VivaFresh

VivaFresh addresses the significant problem of post-harvest food loss and waste in Tanzania. Up to 40% of fresh fruits and vegetables produced by Tanzania's 5.1 million smallholder farmers are lost annually, amounting to over $480 million in value. This pervasive food waste compounds food insecurity, malnutrition, and income challenges for farming households. 

The rapid spoilage of perishable crops is driven by lack of affordable preservation technology, inadequate storage infrastructure, and logistical challenges in Tanzania's fresh produce supply chains. Without effective solutions to extend shelf life, farmers and distributors struggle to get nutritious foods to urban markets before they spoil. This results in lower incomes for smallholders and reduced access to affordable, fresh produce for Tanzanian consumers.

Globally, the problem of food waste is staggering, with an estimated 1.3 billion tons of food lost or wasted annually, worth over $1 trillion. While much of this occurs in developed economies due to consumer behavior and retail standards, substantial losses in the developing world like Tanzania are driven by post-harvest challenges. Solving these critical issues is essential to improving food security, nutrition, and environmental sustainability worldwide.

VivaFresh's innovative, plant-based shelf life extension solution directly addresses the key factors contributing to this massive food waste challenge in Tanzania and other developing regions. By empowering smallholder farmers, distributors, and retailers to dramatically extend the freshness of their produce, VivaFresh unlocks new economic and nutritional value from existing agricultural production.

VivaFresh is an innovative, plant-based solution that dramatically extends the shelf life of fresh produce. It works by creating a microscopic, breathable protective layer around fruits and vegetables that slows spoilage by maintaining moisture and excluding oxygen.

The VivaFresh coating is made from naturally occurring mono and diglycerides derived from widely grown plant oils. This all-natural formula is non-GMO, allergen-free, and contains no impurities or trans fats. When applied through a simple spray or dip process, the VivaFresh layer adds just a tiny amount (0.06 grams per 200-gram fruits) to the produce, yet can extend freshness by days or even weeks.

VivaFresh can be seamlessly integrated into existing fresh produce supply chains at the farm, wholesale, or retail level in Tanzania. The affordable, low-tech application requires minimal training or infrastructure changes, making it highly accessible for smallholder farmers and other value chain actors.

Compared to synthetic preservatives, VivaFresh's natural, non-GMO formulation provides a key competitive advantage aligned with growing consumer demand for healthy, sustainable food products. Its proven ability to significantly extend shelf life while maintaining quality and nutrition further strengthens VivaFresh's market position.

By reducing post-harvest losses and expanding the window of freshness, VivaFresh empowers Tanzanian farmers, distributors, and retailers to maximize the value of their perishable crops. This in turn increases the availability of nutritious fruits and vegetables for households across income levels, improving food security and health outcomes.

VivaFresh primarily serves three key stakeholder groups in Tanzania's fresh produce value chain:

1. Smallholder Farmers: Tanzania's 5.1 million smallholder farming households producing perishable crops are currently underserved, with up to 40% of their harvests lost due to rapid spoilage. VivaFresh empowers these farmers to reduce post-harvest losses, maximize their earnings, and improve food security and incomes for their families.

2. Distributors and Retailers: Wholesalers, transporters, and market vendors across Tanzania struggle with the logistical challenges and financial losses caused by the short shelf life of fresh produce. VivaFresh allows them to extend the window of freshness, reduce waste, and deliver higher-quality fruits and vegetables to consumers.

3. Tanzanian Consumers: Limited access to affordable, nutritious produce is a significant problem, contributing to malnutrition, especially in low-income urban and rural households. By extending the shelf life of locally grown fruits and vegetables, VivaFresh increases the availability and affordability of these vital food items for all Tanzanian consumers.

Collectively, VivaFresh's impact spans critical development outcomes in Tanzania, including:

- Increased food security and nutrition by making more fresh produce accessible
- Higher incomes for smallholder farmers and other value chain actors
- Reduced environmental impact from decreased food waste and loss
- Empowerment of women, who make up a majority of Tanzania's smallholder farmers and produce traders

At its core, VivaFresh is designed to be a transformative, human-centered solution that directly addresses the needs of underserved communities throughout Tanzania's fresh produce ecosystem. By tackling the challenge of post-harvest losses, it has the potential to dramatically improve livelihoods, health, and environmental sustainability.

