Multi-functional Agri-nodes

The Work.Learn.Grow (WLG) programme by Seriti Institute aims to address food insecurity, environmental degradation, and lack of economic opportunities for smallholder farmers and vulnerable communities in South Africa, more especially rural and peri-urban areas. According to UN estimates, over 3 billion people globally cannot afford a healthy diet, with sub-Saharan Africa having the highest prevalence of undernourishment at nearly 23%. In South Africa, it is estimated that over 20% of households experience hunger, with this figure being much higher in rural areas and urban townships.

Conventional agriculture practices have taken a significant toll on the environment through soil degradation, excessive water usage, and overreliance on synthetic inputs (i.e., fertilisers & pesticides). This undermines the long-term sustainability of food production systems. Additionally, smallholder farmers, especially women and youth, face significant challenges such as limited access to training, markets, finance, and resources to improve productivity and incomes.

The key factors contributing to this problem that the WLG program aims to tackle include:

• Lack of skills, knowledge and training for small-scale producers.
• Unsustainable and environmentally damaging farming practices.
• Difficulties in accessing markets and negotiating fair prices.
• Limited economic opportunities in agriculture for marginalised communities.
• Inequalities and structural barriers faced by women and youth in agriculture.

The WLG programme implements an innovative model of community-based "Multi-Functional Agri-Nodes" (MFANs) that serve as hubs promoting sustainable agriculture, economic development, and climate resilience and adaptation.

These nodes apply agroecology principles, a holistic approach focusing on sustainable food production through environmentally friendly practices like composting, mixed (e.g., crop-livestock) farming systems, reducing synthetic inputs, and nutrient recycling.

The agri-nodes incorporate:

• Training facilities to build skills in sustainable farming methods.
• Demonstration plots to showcase climate-smart techniques.
• Spaces for farmers to market and sell their produce directly.
• Support for enterprise development and diversifying income streams.
• Facilities for value-addition activities like processing and packaging.
• Integration of circular economy solutions like making compost or manure from food waste (i.e., rotten/waste vegetables and weeds)

This model combines sustainable farming knowledge with providing market linkages, value-addition opportunities, and promoting a localised, equitable food system. Underpinned by local community participation, training and capacity building, the nodes serve as hubs for driving economic opportunities, building climate resilience and promoting adaptation.

The primary beneficiaries are smallholder farmers, with a focus on women and youth, as well as other participating black South African marginalised farmers living in low-income communities facing food insecurity in rural and peri-urban areas of South Africa.

These marginalised groups face intersecting challenges including limited access to land, finance, training and markets for their agricultural produce. Unpaid household responsibilities (i.e., domestic work) and lack of access to resources additionally burden women smallholder farmers.

By providing hands-on agroecology training, small-scale farmers, especially women and youth, will gain skills to transition to sustainable farming methods that regenerate and protect the health of the soil, reduce input costs and enhance resilience to climate impacts like droughts.

Direct market access at the agri-nodes will allow them to bypass exploitative intermediaries and earn higher incomes. Support for diversifying into supplementary food processing, packaging and other enterprises will create additional revenue streams.

For urban communities, an increased supply of diverse, locally-grown and affordable produce (e.g., vegetables & fruits) enhances food security and nutrition. The programme's focus on circularity minimises agricultural waste.

Overall, WLG aims to empower marginalised farmers and tackle the intersecting issues of poverty, food insecurity and environmental degradation through sustainable livelihoods.

As a South African non-profit with 15 years of grassroots experience, Seriti Institute has cultivated deep connections and trust within vulnerable rural and township communities across multiple provinces. We have an in-depth understanding of their socio-economic realities and challenges.

Our team consists of professionals from diverse backgrounds, but importantly, many of us hail from the marginalised communities we serve. This lived experience and proximity to local contexts informs our community-centric approach.

The core WLG program team has a mix of agronomists, agricultural economists, social entrepreneurs, community mobilisers and members with rural farming backgrounds. Our extensive partner network includes smaller CBOs and NPOs who provide critical implementation support while amplifying communities' voices.

Rather than imposing top-down solutions, Seriti undertakes extensive consultation with communities from the outset through community consultation and engagement, workshops, community and stakeholder meetings and participatory design sessions. Their insights shape each initiative's strategies, activities and interventions.

We have successfully implemented multi-stakeholder development programmes involving government, private sector, donors and communities. Our robust governance, monitoring and accountability mechanisms ensure the responsible utilisation of funds.

