam Karina Noted "I now attend all the markets in the region, and I can now buy and manage larger quantities of produce. I have seen my profit increase, and I don't have to worry about the market because ACENSIA buys all what I bring at an agreed price, my profit is not in doubt" #FairPricing #womenEmpowerment #QualitySupply

#Empowering Female Aggregators in Agricultural Produce Aggregation Female aggregators play a crucial role in produce aggregation, yet they face significant barriers in scaling their businesses and ensuring quality. Limited access to funding has constrained their growth, while the lack of training and support has hindered their ability to enforce quality standards that meet industry and international requirements. In response, ACENSIA is providing financial support through pre-financing and hands-on training in quality assurance for female aggregators. This initiative will empower women to scale their aggregation business, and ensure they can aggregate produce that commands premium prices from industries and exporters. #WomenAggregators #EconomicEmpowerment #QualityAssurance

🌍#Empowering Communities, One Shea Nut at a Time 🌰 Proud to share that ACENSIA has mobilized and delivered 44.285 metric tons of shea nuts through our dedicated network of collectors and community-based aggregators to our client. With a moisture content of approximately 5.0%, our shea nuts surpass the quality standards required by some of the largest buyers, achieving a level that is 13% below the moisture requirement. What makes this achievement even more meaningful is that every ton we mobilize and supply represents income directly in the hands of the women collectors and aggregators within their communities. ACENSIA is not just in the business of agribusiness—we’re in the business of empowerment. 💪🏾 #ACENSIA #SheaIndustry #CommunityEmpowerment #Agribusiness #WomenInBusiness #Sustainability

Impact Over Temporal Profit: At ACENSIA, we emphasize measurable social and environmental outcomes as the primary metric of success of our business model. We prioritize positive impact over temporal financial gains. #socialimpact is #Sustainablebusiness

#Building Trust Through Quality Assurance in Shea Supply Chain 🔍 At ACENSIA, we're committed to ensuring the highest standards in the shea supply value chain. That's why we're investing in modern testing equipment and welcoming scrutiny from our commercial partners. Our focus on transparency and traceability is designed to build trust and guarantee the quality you expect. Thank you #3F industries Limited for your kind visit. Partner with us and experience the difference in quality assurance. #SheaSupplyChain #QualityAssurance #Traceability #ACENSIA #Partnerships