ADM said Tuesday that it is expanding its partnership with the humanitarian group Concern Worldwide US in Kenya's Tana River County. The farmer support program, now in its fourth phase, reaches 17,500 smallholder farmers.
The program, called Lifesaving Education and Assistance to Farmers, or LEAF, is funded through ADM Cares, the company's corporate social investment program. ADM and Concern expect it to indirectly benefit more than 100,000 people. The current phase, LEAF IV, has added 2,000 farmers since the start of 2026. Neither organization disclosed how much money is involved.
"Farmers are at the heart of everything we do at ADM, and resilient farming communities are essential to resilient food systems," said Erdal Kurban, ADM's president for Africa and the Middle East.
Results so far
The partnership began in 2019. It combines technical training with better access to inputs and stronger links to markets, with the goal of helping farmers stand on their own. According to the release, many participants no longer rely on program assistance and now run and grow their own farm businesses.
Farmers in the program have produced more than 2,000 metric tons of crops in total. ADM and Concern said those farmers have also held up better than the county average against repeated droughts, floods and pest outbreaks.
The nutrition numbers show the same trend. Malnutrition rates in LEAF-supported communities fell to 7.3%, compared with a county average of 11.5%.
"Seven years in, we're seeing farmers who once relied on program support now running agricultural businesses of their own," Kurban said.
What LEAF IV adds
The latest phase aims to improve both the quality and the quantity of crops and to connect farmers more closely with commercial and export markets. It also promotes farm development models led by the private sector.
Since January, LEAF IV has trained 2,000 new farmers in climate-smart farming, soil and water conservation, pest management and value chain development. The program has also given certified seed to more than 1,000 farmers so they can grow a wider mix of crops. More than 450 farmers have received irrigation equipment covering about 330 acres.
The program has trained more than 50 agricultural extension officers. It has also set up or strengthened 18 fruit tree nurseries to support crop diversification and agroforestry, and it has set up 14 apiaries that give farmers another source of income through direct sales.
Nutrition and community health
Since January, community health promoters supported by the program have screened more than 5,100 children for malnutrition. They have also given nutrition education and health guidance to families in the program's three project areas in the county.
Cecelia Achieng, a resident of Manyatta Village in Bura, Kenya, credited the program with helping households in her area.
"Concern has really assisted many poor resourced households in my village to put food on the table, access income and knowledge from production to market access," Achieng said.
Concern has worked in Kenya since 2002. Its programs there combine malnutrition screening and treatment with training in climate-smart agriculture. The group operates in 24 countries and territories.
"The progress achieved through LEAF demonstrates the power of long-term partnerships and community-led development," said Katie Waller, director of strategic partnerships at Concern Worldwide US.
The release did not give LEAF IV's budget, its end date or its targets for the rest of the phase. It also did not name the crops involved or the commercial and export buyers that farmers are being connected with.