The VivaFresh team is uniquely positioned to deliver this impactful solution in Tanzania, drawing on deep connections to the communities it serves and decades of relevant experience.

The CEO and co-founder, Juliana Magesa, is a lifelong resident of Tanzania with strong ties to the country's smallholder farming sector. As the daughter of a third-generation avocado farmer, Juliana has firsthand understanding of the food waste challenges facing rural producers. She has also worked extensively with women-led produce trading cooperatives, giving her invaluable insights into the needs of this critical segment of the value chain.

Joining Juliana on the founding team are:

- Hamza Mrisho, Chief Technology Officer, who has 15 years of experience developing innovative agricultural technologies tailored for Tanzanian smallholders.

- Neema Lyimo, Chief Operations Officer, a food scientist with expertise in post-harvest handling and distribution logistics for fresh produce in East Africa.

- Juma Ndege, Chief Financial Officer, a social entrepreneur who has structured financing solutions for thousands of Tanzanian farmers and SMEs.

- Shamim Mwango, Head of Community Engagement, a community development specialist with deep roots in Tanzania's rural farming communities.

This diverse team brings a powerful combination of technical know-how, business acumen, and grassroots community relationships to the design and delivery of VivaFresh. Critically, the solution's development has been guided at every step by direct input and feedback from target end-users, including smallholder farmers, produce vendors, and low-income urban consumers.

By centering the voices and needs of these underserved stakeholders, the VivaFresh team has crafted an innovation that is truly human-centered and aligned with the local context. This community-driven approach is essential to ensuring the solution's long-term impact, scalability, and sustainability in Tanzania.

VivaFresh is currently in the pilot stage, having been launched and tested in several communities across Tanzania over the past 18 months.

During this pilot phase, the VivaFresh team has:

- Developed and refined the plant-based shelf life extension formula, conducting extensive testing to optimize its performance and safety for fresh produce.

- Collaborated with over 500 smallholder farmers in the Morogoro and Kilimanjaro regions to integrate the VivaFresh solution into their post-harvest handling practices.

- Worked with 20 produce wholesalers and 35 urban market vendors in Dar es Salaam and Arusha to adopt VivaFresh for extending the shelf life of their inventory.

- Collected feedback and usage data from these initial pilot customers, iterating on the product design, application methods, and business model to better meet the needs of the target stakeholders.

- Secured a seed funding round of $52,000 from impact investors and philanthropic partners to support the continued development and scaling of VivaFresh.

Through this phase of user testing and refinement, the VivaFresh team has demonstrated the solution's technical viability, market demand, and potential for impact. The positive results have given the team confidence to now focus on expanding the pilot to reach thousands more smallholder farmers, distributors, and retailers across Tanzania.

The next steps will involve further optimizing the product-market fit, finalizing the go-to-market strategy, and establishing strategic partnerships to drive rapid, sustainable growth. With the strong foundation built during the pilot, VivaFresh is poised to scale as a transformative, human-centered innovation tackling food waste and insecurity in Tanzania.

Applying to Solve would be tremendously valuable for VivaFresh in overcoming several key barriers to scaling our impact in Tanzania. While financial support is certainly important, we are most eager to access Solve's robust ecosystem of expert mentorship, technical training, and strategic partnerships.

First and foremost, we believe the guidance and mentorship from Solve's extensive network of industry leaders, policymakers, and social impact experts would be invaluable. As a young, fast-growing social enterprise, we have much to learn about effectively navigating the complex landscape of food systems transformation, building strategic alliances, and scaling sustainable business models. Solve's deep experience and connections in these areas would be an incredible asset.

Secondly, we are eager to leverage Solve's world-class capacity-building programs to strengthen our team's skills and capabilities. Access to tailored technical training on topics like supply chain optimization, go-to-market strategy, and impact measurement would equip us to rapidly scale VivaFresh's operations and measure our progress.

Finally, Solve's ability to facilitate strategic partnerships is a huge draw for us. Establishing the right collaborations - whether with local Tanzanian organizations, multinational food companies, or global development agencies - will be critical to driving widespread adoption of VivaFresh. Solve's convening power and reputation would open doors that would be challenging for us to access on our own.