With our community-driven approach and proven experience, Seriti is uniquely positioned to co-create and deliver an inclusive, sustainable solution that catalyses positive change in marginalised communities.

Since August 2023, Seriti's Work.Learn.Grow programme has an established solution model of the Multi-Functional Agri-Nodes (MFANs) that has been implemented across 4 provinces, namely, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, and KwaZulu-Natal. The approach has been consistently refined based on learnings from each location.

So far, the programme has directly supported 7,758 work opportunities in agriculture, environmental management and waste sectors through government funding like the Social Employment Fund. It has enabled the setting up of 296 vegetable gardens covering 61 hectares that service around 36,194 households.

The programme has existing partnerships with funders like the Citi Foundation, Industrial Development Corporation, and Foundation for Human Rights, as well as technical experts (e.g., seedling production companies, commercial poultry producers, recycling, climate change subject-matter experts) to build the capacities of farmers. With this implementation experience, monitoring frameworks, and multi-stakeholder collaborations, the WLG programme is now poised for further scaling its impactful agri-hub model in existing and new regions.

Seriti is applying to Solve to help overcome some key barriers to accelerating and amplifying the impacts of our Work.Learn.Grow programme:

Financial Barriers:
While we have secured funding from government schemes and donors for initial implementation, significantly expanding the network of agri-hubs requires substantial additional capital. Solve's connections to impact investors aligned with sustainable agriculture could unlock much-needed growth capital.

Technical Barriers:
Agroecological farming methods are knowledge-intensive. As we scale, ensuring consistent, high-quality training across locations is crucial. Solve's network could link us to academic/technical partners to develop standardised training modules, certification mechanisms for agri-entrepreneurs etc.

Market Barriers:
Establishing stable market linkages for produce from many decentralised smallholder farmers is challenging. Solve's expertise could guide strategies for:

• Partnerships with significant retailers and supermarkets for secure offtake agreements.
• Digital application development to directly connect farmers with consumers and allow traceability for transparent supply chains.
• Post-harvest infrastructure and logistics solutions.
• Agri-business training and support to assist farmers with formal registration of their businesses to become emergent entrepreneurs and help them to run and manage viable agri-businesses and small enterprises along the local value chain.

Policy Barriers:

Policies tend to favour conventional large-scale agriculture as a result of the historic inequality in the ownership of land, South Africa's industrialisation and mineral-energy intensive economy. This has meant that commercial farmers have benefited from scale economies and enjoyed a market advantage as incumbents. Solve's policy advocacy arm could support collective efforts towards an enabling ecosystem for agroecology, urban agriculture, indigenous crops and a redistributive food system and food waste management methods.

Overall, by being selected into Solve's diverse coalition, we aim to amplify our impacts by addressing these interconnected barriers simultaneously through partnerships, thereby catalysing a holistic transformation of South Africa's food system.

Seriti's Work.Learn.Grow programme takes an innovative approach to community-driven sustainable agriculture and climate resilience by:

Adopting an Integrated Agri-Hubs Model:

• The multi-functional agri-nodes serve as holistic in-community hubs providing training, market linkages, enterprise support and circular economy solutions under one roof. This integrated model is novel in connecting multiple pillars for smallholder farmer empowerment.

The Promotion of Agroecology at Scale:

• While some NGOs have championed agroecological practices, WLG aims to mainstream this sustainable farming approach through a standardised curriculum and widespread capacity building of small-scale farmers across regions.
• This can catalyse a shift away from conventional industrial agriculture if such momentum is accompanied by enterprise and cooperative development geared toward aggregation.

Community Ownership and Participation:

• The nodes are designed and located based on community consultation engagement, with local participating communities involved in construction, management and operations.
• This ensures solutions are context-appropriate and build capacity, skills and knowledge among beneficiaries from inception.

Facilitating Localised Food Systems:

• By enabling direct farm-to-consumer links and opportunities for value addition, the agri-hubs will help re-organise the food system around local supply chains and equitable produce distribution within communities.

The agri-hub model could inspire agricultural policies and investment towards decentralised, community-driven solutions that are sustainable, equitable and climate-resilient, thus reshaping the sector's future trajectory.

The Work.Learn.Grow programme aims to holistically enhance food security, economic empowerment and climate resilience for marginalised communities through the following pathways:

Inputs:

• Workshops and field-based agroecological training delivered to cohorts of smallholder farmers, especially targeting women and youth.
• Provision of inputs like seeds, manure, compost, infrastructure and equipment.

