Giraffe Bioenergy produces ethanol cooking fuel from cassava, integrating agricultural technology and ethanol manufacturing to serve the clean cooking market in Kenya. The company aims to establish rural bioeconomies by increasing incomes for women in farming communities through large-scale cassava farming and ethanol fuel production.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Kenya relies heavily on imported ethanol for cooking fuel, despite having the resources for domestic production. This dependence on imports creates economic vulnerability and limits access to affordable clean cooking solutions. Smallholder farmers lack access to high-yield, disease-resistant cassava varieties, hindering large-scale bioethanol production.
Solution
Giraffe Bioenergy addresses this challenge by integrating agricultural technology and ethanol manufacturing to produce locally-made ethanol cooking fuel from cassava. The company establishes rural bioeconomies by increasing incomes for women in farming communities through large-scale cassava farming using rapid propagation technology (RPT) at their Center for Cassava Excellence. This approach reduces reliance on firewood and charcoal, cutting deforestation, and providing communities with a cleaner, more affordable cooking fuel. By scaling cassava farming with irrigation, Giraffe Bioenergy ensures year-round production and strengthens food security by stabilizing staple prices and reducing dependence on maize imports.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes households in Kenya seeking affordable and clean cooking fuel alternatives, as well as women in rural farming communities who can benefit from increased income and economic opportunities.
Features
- Integrated cassava-to-ethanol platform for local ethanol production.
- Rapid Propagation Technology (RPT) for disease-resistant cassava varieties.
- Block Farmer Program equipping women farmers with land, training, and access to irrigation.
- Sustainable cassava farming practices including soil management, water conservation, and agroforestry.
- Center for Cassava Excellence in Kilifi, Kenya, for research and training.
- Production target of 45 million litres of ethanol cooking fuel capacity by 2028.