GreenLinks strengthens Kenya's horticulture sector by connecting small and medium-sized farmers in peri-urban Nairobi to premium domestic and export markets. Demand for safe, traceable vegetables is growing faster than supply, while most smallholders sell into informal markets where prices swing, post-harvest losses are high and pesticide use is poorly controlled. The project is an Impact Cluster funded by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and delivered by a consortium led by Koppert, combining biological pest control, hybrid seeds, farmer training and three collection centres that handle quality control and aggregation. FutureWater contributes two irrigation and monitoring technologies: Croptimal, which sends field-specific irrigation advice to farmers' phones, and Rapid Eye XS for low-cost crop stress detection. Together these help farmers meet the quality standards premium buyers require while using water more efficiently.
Kenya’s horticulture sector faces growing demand for safe, high-quality vegetables from supermarkets and online retailers, but supply does not keep pace. Small and medium-sized farmers around Nairobi, in Kikuyu, Thika and Kajiado, are largely excluded from formal and premium markets and sell into informal channels where prices are unstable and post-harvest losses are high. Overreliance on chemical pesticides is widespread, and irrigation is often absent or inefficient, with traditional sprinklers wasting water that drip systems would save.
GreenLinks is an Impact Cluster financed by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and implemented by a consortium led by Koppert with Holland Greentech, Latia, Greenspoon, HiView and FutureWater. Over three years the consortium builds an aggregated, certified supply chain: three collection centres act as hubs for quality control, training and aggregation under Latia’s Eco-Latia protocol, each with an input shop, while Greenspoon and other retailers open access to premium markets.
FutureWater deploys two technologies new to Kenyan smallholders. Croptimal delivers daily, field-specific irrigation schedules to farmers’ phones, and Rapid Eye XS provides low-cost multispectral crop stress monitoring for open field and greenhouse production. Both improve water-use efficiency and allow early intervention, reducing unnecessary chemical use. FutureWater develops the training modules that accompany them, runs demonstrations, and works with partners to embed the tools in the certified supply chain.
FutureWater has worked in Kenya since 2016 and operates locally through ThirdEye Kenya Ltd. The project builds on that base, training farmers and youth service providers in good agricultural practices, integrated pest management and post-harvest handling, so that the advisory services continue as a commercial offer once the project ends.
