About us

Organic producer at origin

Kenyan-German organic company

Value creation at origin in partnership with contracted smallholder farmers

LIMBUA is a Kenyan-German organic producer and supplier that combines certified organic agriculture, its own processing facilities and long-term partnerships with smallholder farmers in Kenya. In cooperation with more than 9,000 certified smallholder farmers, we produce and export macadamia nuts, avocado oil and dried mango.

Our aim as an organic company is to create value at origin while enabling stable, long-term supply chains for business customers worldwide. This approach supports processing under controlled conditions and sourcing from documented, traceable supply chains. Our products are tailored to the requirements of wholesale and industrial processing, harvested fresh on farms and processed directly at origin in our own facilities.

Product Portfolio

VIDEO: From smallholder farmers to customers

In this video, we show how LIMBUA operates as an organic producer – from collaboration with local smallholder farmers to processing at our own production sites in Kenya.

The focus is on the people behind the products, short distances at origin and the idea of keeping value where it is created.

DIRECTLY ON SITE

We process harvests directly at origin, so they do not need to be transported to industrial areas such as Nairobi or Thika. This helps keep jobs and value creation within the region. Over time, LIMBUA has established four rural production sites:

GITHURE Macadamia processing
KITHUNGURURU Macadamia processing
KATHANGARI Tree nursery
KIANYAGA Macadamia processing
ENA Avocado oil and mango processing

This means:
Close to smallholder farmers
Short transport routes
Fresh raw materials
Processing and value creation within the region

YESTERDAY STARTUP

TODAY MARKET LEADER

The story of LIMBUA began in 2006: After studying economics at the University of Witten/Herdecke, Matti Spiecker was inspired by social entrepreneurs in Asia, Latin America and Africa. In Kenya, he met Peter Muchau Wangara. Together, they developed the idea for a processing company specialising in organic macadamia nuts.

Without intermediaries, the two founders aimed to bring the harvest of Kenyan smallholder farmers to international markets while retaining as much value as possible in the country of origin. Today, organic macadamia, avocado oil and dried mango are processed at origin through direct supply chains and supplied to international organic markets. LIMBUA is an established producer of organic macadamia for international markets.

From the beginning, production and sales have been organised within one integrated structure.

Our way there

Since day one, LIMBUA has been about sustainable business, focusing on ecological and social aspects.

LIMBUA’s production sites and nursery are located within smallholder farming communities. Many of the employees are family members of LIMBUA’s contracted smallholder farmers.

2006

While the company idea grows, the foundation WELT:KLASSE starts its work. It gives students the chance to get to know sustainability projects in Kenya and other countries.
2009

LIMBUA is founded as a German-Kenyan company specializing in organic macadamia nuts. A processing facility is established in Githure to process the harvest locally.
2012

After 3 years of conversion, the first smallholders receive full organic status. LIMBUA is therefore the first company in the world to accompany macadamia smallholders in achieving organic certification.
2014

There is an increasing demand for macadamia nuts in organic quality for natural food and cosmetics. LIMBUA grows and opens its second factory in Kithungururu.
2016

Well-known companies from the German and European organic market are now among LIMBUA's customers. To serve them, a third factory is built in Kianyaga.
2018

For more and more customers LIMBUA is considered a quality producer of organic macadamia nuts and thus the factory in Kithungururu is expanded to meet the increasing demand.
2020

The increasing demand ensures full capacity utilization in all three processing sites. Ideas are developed to bring more organic products from Kenyan smallholder farmers to the market.
2021

LIMBUA expands its product range with avocado oil. For this product, too, a modern factory is built on site, where the fruits are peeled, pitted and cold-pressed.
2022

Organic mango is now also being purchased from the farmers who work with LIMBUA. The fruits are processed into dried mangoes of organic quality.
2025

As an organic producer LIMBUA now employs over 900 staff on the ground in Kenya and works with more than 9,000 organically certified contract smallholder farmers.

