Sundried Tomatoes Project

Supporting young smallholder farmers in rural Upper Egypt and developing their technical and institutional capacities are of utmost priority in efforts to improve their living conditions. The partner organisation establishes village-based saving and lending associations that support the finance models of local communities. Through a partnership with the corporate sector, small scale farmers who plant and dry tomatoes are integrated in a fair value chain for higher-end and export markets. Throughout, farmers improve their clean agricultural practices, have access to new markets and can connect directly with exporters. This approach involves fewer middlemen, which improves the farmers’ economic conditions. To ensure sustainability, a sustainable social enterprise that is firmly rooted in the value chain will be established and managed by the partner organisation.