ADM Cares and Concern Worldwide US Expand Kenya Partnership to Reach 17,500 Farmers
Seven-year LEAF partnership has helped farmers produce more than 2,000 metric tons of crops while building stronger, more independent farming businesses in Tana River County.
ADM Cares, ADM’s corporate social investment program, is supporting Concern Worldwide US’ Lifesaving Education and Assistance to Farmers (LEAF) program in Kenya, helping strengthen food security, climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods for farming communities across Tana River County. The program is reaching 17,500 farmers and is expected to indirectly benefit over 100,000 people.
Building on a partnership that began in 2019, ADM and Concern have helped farmers adopt nutrition-sensitive and climate-smart agricultural practices through a combination of technical training, improved access to inputs and stronger market connections. To date, farmers supported through the program have collectively produced more than 2,000 metric tons of crops, while malnutrition rates in LEAF-supported communities remain significantly lower than county averages.
The latest phase of the program, LEAF IV, aims to improve both the quality and quantity of crop production while strengthening links to commercial and export markets. LEAF IV has also expanded its reach by supporting an additional 2,000 farmers since the beginning of the year, and promoting sustainable, private sector-led agricultural development models.
Since January 2026, the program has already achieved several important milestones, including:
- Training 2000 additional farmers on climate-smart farming techniques, soil and water conservation, pest management and value chain development who join the existing 15,500 farmers
- Providing certified seeds to more than 1,000 farmers to support diversified crop production
- Supporting more than 450 farmers with reliable irrigation water supplies across approximately 330 acres of farmland
- Training over 50 agricultural extension officers to strengthen local farming support networks
- Establishing and/or strengthening 18 fruit tree nurseries to promote agricultural diversification and agroforestry
- Introducing apiculture with 14 apiaries currently supported as an alternative source of income for farmers and a co-benefiting activity to farmer’s agriculture goals
The program is helping communities adapt to increasingly challenging environmental conditions, including recurring droughts, flooding and pest outbreaks. Farmers participating in previous phases of LEAF have demonstrated greater resilience to climate shocks compared to the county’s average, with approximately 40% of participating farmers successfully transitioning from project assistance to independently sustaining and growing their agricultural enterprises.
In addition to supporting agricultural livelihoods, LEAF IV is helping improve community nutrition. During the reporting period, community health promoters supported by the program screened more than 5,100 children for malnutrition and provided nutrition education and health guidance to families across the three project areas.
“At ADM, we believe resilient communities are essential to resilient food systems,” said Erdal Kurban, President, Africa & Middle East, ADM. “Through ADM Cares, we are proud to support Concern’s work helping smallholder farmers strengthen their livelihoods, build resilience to climate challenges and improve food security for their families and communities.”
“The progress achieved through LEAF demonstrates the power of long-term partnerships and community-led development,” said Katie Waller, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Concern Worldwide, US. “With support from ADM Cares, we are helping farmers access the knowledge, resources and opportunities they need to improve productivity, strengthen resilience and create lasting change.”
About ADM
ADM unlocks the power of nature to enrich the quality of life. They're an essential global agricultural supply chain manager and processor, providing food security by connecting local needs with global capabilities. They're a premier human and animal nutrition provider, offering one of the industry’s broadest portfolios of ingredients and solutions from nature. ADM is a trailblazer in health and well-being, with an industry-leading range of products for consumers looking for new ways to live healthier lives. They’re a cutting-edge innovator, guiding the way to a future of new bio-based consumer and industrial solutions. And they're leading in business-driven sustainability efforts that support a strong agricultural sector, resilient supply chains, and a vast and growing bioeconomy. Around the globe, ADM’s expertise and innovation are meeting critical needs from harvest to home. Learn more at www.adm.com.
About Concern Worldwide US
Concern Worldwide US is an international humanitarian organization dedicated to reducing suffering and ending extreme poverty in the world's most vulnerable communities. Since 2002, Concern has worked in Kenya, partnering with local leaders and government officials to design programs that address chronic malnutrition and build long-term food security. Concern's community-based approach combines nutrition programming, including screening and treatment for acute malnutrition, with climate-smart agriculture training, helping families build resilience against droughts, floods, and other climate shocks. Concern works in 24 countries and territories, including Kenya. To learn more about our work, visit www.concernusa.org.