VivaFresh's innovative approach to extending the shelf life of fresh produce sets it apart from conventional food preservation methods in several key ways:

First, VivaFresh's plant-based, all-natural formulation represents a major departure from synthetic chemical preservatives that dominate the current market. By using a proprietary blend of naturally occurring mono and diglycerides, VivaFresh provides an effective, non-toxic alternative that aligns with the growing consumer demand for healthy, sustainable food products.

Secondly, VivaFresh's microscopic, breathable coating technology achieves shelf life extension through a fundamentally different mechanism compared to traditional waxes, films, or modified atmosphere packaging. Rather than creating a rigid, impermeable barrier, the VivaFresh layer gently regulates moisture and oxygen levels to slow spoilage while still allowing produce to "breathe" naturally. This results in superior quality maintenance and a more natural, fresh-tasting end product.

Importantly, VivaFresh's innovative approach is highly scalable and accessible, with a simple, low-cost application process that can be readily integrated into existing produce supply chains. This sets it apart from capital-intensive, centralized post-harvest treatment facilities, which have limited reach, especially among smallholder farmers in the Global South.

By pioneering this human-centered, market-based solution, VivaFresh has the potential to catalyze broader positive impacts on fresh produce value chains in Tanzania and beyond. Its successful demonstration of an effective, sustainable alternative to food waste could inspire other innovators to develop complementary technologies and business models targeting this critical challenge.

VivaFresh's ability to increase the availability, affordability and quality of nutritious fruits and vegetables has important implications for improving food security, health, and environmental sustainability at scale. As a scalable, replicable innovation, VivaFresh could fundamentally change the landscape of food preservation in Africa and other developing regions.

VivaFresh's theory of change is centered on unlocking significant reductions in post-harvest food waste and losses across Tanzania's fresh produce value chain. By providing an innovative, plant-based solution to dramatically extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables, VivaFresh catalyzes a series of positive impacts:

Activities:
- Develop and refine VivaFresh's all-natural, breathable coating formula
- Integrate VivaFresh into the post-harvest practices of smallholder farmers, distributors, and retailers

Outputs:
- Smallholder farmers can preserve a greater portion of their perishable crop yields
- Wholesalers, transporters, and market vendors can maintain the freshness of produce for longer
- Consumers have increased access to affordable, nutritious fruits and vegetables

Outcomes:
- Reduced post-harvest food losses and waste, with independent studies estimating up to 40% reductions among VivaFresh users
- Increased incomes and food security for smallholder farmers through maximized earnings from their harvests
- Greater availability and affordability of fresh produce for low-income urban and rural households, improving nutrition and health
- Lower environmental impact through reduced greenhouse gas emissions and use of natural resources associated with wasted food

The evidence supporting this theory of change comes from VivaFresh's own pilot results, as well as broader research on the scale and impacts of post-harvest food losses in Tanzania. During the 18-month pilot, VivaFresh collaborated with over 500 smallholder farmers, 20 wholesalers, and 35 urban market vendors, consistently achieving 30-50% reductions in spoilage for a range of fresh produce items.

This real-world validation, combined with the robust market opportunity and VivaFresh's innovative, scalable approach, positions the solution as a powerful catalyst for transforming Tanzania's fresh produce value chain. As VivaFresh scales, it has the potential to drive systemic change in addressing food insecurity, rural poverty, and environmental sustainability at the national level.

VivaFresh's primary impact goals by 2028 are to:

1. Reduce post-harvest food losses and waste by 40% or more among smallholder farmers, distributors and retailers using the VivaFresh solution in Tanzania.
2. Increase incomes for 500,000 smallholder farming households by enabling them to preserve and sell a greater portion of their perishable crop yields.
3. Improve access to affordable, nutritious fresh produce for 1 million low-income urban and rural consumers in Tanzania.

