In the hills of Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, a quiet transformation is underway—one that could reshape how the world sources its fruit and nuts, while restoring degraded landscapes and livelihoods across Africa.

The Restoration Economy, Rooted in Local Hands

For decades, efforts to reverse environmental degradation in Africa focused on top-down solutions: sweeping tree-planting campaigns, national policy initiatives, and global climate pledges. But today, a very different model is taking root. It’s local, entrepreneurial, and grounded in the daily realities of farmers and small agribusinesses.

At the heart of this shift is the Market Readiness Technical Assistance Facility (MRTA), a flagship initiative under Regeneration, a partnership between Palladium and Systemiq. Together with the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100) and support from the World Resources Institute and the Bezos Earth Fund, MRTA helps regenerative agribusinesses—known in the program as “Restoration Champions”—scale up in ways that benefit ecosystems, communities, and markets alike.

The model is simple in theory: provide no-cost business advisory support, technical guidance, fundraising support, and off-taker matchmaking to small and mid-sized enterprises producing sustainable commodities like avocado, macadamia, mango, coffee, and gum arabic.

The goal is ambitious: turn restoration from a moral imperative into a viable business opportunity. But as the program expands into fruit and nut value-chains, particularly in Kenya, the challenges have proven as complex as the landscapes themselves.

Sowing New Seeds: Why Fruits and Nuts?

The decision to focus on fruit and nut commodities wasn’t made on a hunch. MRTA conducted a detailed prioritisation exercise in which more than 30 crops were assessed based on market demand, ecological compatibility, and impact potential.

“Fruits like avocado and nuts like macadamia stood out for their strong market potential and their ability to grow well in our targeted restoration landscapes,” explains Sabina Gordon, a Senior Associate at Palladium who has been deeply involved in the MRTA program. “But more importantly, they are often grown in smallholder agroforestry systems, which means we’re not just scaling export crops, we’re building inclusive, sustainable supply chains.”

Unlike large-scale monoculture operations, these agroforestry models integrate trees with crops and livestock, improving soil health, biodiversity, and resilience to climate shocks—all while generating income for local farmers.

Hard Lessons from the Global Marketplace

Much of MRTA’s recent off-take engagement strategy has been shaped not in boardrooms, but on the ground at international trade fairs like Fruit Attraction in Madrid, SIAL Paris, MEWA India, and Biofach Germany.

At first, the team expected a warm reception for Kenyan products. Instead, they encountered faced questions about quality and consistency.

“One pivotal moment was in India,” recalls Sabina. “We spoke with a major trader of macadamia who said they avoid sourcing from Kenya due to quality issues. The high fat content of Kenyan macadamias combined with long shipping times leads to oxidation and spoilage before the nuts reach end clients.”

Despite Kenya’s competitive pricing and climate advantages, its suppliers were losing out to producers in Australia and South Africa, who offered more consistent supply chains and tighter quality control. This feedback prompted MRTA to shift its short-term focus toward European markets, where buyers were already familiar with Kenyan products and where there is growing demand for organic and sustainable products.

These marketplace encounters also revealed a deeper hurdle: an entrenched perception that smallholder farms could not deliver world-class quality.

Building Trust, One Harvest at a Time

The reality is, with the right training and oversight, smallholder models can produce world-class goods.

Take Biofarms, one of MRTA’s standout avocado producers who is already a supplier to the European market through several large service producers and traders. Buyers familiar with Biofarms' products expressed confidence in their quality, making them more open to exploring MRTA’s broader portfolio.

“Biofarms invests heavily in quality, deploying agronomists on their farms and nurseries, producing high-quality seedlings and rigorously overseeing their operations,” says Sabina. “Once buyers saw Biofarms' avocados on European shelves, they were more willing to engage with the rest of our restoration champions.”

MRTA now uses Biofarms as a living case study, demonstrating how hands-on agronomic support, pesticide testing, cold-chain logistics, and even selective air freight can bridge the trust gap.

On the ground, Kenyan agribusinesses have been quick to adapt. Many are turning surplus or second-grade produce into higher-margin goods like avocado oil or roasted macadamia nuts while others are pursuing organic certification as this can mean access to premium markets. Some nut producers are considering an even bolder strategy: pooling resources to establish warehouses in Europe, bypassing intermediaries to sell directly to retailers.

These innovations reflect a broader realisation: competing on the world stage requires not just great products, but flawless logistics, airtight contracts, and strong documentation.

A New Blueprint for Restoration

If cocoa and coffee buyers are often willing to invest in a sustainability story, fruit and nut buyers are more pragmatic. They prioritise price, volume, and reliability.

To meet these expectations, MRTA prepares its restoration champions to speak the language of commerce as fluently as they speak of impact.

But that doesn’t mean sustainability is off the table. “Organic certification still commands a premium,” says Sabina. “And in the U.S. and Europe, buyers are increasingly interested in sustainable sourcing due to rising health consciousness of consumers, increasing regulation around sustainability and nature-based commitments.”

After 18 months of groundwork, MRTA is beginning to see traction: long-term deals are emerging, certifications are underway, and agribusinesses are scaling, not just in size, but in sophistication.

“For me, the most rewarding part is seeing mutually beneficial partnerships come to life,” Sabina reflects. “We’re not just helping farmers sell more. We’re helping them build something resilient, something lasting.”

As MRTA eyes expansion and new commodity sectors, the blueprint remains the same: listen closely, act strategically, and never underestimate the power of a well-supported entrepreneur.

Because restoring Africa’s landscapes may not begin with a shovel or a satellite but with a crate of avocados, a bag of macadamias, and a vision for how sustainable agribusiness can create new opportunities for communities and the environment.

Driving Positive Impact Through Local Entrepreneurship

MRTA continues to seek investors, off-takers, and collaborators who want to support and scale Africa’s restoration economy. To learn more about MRTA’s work, meet our Restoration Champions, or explore partnership opportunities, please reach out via the enquiries form on the MRTA Facility Page.