The Company

YESTERDAY START-UP
TODAY MARKET LEADER

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

Without middlemen, the two managing directors wanted to bring the harvest of Kenyan smallholders to the international market, leaving as much added value as possible in the country.

DIRECTLY ON SITE

We process macadamia nuts, Avocados and Mangos entirely locally so that as many people as possible around Mount Kenya can benefit.

Thus, four production sites have been established in the countryside in the course of LIMBUA's development:

GITHURE Macadamia processing
GITHUNGURURU Macadamia processing
KATHANGARI Our nursery
KIANYAGA Macadamia processing  
ENA Avocado oil factory

That means:

Close to the local people
Short transport routes
Fresh raw material
Improved standard of living for the rural population

Our way there

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

  • 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.

LIMBUA VIDEO

MACADAMIA SPECIALISTS
FOR THE ORGANIC MARKET

Today, LIMBUA is the leading supplier of organic macadamias. With fresh ideas and modern technology, we are turning the world into a village: harvest recording, quality control and logistics have long been digitized at our company. This allows us to pay our macadamia farmers fairly, in real time and keep track of the journey from farm to customer. The highest organic quality is guaranteed by the EU organic seal and certificates from IFS Food, USDA Organic (NOP), Bio Suisse, Fair-for-Life, Halal and Kosher.

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 Kenia. And Germany.

Around 7,000 smallholder farmers and their families now have a secure income through LIMBUA. At the same time, more than several hundred jobs have been created in four modern factories and in the tree nursery, with the majority of employees being women. In Germany, we are in charge of the distribution to wholesalers and retailers and to well-known natural food and natural cosmetics companies all over the world.

Meet some of our more than 700 employees from different departments

Matti Spiecker

Founder & Director

Peter Wangara

Founder & Director

Bettina Schley

Senior Sales Manager

Boniface Mutua

Operations Manager

Mike Margiciok

Operations Manager Germany

Elizabeth Muiruri

Finance Manager
Michael Langat Limbua

Michael Langat

Human Resources

Sebastian Lamprecht

Senior Sales Manager

Yannic Schröder

Senior Sales Manager
Doortje Maillard Limbua

Kenneth Waweru

Production Manager
Doortje Maillard Limbua

Doortje Maillard

Marketing Manager

Abigail Birech

Marketing and PR Officer

Kerstin Schmidtke

Sales Manager
Inga Simon Limbua

Inga Simon

Internal Sales

Alexander Thron

Internal Sales

Regina Rwamba

Nursery Manager

Bettina Schweitzer

Innovations Manager

Juliet Karimi

Stores Officer

Gültakin Nasibova

Internal Sales

Peace Mutua

Traceability Officer

Douglas Mokaya

Quality Control

Mona Ahmad

Administrative Assistant

Mary Muli

Field Department

Peterlis Musili

Field Department

Andrea Schneider

Internal Sales

Sarah Wattjes

Administrative Assistant

Eunice Yapaso

Food Safety Officer

Grace Muriithi

Assistant Accountant

Nancy Njeri

Assistant Production Manager

LIMBUA BUILDS BRIDGES BETWEEN KENYA, GERMANY AND ALL OVER THE WORLD

Our customers and partners

Sustainability involves
organic practices, fair trade & development


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