To measure progress towards these goals, VivaFresh is tracking the following key indicators:

Food Loss Reduction:
- Percentage reduction in post-harvest losses for target crops (e.g. tomatoes, onions, leafy greens) among VivaFresh users
- Volume and monetary value of produce saved from spoilage

Smallholder Farmer Incomes:
- Average increase in net income for VivaFresh-using farming households
- Percentage of total harvest that can be sold rather than lost or discarded

Consumer Access:
- Number of low-income consumers regularly accessing VivaFresh-treated produce
- Percentage reduction in price premium for VivaFresh-treated produce compared to "fresh off the farm"

The VivaFresh team is collecting and analyzing these metrics through a combination of farmer/vendor surveys, point-of-sale data, and third-party impact assessments. This data is used to continuously refine the solution's design, target market segments, and go-to-market strategy.

Early pilot results are extremely promising, with VivaFresh users reporting 30-50% reductions in post-harvest losses, 20-30% increases in net farm incomes, and 15-20% lower prices for consumers. These positive outcomes have given the team confidence in VivaFresh's ability to drive transformational impact at scale.

By rigorously tracking and transparently reporting on these key indicators, VivaFresh aims to demonstrate the solution's powerful, multifaceted benefits - not just for individual stakeholders, but for Tanzania's entire fresh produce ecosystem.

The core technology powering the VivaFresh solution is a proprietary, plant-based formulation that creates a microscopic, breathable coating to dramatically extend the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables.

At the heart of this innovation is a unique blend of naturally occurring mono and diglycerides derived from commonly grown plant oils. These naturally occurring lipids are carefully sourced and processed to produce a safe, all-natural preservative that can be easily applied to fresh produce.

When sprayed or dipped onto the surface of fruits, vegetables, or herbs, the VivaFresh coating forms an invisible, permeable layer that regulates moisture and oxygen levels. This slows the natural spoilage processes of respiration, oxidation, and microbial growth, thereby extending freshness by days or even weeks compared to untreated produce.

Importantly, the VivaFresh technology is specifically designed to be responsive to the unique physiological needs of each type of fresh produce. The formulation can be tailored to the moisture content, gas exchange requirements, and other critical characteristics of different fruits, vegetables, and leafy greens. This allows VivaFresh to provide optimal shelf life extension without compromising the natural quality, flavor, or nutritional value of the treated items.

At scale, this plant-based, produce-responsive technology represents a significant advancement over conventional chemical preservatives, synthetic coatings, and modified atmosphere packaging. VivaFresh's all-natural, affordable, and highly accessible approach makes it an innovative, sustainable solution that can integrate seamlessly into existing fresh produce supply chains.

By harnessing the power of nature-derived chemistry, VivaFresh offers a transformative technology to combat food waste, improve food security, and promote environmental sustainability - all while meeting the growing consumer demand for healthy, high-quality fresh produce.

The VivaFresh solution team currently consists of:

- 5 full-time staff members, including the CEO, Chief Agronomist, Head of Operations, Director of Partnerships, and Lead Chemist.

- 4 part-time staff, comprising a Marketing Manager, Finance Coordinator, Community Outreach Specialist, and Quality Assurance Technician.

- 4 additional contractors and consultants, providing expertise in areas such as supply chain logistics, impact measurement, and business strategy.

This diverse, multidisciplinary team draws on a range of backgrounds, including agriculture, food science, entrepreneurship, and social impact, to drive the continued development and scaling of the VivaFresh solution in Tanzania. 

The VivaFresh solution has been in active development for the past 2 years. The initial conceptualization and R&D for the plant-based preservation technology began 3 years ago, led by the founding team's technical experts. Over the past 2 years, the expanded VivaFresh team has piloted the solution with over 500 smallholder farmers, 20 wholesalers, and 35 urban market vendors across Tanzania. This real-world testing and iterative development has been crucial in refining VivaFresh's product-market fit and scaling strategy. With the successful completion of the pilot phase, the VivaFresh team is now poised to scale its operation.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values that the VivaFresh team has embedded into its culture and operations from the start. We recognize that these principles are not just moral imperatives, but also essential for driving the most meaningful and sustainable impact.

At the leadership level, our 5-person executive team reflects the diverse communities we serve. Our CEO and Head of Operations are women, while our Chief Agronomist and Lead Chemist come from smallholder farming backgrounds. This diversity of gender, expertise, and lived experiences informs our strategic decision-making and ensures our solution is truly responsive to the needs of our target beneficiaries.

To build a more inclusive and equitable team, we have implemented several targeted measures:

- Recruitment: We actively seek out candidates from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM, agriculture, and social impact. Our job postings explicitly welcome applications from women, youth, and individuals from rural communities.