Immediate Outputs:

• Farmers build skills in sustainable practices like mixed cropping, soil preparation and health, composting, water harvesting and conservation and natural pest management.
• Participating farmers gain knowledge of circular agricultural value chains and local market opportunities.

Short-Term Outcomes:

• Farmers adopt agroecological methods, reducing dependence on costly external and synthetic inputs while regenerating soil health.
• Emerging producers are able to supply diverse produce to the agri-hub market spaces, enhancing food availability.

Intermediate Outcomes:

• Improved productivity through sustainable techniques.
• Higher incomes by eliminating intermediaries and bargaining collectively.
• Economic resilience through supplementary enterprises like processing, packaging, etc.

Long-Term Impact:

• Localised food systems centred on principles of participation, fairness and justice.
• Empowered smallholder farmers with sustainable livelihoods adapted to climate change.
• Environmentally regenerative agriculture minimising ecological footprint.

Evidence supporting this theory includes research highlighting agroecology's potential to improve yields while restoring ecosystems (FAO, UNCTAD). Case studies have demonstrated the benefits of farmer-producer organisations and short supply chains for poverty reduction.

The overarching impact goal for WLG is to enhance food security, stimulate local economic development and empowerment, job creation, and climate resilience/adaptation for marginalised households across South Africa through sustainable agricultural livelihoods.

This will be measured through:

• # of farmers (disaggregated by gender, age, etc.) adopting agroecological practices.
• % reduction in use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticide.
• % increase in household nutritional intake and dietary diversity.
• % increase in farmers' incomes from agri-hubs and supplementary enterprises.
• Tons of agricultural waste recycled into compost/ bio-fertilizers.
• Hectares of degraded land rehabilitated through agroforestry, conservation agriculture etc.

Aligned to multiple SDG targets, namely (SDG 2) Zero Hunger, (SDG 5) Gender Equality, (SDG 8) Decent Work and Economic Growth, (SDG 12) Responsible Consumption and Production, (SDG 13) Climate Action and (SDG 15) Life on Land.

Interim milestones include establishing new 4 fully-functional agri-hubs by 2026 and deepening activities and operations at the 4 existing sites, while expanding to another 4 provinces to bring the project to 8 provinces (excluding Northern Cape), targeting black South African farming households in marginalised rural areas in the short term. Comprehensive monitoring systems are being developed to track these indicators across our operations meticulously.

The core innovation behind Seriti's WLG program is the Multi-Functional Agri-Node model itself - a community-driven, sustainably designed "hub" that integrates:

Modern Agricultural Technologies:

• Community Fresh App for marketing (connecting farmers to buyers). (current; in development)
• Precision tools for soil testing. (current)
• Sensors for weather monitoring. (potential)
• Digital systems to optimise irrigation scheduling. (potential)
• Apps and digital platforms connecting farmers to markets and information services. (planned)
• Rain gauge tool. (current)

Agroecological Practices:

• Adoption of agroecological practices. (current)
• Techniques like agroforestry, integrating crops-livestock systems. (potential)
• Utilising traditional knowledge to support sustainable agriculture practice. (current)
• Organic composting methods to recycle farm waste into compost and organic fertilisers. (current).
• Agro-forestry - planting of trees for shade and fruit production. (current)

Circular Economy Solutions:

• Waste management, repurposing and recycling to minimise environmental degradation. (current)
• Facilities for value-addition like processing, packaging, produce on-site. (planned/pending)
• Rainwater harvesting infrastructure for water conservation. (current)
• Worm tea (i.e., organic fertilisers) from food waste. (current)

Renewable Energy Integration:

• Solar PV systems and to power the agri-hubs' operations. (planned)
• Potential use of biogas from agricultural residues. (potential)

Spatial Data and Mapping:

• GIS mapping of socioeconomic and environmental landscape. (current)
• Land use planning to make judicious use of community lands. (current)

The confluence of these modern and traditional technologies under a holistic model allows the agri-hubs to be self-sustaining climate-resilient operations serving the entire local-level agricultural value chain.

Seriti's Work.Learn.Grow programme team consists of:

• 7 full-time staff members.
• 1-3 part-time technical experts.
• 50+ contractors, implementation partners community mobilisers, supervisors who support on-ground implementation

Additionally, there is a pool of expert trainers and facilitators who deliver the agroecology curriculum and capacity-building sessions at the agri-hubs on an ad-hoc basis.

