Zimbabwe - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Arnisa Brands is a horticulture business established for the growing, processing and exports of quality Hass avocados "the Green Gold" and the fruit value-added products.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

Arnisa aims to offer a 360º avocado experience in local & international markets by establishing 1) HASS avocado orchard 2) avo oil extraction plant 3) avocado café 4) biodegradable cutlery manufacturing plant 5) online & physical avocado academy. We will plant & maintain a quality certified HASS avocado orchard with a min of 5k trees & estimate maturity reach for harvesting 2-5 years max from plantation. Fresh, unripe high-quality avocados will be cooled, packed, & exported to international markets. We will trade oil extracted from the pulp of remaining & ripe avocados globally. In local market, an avocado café selling oil, smoothies, salads & sandwiches made from avocados will be set up. We will turn inedible waste– avocado seeds into biodegradable forks, knives, spoons, straws, to support the café, & external market. Last, we will develop a healthy app to teach locals on avocado benefits & complement with physical field classes that will support tourist & local small-scale farmers.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

Our world is experiencing long-term shifts in temperatures, weather patterns & Zimbabwe is not immune i.e., current El Niño drought, heatwaves, Cyclone Idai. By planting trees, Arnisa has potential to capture carbon, reduce air pollution & environment degradation contributing to climate solutions. Fruit Orchards are less sensitive to droughts & Arnisa orchard can have large yields for decades, contributing to nutrition & food security. Globally avocado & its oil production has a CAGR of 7% & 16.2% respectively & demand is forecasted to exceed available supply as world’s population is estimated to increase by +2billion people by 2050. Arnisa app, exports, oil & cutlery industrial & academy facilities will contribute to Zimbabwe trade, economic & employment growth. Zimbabwe had a 9.10% unemployment rate & the country's trade balance was -9% of GDP in 2023. Production of biodegradable cutlery also uses less fossil fuels & cutlery breaks down faster contributing to climate solutions.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your project intends to provide (at least 3).

By complimenting available supply of avocados to meet global demand, Arnisa clients can enjoy the culinary, health, & cosmetic benefits of avocados & avocado oil. As a source of monounsaturated fats, vitamins, minerals, potassium, & fibre adding avocados to culinary creations reduces bad cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, heart diseases, improving digestion, & aiding healthy BP levels. Cosmetic companies can use avocado oil due to its moisturizing & antioxidant properties to make skin products that repair damage caused by acne, eczema, pimples etc. Since biodegradable cutlery organically degrades over time, leaving no harmful microplastic pollution in the environment, using these will reduce waste & rubbish generation & its impact on landfills & ecosystems while the academy will improve the resilience of locals. The business itself would benefit Zimbabwe’s employment market, increasing its production & exports currently averaging 9.8k metric ton/ year of 8.98m metric ton/ year globally.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your project is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

In Zimbabwe, Arnisa will create multiple job opportunities, from maintaining a globally certified orchard, harvesting, cooling & packing, sales & marketing exports, oil extraction, bottling & cutlery industrial facilities & avocado café. In full operation, Arnisa can provide employment for over 50 people including women from rural areas. Targeted also are local restaurants, pizza places, hair & skin product manufacturers, the end user, health enthusiasts & public. In international markets, Arnisa products will target top importers of Avocados in Africa who are easily accessible, riding on logistical advantages, bilateral & multilateral trade agreements that offer reduced or eliminate customs duties. In addition, the UK & Netherlands which are already top importers of Zimbabwe avocado. Arnisa will also explore other European & Asian Markets that have increased their avocado consumption in recent years. Arnisa model will also target & serve tourist & advance local small-scale farmers.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2023-04-20

01.06 How many other partners are associated with your business venture?

2

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

1

01.08 Please describe the profile of each of the other partners (skills, experience, etc.)

The other 2 Arnisa Brands partners are Arnold (Male) and Nokuthula (Female). Arnold is a competent marketing professional with an MBA in Marketing from the University of Nicosia and over 5 years’ experience in project management. While Nokuthula is an undergraduate law student from the University of Zimbabwe. Arnold and Nokuthula are both passionate about creating Zimbabwe’s most advanced avocado network with Arnisa Brands. Arnold invests in avocado-specific infrastructure to expertly grow and produce quality supply of the HASS avocado. Nokuthula is investing in people (employment matters) and international trade law to master the legal structure of the company, payment methods in international trade, and various aspects of shipping.

01.09 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link here:

https://www.instagram.com/arnisabrands.zw/

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

l) Agriculture

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

5

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

In Zimbabwe, the commercial Hass avocado is popularly grown in the Eastern Highlands i.e., Nyanga, Chimanimani & Chipinge where temperatures are most favorable. Arnisa Brands acts to end poverty through provision of employment aimed at income security, decent work & economic autonomy for people of Eastern Highlands in particular women. Women are most vulnerable as they struggle with unequal burden of caring for households, children, or dependents. By giving them jobs, educating them on avocado farming they can be less dependent on men, less vulnerable to poverty & equipped to manage risks like Zimbabwe's economic downturns.

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

6

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

Arnisa Brands acts towards zero hunger by establishing sustainable avocado production systems, implementing resilient agricultural practices that increases production of the highly nutritious avocado fruit. By ensuring food and nutrition security through supply of avocados in the global market Arnisa brands positively impact economies, health, education aspects that may otherwise be affected by inadequate food supply. In addition, enhancing the knowledge and skills of small scale farmers on the benefits of avocados and avocado farming we also contribute to capacity building of individuals to work and earn for themselves reducing hunger in the country and world at large.