- Flexible Work Arrangements: We offer part-time roles, remote work options, and family-friendly policies to remove barriers for team members with caregiving responsibilities or other constraints.

- Capacity Building: We provide ongoing professional development training and mentorship opportunities to help team members, especially those from marginalized groups, advance their skills and careers.

- Pay Equity: We maintain transparent, fair compensation practices that ensure pay parity regardless of gender, race, or other demographic factors.

- Inclusive Culture: We foster a welcoming, psychologically safe environment where all team members feel empowered to share their ideas and perspectives. Our team-building activities celebrate the diverse backgrounds and identities represented.

By proactively championing diversity, equity, and inclusion, the VivaFresh team aims to not only model these values, but to also inspire and catalyze similar commitments across Tanzania's food and agriculture sector.

VivaFresh's business model is centered on creating value for multiple stakeholders across Tanzania's fresh produce value chain, while also generating the revenue necessary to sustain and scale the enterprise.

Our primary customer segments and pricing structure are:

1. Smallholder Farmers:
VivaFresh's shelf life extension technology helps farmers preserve a greater portion of their perishable crop yields, maximizing their incomes. We sell the VivaFresh coating solution directly to smallholder farming cooperatives and individual producers at a price of TZS 1,750 (approx. $0.7) per 100 kg of fresh produce.

2. Wholesalers and Distributors:
By extending the freshness window of fruits and vegetables, VivaFresh enables wholesalers and transporters to reduce waste and deliver higher-quality produce to retailers. We offer VivaFresh application services to this segment at a rate of TZS 500 (approx. $0.20) per 100 kg of treated produce.

3. Retail Vendors:
VivaFresh's ability to prolong shelf life helps urban and rural market vendors increase their sales and profitability. We provide VivaFresh application support and training to this customer group at a service fee of TZS 1,000 (approx. $0.40) per 100 kg of treated produce.

To date, the VivaFresh team has generated over $17,000 in revenue through these direct-to-customer sales channels. This initial traction has been achieved during our 18-month pilot phase, which has allowed us to refine our pricing, develop tailored service offerings, and forge strategic partnerships.

Looking ahead, we plan to further scale our impact and revenue by:
- Expanding our network of contracted smallholder farming cooperatives
- Establishing distribution agreements with major produce wholesalers and market associations
- Leveraging government and NGO programs to subsidize VivaFresh access for low-income consumers

By aligning our business model with the specific preservation needs and financial realities of each stakeholder group, VivaFresh is able to drive transformative impact while also building a sustainable, scalable social enterprise.

VivaFresh's plan for financial sustainability rests on a diverse set of revenue streams that leverage the solution's value proposition across the fresh produce value chain in Tanzania.

Our primary revenue sources include:

1. Direct Sales to Smallholder Farmers: As outlined in our business model, we sell the VivaFresh coating solution directly to smallholder farming cooperatives and individual producers at an affordable, subsidized rate of TZS 1,750 (approx. $0.7) per 100 kg of fresh produce. During our 18-month pilot, this channel generated over $12,000 in revenue.

2. Service Fees from Wholesalers and Retailers: VivaFresh provides post-harvest application and training services to wholesalers, transporters, and urban market vendors, charging TZS 500 ($0.20) and TZS 1,000 ($0.40) per 100 kg respectively. This has generated an additional $5,000 in revenue so far.

3. Grants and Subsidies: To further drive affordability and access, we are actively pursuing partnerships with government agencies, development organizations, and impact investors to subsidize VivaFresh adoption among low-income farmers and consumers. For example, we recently received a $50,000 grant from the Tanzanian Ministry of Agriculture to pilot a smallholder farmer subsidy program.

4. Future Revenue Streams: Looking ahead, we plan to explore additional revenue opportunities, such as licensing our proprietary formulation to other produce processors, expanding into export markets, and developing value-added VivaFresh-treated produce for urban retail.

This multifaceted approach to funding has allowed VivaFresh to achieve operational sustainability during our initial pilot phase. As we scale, we are confident that the combination of customer revenue, strategic partnerships, and innovative financing mechanisms will enable us to continue scaling our impact in a financially sustainable manner.