LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORY
Farm to Feed, a Kenyan enterprise aggregating imperfect/surplus produce, creating market demand, and selling to customers via a digital platform
Farm to Feed is a game-changing Kenyan enterprise revolutionizing the way we approach food waste and surplus produce. Co-founded by Claire van Enk, this innovative business aggregates imperfect and surplus produce, creating a fresh market demand and delivering it directly to customers through a digital platform. By addressing food loss, boosting farmer incomes, and improving food affordability, Farm to Feed is making a tangible impact on both the environment and local communities—cutting greenhouse gas emissions along the way.
Claire, a second-generation Kenyan with Dutch roots, brings a unique blend of cultural understanding and entrepreneurial insight to the table. Raised in a family deeply embedded in Kenya’s business ecosystem, her background gives her a nuanced perspective on the challenges and opportunities within the region. Claire worked at PwC, where she led large-scale projects in Strategy & Operations, crafting market entry and expansion strategies for both international and East African companies. This role gave her an in-depth understanding of the local market and its key sectors.
In a world where sustainability is becoming a critical part of economic development, Claire’s journey and Farm to Feed’s mission stand at the intersection of innovation, community empowerment, and climate impact.
Farm to Feed began as an emergency relief initiative during Claire’s sabbatical in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. With farmers losing access to their markets due to lockdowns and many people facing income loss, Farm to Feed stepped in to collect produce that was at risk of being wasted. It was during this time that Claire discovered a devastating paradox: 50% of produce in sub-Saharan Africa is lost, food waste accounts for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and one-third of Kenya’s population suffers from poor nutrition or food insecurity.
At this stage, Claire was joined by a talented leadership and founding team, including Anouk Boertien and later Zara Benosa. Together, they recognized the need for a commercial and scalable solution to address this issue, leading to a pivot in mid-2021. Today, the business has created jobs for over 40 people and has supported around 1200 farmers.
Lioness Weekender sat down with Claire to discuss her entrepreneurial journey, the vision behind Farm to Feed, and the positive impact she hopes to create for Kenya’s smallholder farmers.
What does your company do?
Over 50% of fruits and vegetables in sub-Saharan Africa never reach consumers, leading to lost income for farmers, higher food prices, and significant food waste. At Farm to Feed, we work with Kenyan smallholder farmers who produce highly perishable but nutritious crops. Many of these farmers struggle to sell imperfect or surplus produce due to quality issues or lack of market access, leading to waste and financial loss.
We provide farmers with a marketplace for produce that would otherwise be discarded.
Through our digital platform, we help farmers sell their full harvest which includes imperfect and surplus produce, boosting their incomes and making them more resilient to climate risks.
What inspired you to start your company?
After pivoting from COVID emergency relief to scaling a solution for food loss, we onboarded commercial customers, developed an operational model, and built the platform. Our diverse backgrounds in strategic, project management, data analytics, sustainability, creativity, and agriculture make us a well-rounded team. We thrive on thinking big and unconventional, which led us to create a unique solution to food loss.
What makes your business, service or product special?
Farm to Feed is the only company in Kenya (and likely sub-Saharan Africa) addressing food loss by selling lower-grade but edible fresh food. We’ve created a market for imperfect/surplus produce, benefiting both farmers and customers. Unlike traditional distributors focused on premium grades, our aim is to create a market for African-grown ingredients with strong social and environmental impact.
Tell us a little about your team
We are proudly women-led and women-founded, with a diverse team that brings a variety of perspectives. My co-founders are Zara Benosa and Anouk Boertien.
Zara has over 14 years of experience in Kenya, specializing in agriculture and smallholder farming. She leads the sales, marketing, and partnerships teams, working to grow the business and secure funding.
Anouk has experience managing large-scale projects, including at Schiphol Airport, and excels in data analytics. She currently heads the development of our V2 digital platform and oversees sustainability initiatives like our carbon credit scheme.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
We aim to change how Africa is perceived globally, showcasing the continent’s potential to offer high-quality, climate-friendly products. This is our vision for Farm to Feed.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
The most satisfying part is seeing our work’s impact—whether it's the growth of our business, the success of our team, or the positive effect on our customers and community. It's fulfilling to know we're solving real problems and making lives better. Additionally, being recognized as a frontrunner in building a climate-resilient food system gives me a deep sense of purpose.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Believe in your vision and resilience—don’t give up. Entrepreneurship, especially as a woman, comes with challenges and biases, but stay true to your mission, surround yourself with support, and be persistent. Trust your instincts, take risks, and be open to feedback, but also know when to ignore advice that doesn’t serve you. Sharing your story as a woman entrepreneur can inspire others to take the leap too.
To find out more about Farm to Feed Kenya, send an email to Claire: cvanenk@farmtofeedkenya.com or visit the website and social media platforms:
Website: http://www.farmtofeedkenya.com
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/farm_to_feed_kenya
