Building resilient and traceable food systems in Benin

Agriculture remains the backbone of livelihoods and food security in Benin, yet farmers are increasingly affected by rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, declining soil fertility and post-harvest losses. These pressures are particularly acute in Northern Benin, where access to agricultural advisory services, finance and markets remains limited.

At the same time, businesses operating in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) often struggle to access the technical assistance and investment needed to scale climate-resilient business models and attract commercial finance. Buyers and investors are also placing growing emphasis on traceability, responsible sourcing and stronger environmental and social standards across agricultural supply chains.

Strengthening resilience and transparency in agricultural value chains

Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Abomey-Calavi, MM Lekker sources and aggregates soybeans, cashew nuts, shea nuts and other agricultural commodities through a network of more than 5,000 smallholder farmers across Northern Benin.

The company plays an important role in connecting producers to structured markets and a growing domestic agro-processing sector. Following rapid commercial growth and successful access to working capital finance, MM Lekker is now preparing for its next phase of expansion while strengthening the resilience, sustainability and traceability of its sourcing model.

Through the DFCD Origination Facility, MM Lekker will receive grant support and technical assistance focused on three areas:

• developing and testing a climate-resilient farmer advisory model to improve productivity and post-harvest management;

• strengthening digital traceability and farmer profiling through the development of the MM Lekker Connect platform;

• building stronger environmental, social and gender systems to support responsible sourcing and improve investment readiness.

Together, these activities are expected to strengthen the company's sourcing model and help mobilise approximately €2 million in working capital finance to support future growth.

The role of digital traceability

A central component of the project is MM Lekker Connect, a digital farmer and traceability platform that will enable the company to register producers, strengthen supply chain transparency and improve sourcing decisions across its network.

As agricultural markets increasingly require greater transparency and responsible sourcing practices, digital systems such as these are becoming critical enablers of investment, certification and market access for agribusinesses operating in emerging markets.

Supporting women farmers and food security

Women currently represent approximately 31% of MM Lekker's producer network but continue to face barriers in accessing productive resources, advisory services and finance.

The project will place particular emphasis on improving access and participation for women and young farmers through more inclusive advisory approaches and stronger farmer engagement systems.

Over time, the project is expected to support the expansion of MM Lekker's sourcing network from approximately 5,000 farmers today to between 15,000 and 25,000 farmers, contributing to more resilient livelihoods and stronger food systems across Northern Benin.

Why it matters for Least Developed Countries

MM Lekker represents the kind of locally rooted and commercially viable business increasingly emerging in climate-vulnerable LDCs — businesses capable of strengthening food systems while improving resilience for smallholder farmers.

Through its Origination Facility, DFCD helps bridge the gap between promising businesses and investment readiness by providing the technical assistance needed to unlock larger pools of commercial and climate finance.

“Our ambition is to make MM Lekker an African benchmark for sustainable agricultural supply chains. With the support of the DFCD, we are accelerating the structuring of a model that improves producers’ incomes, strengthens climate resilience and meets the requirements of international markets in terms of quality, traceability and sustainability,” said Armel Ahimakin, Founder and CEO of MM Lekker.

"Building climate resilience in food systems is not only about improving production practices. It also requires stronger market linkages, better information flows and more transparent supply chains. Through DFCD, we are supporting businesses like MM Lekker to build the systems and capacities needed to attract investment and scale their impact in challenging markets," said Marcel Etchian, Business Origination Advisor, SNV/DFCD.