In 2024, Eatfresh, a women-led agribusiness in Tanzania, took a decisive step to transform its avocado value chain.
For over a decade, the company had built a reputation for exporting premium Hass avocados to markets in Europe and Asia, sourcing from its own farms and more than 2,200 smallholder farmers (60% of them women) organised into nine Agricultural Marketing Co-operative Societies.
Despite this success, a persistent challenge remained: up to 60% of harvested avocados could not be sold as premium grade due to size, maturity, or cosmetic imperfections. Without value-adding options, these fruits often went to waste, representing lost income for farmers and lost revenue for the company.
The Solution: Value Addition & Waste Upcycling
With support from Daraja Impact and a local bank, Eatfresh invested in an avocado oil production line and began developing waste upcycling solutions. Daraja Impact funding was used to develop and implement a solution for by-products from the oil processing plant and other rejected fruit. The company settled on briquetting technology that transforms avocado processing waste into high-quality, renewable biofuel for factory use and commercial sales—creating an additional revenue stream while advancing sustainability.
Tangible Impact in One Season
The change has been rapid and tangible. In just one season, Eatfresh grew from a team of over 270 people to more than 1,106. While the largest growth was in temporary roles, this expansion created significant new income opportunities, especially for women, who now represent 68% of the team, and for youth, who have gained access to skills, experience, and entry points into the avocado value chain.
Farmer capacity is also increasing: by July 2025, 1,248 farmers, 41% of them women, had been trained in premium avocado production practices leading to better yields, higher-quality produce, and stronger connections to reliable markets.
Key Results at a Glance:
- Team size grew from 270 to 1,106+
- 68% of the workforce are now women
- 1,248 farmers trained (41% women)
- New revenue from avocado oil & biofuel briquettes
- Near-zero waste in the avocado value chain
With the oil plant operational, new market contracts in place, and waste-to-value initiatives underway, Eatfresh is demonstrating how targeted investments in value addition can create jobs, increase farmer incomes, and position Tanzania as a competitive player in the fast-growing global avocado oil market. https://eatfresh.co.tz