The larger Seriti Institute has a total workforce of +35 employees working across multiple workstreams and support functions like finance, communications, monitoring & evaluation, data management and analysis, human resources, etc.

Seriti Institute has been working on an agricultural programme of work since 2018, with the Work.Learn.Grow (WLG) programme being formalised in 2020. The Multi-Functional Agri-Node model has been developed since 2023. The approach is informed by continuous learning and has been iteratively refined and expanded to four provinces to provide long-term sustainability of the agriculture initiatives and work activities under the Work.Learn.Grow programme.

At Seriti, we are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment as we believe it enhances our ability to understand and effectively serve the marginalised communities we work with.

Our team consists of a majority female staff and has a healthy mix of ages, from young professionals to experienced experts. We have consciously built a multi-cultural, multi-lingual team reflecting South Africa's diversity.

We also tap into diverse knowledge systems by involving community elders, tribal authorities, municipal stakeholders, community representatives, with the goal of incorporating local knowledge in programme design and implementation.

Much of Seriti's workforce is from low-income rural/township backgrounds. We have targeted hiring, mentorship and skills development initiatives to provide equitable opportunities.

Our human resources policies enshrine anti-discrimination practices in recruitment, remuneration and promotions. There is zero-tolerance for any form of workplace harassment or discrimination based on race, gender, disability, age or other factors.

Deliberate steps are taken to make our facilities accessible for persons with disabilities. We provide flexible work options to promote the inclusion of primary caregivers of children.

We are continuously working to improve by seeking feedback through anonymous surveys, and offering trainings for ongoing capacity building as part of a skills development plan that runs annually with participating communities.

Business Model

Seriti Institute's Work.Learn.Grow (WLG) programme follows a hybrid business model that combines principles of social entrepreneurship with sustainable revenue streams to create lasting impact.

Value Proposition:
For smallholder farmers and low-income communities, WLG provides comprehensive services spanning training, market linkages, enterprise support and climate adaptation, all centred around the community-owned multi-functional agri-hubs.

Key Activities:

• Establishing and operating the agri-hub facilities.
• Delivering agroecology training programmes.
• Facilitating farmer producer groups and market access.
• Supporting supplementary value-addition enterprises.
• Conducting research and advocacy.

Customer Segments:

• Smallholder farmers (primary beneficiaries).
• Rural/peri-urban food insecure communities.
• Government agencies focused on agriculture, environment, and employment.
• Corporate CSR/sustainability programmes.
• Donors and philanthropic foundations

Revenue Streams:

• Grants and contracts from government schemes (e.g. Social Employment Fund).
• CSR/CSI funding from corporates.
• Philanthropic grants and donor funds from foundations.
• Fee-for-service offerings.
• Consulting/advisory services revenue.

Key Resources:

• Multi-disciplinary team (project managers, administrators, coordinators, facilitators, agronomists, community mobilisers, entrepreneurs).
• Agroecology training curriculum and knowledge base.
• Network of implementation partners (NPOs, CBOs)
• Physical agri-hub infrastructure.

Seriti aims to achieve financial sustainability for WLG through a diverse mix of revenue streams:

• Government Funding: Leverage existing relationships to secure longer-term contracts under public employment schemes, climate adaptation funds and agricultural development programmes.
  • Examples: Social Employment Fund, National Youth Service.
• Corporate Partnerships: Engaging corporations through employee engagement, CSR and sustainability mandates to provide project funding and in-kind resources.
  • Examples: Partnership with Astral Ltd., Industrial Development Corporation funding.
• Philanthropic Grants: Cultivating relationships with local/international foundations aligned with WLG's focus areas like food security, sustainable livelihoods, gender empowerment etc.
  • Examples: Grant support from the 11th Hour Project, $500K grant from Citi Foundation.
• Fee-Based Services: Introducing fee models for specialised training programmes, consulting services and services for commercial farmers/agribusinesses over time.
• Impact Investment: As the agri-hub model scales, we will explore setting up a specialised investment vehicle to pool funding from impact investors, CSR budgets, DFIs, etc., to finance working capital and capital expenditure needs.
• Revenue Sharing Models: Facilitating direct marketing of produce by taking a small percentage commission from agri-hub sales for investment into the hub's infrastructure and to continue to expand service offerings and activities, especially in food processing and value addition. Potential revenue share from value-added product lines developed.

While grant funding anchors the current model, we have successfully diversified income sources through the abovementioned examples. Our long-term goal is to increase the share of costs covered through earned revenue streams within five years as we achieve greater operational scale and efficiencies.