Community Farmer Network’s goal is to support Siyazisiza Trust’s mission by establishing and maintaining lucrative market opportunities for smallholder farmers. The following key principles apply to its product range: equitable and ethical trade; local and indigenous; natural and healthy, climate conscious; and value, reliability and innovation.
Our Vision
Resilient, healthy and self-sustaining rural farmer communities and agri-enterprises within vibrant and localised economies in stewardship with the environment for the benefit of future generations.
Our Mission
To establish and maintain equitable and fair market access for smallholder farmers through developing and supplying an unique product range in response to identified market demand.
Reinvesting Profits to Create Positive Social Change
As a social enterprise Community Farmer Network reinvests any profits to create positive social change. Through selling locally produced fresh produce and processed goods on the open market, Community Farmer Network creates not only employment but also new income streams for small-scale farmers. It works closely with its sister organization, The Siyazisiza Trust, to promote the sustainable production of climate resilient crops by small-scale farmers for which it had identified and secured access to markets.
Securing Market Access for Small-Scale Farmers
Securing access to lucrative markets and expanding its share within these markets underpins everything that CFN does. It is only by securing market share that CFN is able to effectively bring smallholder farmers into their supply chains. In its effort to build its presence and share of the market, CFN sources its raw materials from a range of suppliers to maintain the uninterrupted flow of product to the market. It then works with Siyazisiza Trust to capacitate farmers to enter its supply chain and to eventually transfer all the supply across to these farmers.
High Quality Products
CFN operates within a highly competitive sector which is dominated by a few major food manufacturers and into which new entrants are continually wanting to gain access. As such, it is critical that products sold by CFN are of the highest quality standards. CFN works closely with Siyazisiza Trust to put in place systems for managing not only the quality of the product but ensuring that food safety and traceability are also effectively managed. The processing and fresh produce centre are ISO 22000 certified and LocalG.A.P. is being rolled out to farmers by the Siyazisiza. Trust.