INC Sustainability Award 2024

LIMBUA wins the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council (INC) Sustainability Award 2024. Over 1,200 nut and dried fruit industry professionals from all over the world were represented at this year's INC Congress.

Facts about INC:

This year, the INC received 14 applications from 10 countries, which were reviewed by experts in the field of sustainability. We are proud that LIMBUA was among the finalists and ultimately won the award for our comprehensive sustainability initiatives in the “Back to the People” category.

^{Matti Spiecker and Pino Calcagni (Besana Group, Italy) at the award ceremony at the INC Congress (Photo: INC)}

What does sustainability mean for LIMBUA?

Sustainability for nature and people has been the fundamental pillar of our German-Kenyan social business since day one of LIMBUA's foundation in 2009. Our sustainability approach is comprehensive and aims to improve the living conditions of people in rural regions of Kenya as well as to protect nature. Here are some of the key points of our initiatives:

Improving living conditions
LIMBUA's main goal from day one has been to raise the standard of living in the rural area of Kenya. One of the ways we achieve this is by bringing smallholder farmers' harvests to the international market without intermediaries, thus ensuring that the greatest possible added value remains in the country. Our support ranges from growing the seedlings in our own tree nurseries to exporting and distributing the products globally.

We accompany the small scale farmers on their way to organic certification and buy their harvests directly. Through these actions, we not only create fair payment, but also transparency and trust throughout the entire process. 

^{LIMBUA smallholders with organic tree seedling}

Protecting nature
Our approach to protect nature and the environment is diverse. LIMBUA has practiced organic farming from the very beginning. We thus prevent land degradation and preserve biodiversity. The smallholders are continuously trained in organic farming and we help them to grow mixed crops, which promotes biodiversity and at the same time offers economic security. 

^{Macadamias from sustainable organic farming}

Local processing and value creation
In order to keep the greatest possible added value in Kenya, we process the harvests locally at our four processing sites, which are located close to the farms. This keeps transportation distances short and the raw material fresh. Our gentle raw food drying process is powered by energy-efficient ovens that are fired by the shells of the macadamia nuts. 

Strengthening the community
LIMBUA employs more than 700 local Kenyans, most of whom come from the farmers' families. These workers are integrated into the entire value creation process and benefit from a demonstrably higher standard of living. Most smallholder farmers and employees are women, whose empowerment and prosperity we promote in all positions. Above-average wages and contributions to health, long-term care and pension insurance are standard at LIMBUA and help to counteract the rural exodus.

^{The advancement of women is an integral part of the LIMBUA sustainability strategy}

Conclusion: Sustainability includes organic practices, fair trade and development

Winning the INC Sustainability Award 2024 is a great honor and validation of our work. We are determined to continue our mission and bring about even more positive change for the people and the environment in Kenya. We thank the INC for this recognition and all our partners and supporters who have made this success possible.

LIMBUA's Impact