WHAT MAKES LIMBUA DIFFERENT

Since its founding, LIMBUA has aimed to build a partnership between Europe and Africa in which multiple stakeholders benefit. This approach shapes how value creation and processing at origin are organised.

Transparency

Macadamia consumers want to know where their products come from

Our products go through several production steps. Through digital technologies, these remain traceable along the supply and production chain: it is possible to trace which batch comes from which farmer – from the smallholder farm to the logistics centre.

This supports quality assurance and makes it possible to document the origin and processing of the products in a transparent way.

MANUFACTURING

In LIMBUA’s own production facilities, many processing steps are carried out manually. This helps ensure consistent product quality and at the same time creates employment in rural areas.

A large share of employees are family members of our contracted smallholder farmers. They receive compensation above the local minimum wage as well as contributions to health insurance, social security and pension schemes.

Quality

From harvest to packaging, our macadamia nuts, avocados and mangoes go through multiple quality checks. Short transport routes between farms and production sites enable timely processing.

In addition, certified organic cultivation, gentle processing methods and our nursery for grafted seedlings are part of our overall quality approach.

FAQ about LIMBUA

What is LIMBUA and what is your mission?

LIMBUA is a Kenyan-German organic producer operating internationally, specialized in processing and exporting organic macadamia nuts, mangoes, and avocados.

Our mission: To focus on organic cultivation and long-term cooperation with smallholder farmers, contributing to more stable income structures. At the same time, we produce organic food for international markets – with a focus on traceable supply chains and long-term partnerships.

Is LIMBUA both producer and supplier?

Yes. LIMBUA as an organic company oversees the entire value chain under one roof – from sourcing the harvests directly from smallholder farms, to processing in its own facilities, and finally to packaging and export.

How do you collaborate with smallholder farmers in Kenya?

LIMBUA works directly with more than 9,000 contracted smallholder farmers at the slopes of Mount Kenya in Kirinyaga County.

Farmers receive regular training, including in organic cultivation practices.
Tree seedlings are provided to support farm development.
Harvests are purchased at the farms and recorded digitally.
Payments are made via mobile phone systems.

This structure enables direct sourcing and long-term supply relationships.

How is the traceability of the organic products ensured?

The harvests – macadamia nuts, mangoes and avocados – are purchased directly at the farms, digitally recorded and paid for via mobile phone. This process is supported by a proprietary software system developed by LIMBUA, which has received the CSR Award of the German Federal Government.

Each step along the supply chain – from harvesting and processing to refining, packaging and export – is digitally documented and assigned to the respective farms.

This creates a digitally documented and traceable supply chain structure.

Why does LIMBUA avoid intermediaries in sourcing?

Protection against fraud: Payments and data entries are recorded digitally and can be traced, helping to identify and reduce discrepancies in weight recording.

Direct market access: Smallholder farmers do not have to negotiate with middlemen; they sell their harvests directly to LIMBUA.

Digitalpayment: Farmers receive payment via mobile phone (M-Pesa).

Pricing: Instead of relying on intermediaries, LIMBUA maintains direct business relationships with farmers based on clearly defined and accessible terms.

How many employees does the company have?

LIMBUA currently employs more than 900 staff members in Kenya — working in the production facilities, the tree nursery, and the agricultural team.
In Germany, a team of over ten employees is responsible for coordinating sales to international organic customers.

How does LIMBUA support young people and women?

Over 90% of employees in Kenya are between 18 and 35 years old, and around 70% are women. This contributes to employment opportunities for young people and women in rural areas.

Compensation is structured to ensure equal pay for comparable roles, regardless of gender.

„When the added value stays in the country, more people benefit from Fair Trade. This idea guided me in founding LIMBUA.“

Matti Spiecker

Our Team

In Kenya. And Germany.

LIMBUA works with around 9,000 smallholder farmers in Kenya. In addition, several hundred people are employed in our own production facilities and in the tree nursery, a significant share of whom are women.

In Germany, we manage distribution to wholesale and retail as well as to established companies in the natural food and natural cosmetics sector worldwide.