02.03.01 My project contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

Through Arnisa Brands model alone we directly address target 3.9 under SDG3 substantially reducing the number of deaths & illnesses from hazardous chemicals & air, water and soil pollution & contamination. Fruit orchards have the potential to capture carbon, reduce air pollution & environment degradation contributing to climate solutions. In addition, the avocado offering also directly contributes to target 3.4 aimed at reducing by 1/3 premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases through prevention & treatment. By offering the healthy and nutrient avocado to multitudes worldwide we play our role in reducing the risks of heart diseases, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes, which are the leading causes of death worldwide and represent an emerging global health threat. The health app on avocados will also educate the public on benefits of avocados and implore proactiveness to consuming avocados improving health and wellbeing of populations.

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

5

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

By contributing to SDG 1,2, and 3 - reducing poverty, hunger and ensuring communities are resilient, with economic autonomy, and leading healthy lives we ensure their capacity to educate themselves and their families. Whereas if people live in poverty, hunger, and struggle from health challenges, education may not be prioritized from the little they earn. Additionally, the health app is an education platform that ensures people, regardless of background, race, age, location are fully capacitated on avocado health benefits.

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

5

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

Arnisa Brands act towards gender equality from its leadership structure where women’s full and effective participation is considered. Additionally, as highlighted on SDG 1 priority will be given to women of Eastern Highlands to equip them with skills and economic autonomy in the face of our country's economic downturns.

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

5

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

While the production of avocados remains water-intensive, Arnisa Brands will commit to clean water and sanitation practices including water conservation within facilities, drought-tolerant landscaping, water-wise agricultural practices including drip irrigation.

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

4

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

In full operation, Arnisa Brands anticipate employment of 50 -75 people promoting decent work for both men and women and provision of equal pay for equal work and safe working environment. Collective efforts of Arnisa Brands leadership and its employees will improve Zimbabwe avocado production, resulting in an increase in harvest and exports to improve Zimbabwe's trade surplus and GDP which was negative 9% in 2023.

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

7 - Strongly Agree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

Although Arnisa Brands will be categorized as a small-to-medium enterprise for the foreseeable future, the model adopts a value-addition strategy. The export section will require resilient warehouse infrastructure for washing, sorting, packaging and cooling storage facilities. In its way, contributing to industrialization. The oil extraction processes, and biodegradable cutlery manufacturing also qualifies and industrialization fostering innovation borrowed from developed countries. All in all, the model will significantly raise Zimbabwe's industry share of employment and gross domestic product.

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

4

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

6

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

Arnisa Brands acts to ensure safe, resilient and sustainable human settlement through mitigating climate change, and resilience to disasters by planting of trees and production of materials that organically degrades over time, leaving no harmful microplastic pollution in the environment, using these will reduce waste & rubbish generation & its impact on landfills & ecosystems.

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

By offering a 360º avocado experience - ensuring no avocado fresh or ripe or its inedible seed goes to waste, Arnisa brands acts to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses. In addition, the production of biodegradable cutlery uses less fossil fuels significantly reducing their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

As Arnisa expects to establish its orchard in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe the same area that was affected by Cyclone Idai in 2019, the projects act to combat climate change and its impact as fruits orchard will reduce exposure & vulnerability to climate related extreme events or environmental disasters for people of Eastern Highlands. Overall, Arnisa Brands, strengthens capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, droughts, flooding and other disasters.

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

4

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

While there is concern for deforestation when clearing land to support an orchard, we will plant more trees than destroyed.

02.16.01 My project contributes to the Peace justice and strong institutions goal

2

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

Arnisa Brands acts to revitalize global partnership for sustainable development by contributing to the trade targets of SDG17 establishing global supply and customer partnerships riding on multilateral trading systems, significantly increasing Zimbabwe exports.

05.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.02 The product/service we envision creating represents an entirely new type of product/service.

2

05.03 The product/service we envision creating could be described as a new technology.

2

05.04 The product/service we envision creating is an improvement on an existing product or service.

5

05.05 The product/service we envision creating could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

5

05.06 The product/service we envision creating responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

5

05.07 The product/service we envision creating is a new version of an old product/service.

4

05.08 Justification

While there are a large number of customers worldwide who already buys and consumes avocado, avocado oil, and biodegradable cutlery, rarely, do you find one organization offering a 360-degree avocado experience particularly, in Africa or Zimbabwe. Moreover, majority of the Zimbabwean population is not cognisant of the full benefits of avocado, avocado farming, avocado oil, and the needs to mitigate climate change impacts through orchard farming on production of biodegradable products. Therefore, Arnisa Brands will borrow strategies from developed countries, to respond to the demand and need that is yet to be satisfied in Zimbabwe and African context at large.

05.09 Who are your main potential competitors and what makes you stand out from them?

Arnisa Brands will compete both in a local and international market. In Zimbabwe there are 12 avocado exporters, then there are African exporters i.e., Morocco, Uganda, and in particular Kenya who ranks in the top 10 avocado exporters worldwide with 32% of total exports in Africa. Globally, Arnisa Brands will also compete with international exporters such as Mexico who is the biggest avocado exporter. Nonetheless, despite the competition, what makes Arnisa Brands unique is its ability to become a one-stop shop for all things avocado. In addition, Arnisa sustainability efforts from inception, doing the most to make a positive impact for our people, our communities, our environment, our country and the world will be our selling point differentiating us from majority of organizations that were initially established with profit in mind and are playing catch up to meet sustainable development goals.

10.06 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

To some extent, YES. Currently roped in a young woman from my community pursuing her undergrad to join this venture and collaborate towards an advanced avocado network in Zimbabwe. Due to job scarcity in Zimbabwe, young people in particular young women often resort to buying and selling of food items and clothing after graduation to make a living in Zimbabwe and it is my hope to give my co-founder purpose with this this entrepreneurship journey.