Silo Africa's Innovative Storage Slashes Post-Harvest Losses by 40%
Faith Koki, inspired by her farming family's experiences, founded Silo Africa to empower farmers and reduce post-harvest losses. In Kenya alone, nearly half of crops are lost to pests and diseases within weeks of harvest, costing $720 million annually and trapping smallholder families in poverty.
Silo Africa's flagship product, SmartSiloTM, is a solar-powered, airtight storage system that eliminates chemical preservatives and uses sensors to track crop conditions in real-time. It costs between $800 and $1,200 to produce, but Silo Africa offers flexible financing options like pay-as-you-store and lease-to-own to make it affordable for smallholders.
The company aims to reach one million farmers with one million tonnes of storage capacity connected through SiloCloudTM within the next five years. So far, it has deployed over 500 SmartSilos, creating about 25,000 tonnes of storage capacity and reaching over 3,200 households. This has resulted in a 40% reduction in post-harvest losses.
Silo Africa's Kuza Trading Hub links smallholders directly to premium offtakers with transparent contracts and fair pricing. Digital Warehouse Receipts, backed by blockchain-secured traceability, allow farmers to use stored grain as collateral for loans.
Faith Koki's innovative approach has been recognised with the Bayer Foundation Women Empowerment Award. With over 40% of all harvested grain lost annually across Africa, worth more than $4 billion, Silo Africa's work is crucial in helping farmers retain their harvest, increase income, and gain dignity.
