On 28th April 2022 UNIDO ITPO Italy, together with NETFUND Kenya (the National Environment Trust Fund) hosted the virtual company visit of the Kenyan company “Sweet ’n’ Dried” for a selected number of Italian companies operating in the nexus water-food-energy-environment.

Sweet ’n’ Dried is a young, dynamic and women-led company specialized since 2009 in the field of dried fruits, vegetables and composite flours and collaborating with more than 3,000 local smallholder farmers. With beyond 40% of its production from solar energy for enhanced environmental sustainability, the company is now looking for cutting-edge technologies and solutions made in Italy, especially regarding the installation of improved solar driers and solar hybrid power supply systems, with the goal to increase its production and access international markets.

Moderated by UNIDO ITPO Italy Investment Promotion Expert Ms. Ester Temperato and Special Advisor for Energy and Environment in Kenya Ms. Faith Okaalet, the virtual company visit opened with the presentation of NETFUND Kenya by Project Manager Mr. Andrew Machora and Resource Mobilization Officer Mr. Benedict Muyale, and notably featured the presentation by Sweet ’n’ Dried Director Ms. Mercy Mwende, with a detailed overview of her company and how it contributes to address post-harvest losses and food insecurity and create jobs and socio-economic prosperity in Kenya.

The second part of the virtual company visit featured a business matching session, where the Italian participating companies — among these, G-TEK, AIRMEC, Solgreen, Eemaxx Engineering, EnergTrade and Brixham — had the opportunity to introduce their business and pave the way for potential synergies and future collaborations.

Thanks to the large availability of raw materials, a huge local demand and an already-established international market, Sweet ’n’ Dried represents an important occasion for investment and technology transfer for Italian companies interested in discovering new business opportunities in the energy and environment sectors of Kenya.

This initiative was organized in the framework of the project “Fostering international partnerships between companies and/or institutions operating in the energy and environment sectors” (#FIPEE) funded by the Italian Ministry of Ecological Transition and implemented by UNIDO ITPO Italy.