MEET AUDREY S. DARKO, FOUNDER OF SABON SAKE.

Improving Agriculture through Eco-Friendly Soil Amendments.

It is often said that when the last tree dies, the last man dies. Every initiative taken in the quest to sustain agriculture represents a step closer to saving the dwindling plant population and rescuing human lives from extinction. For Audrey S. Darko, earning a Bachelor’s Degree from Ashesi University in Business Administration in 2019, served as a strong foundation for launching her eco-friendly initiative-Sabon Sake.

As the world’s population continues to increase, the need for increased agricultural produce equally becomes paramount. Increasing agricultural produce, also calls for improved farming methods amongst which includes the use of appropriate fertilizers. The sad reality however is that most of the world’s fertilizers today are produced in large-scale, centralized, capital-intensive facilities located mostly in North America, Europe, and China, and then shipped to emerging economies. Due to this long-distance transportation, rural farmers in Africa ( and for that matter Ghana), often pay 2–3 times the world price for their fertilizers. Due to their limited income, Ghanaian farmers often afford the cheapest, synthetic varieties that overtime degrade/acidify their soil (Climate Action Challenge, 2017).

Sabon Sake is helping to solve this problem through its provision of carbon-negative soil amendments for commercial farmers, greenhouses and other agriculturally inclined organizations. Equally important, the company leverages on local organic agro-waste as a means of soil and land restoration. “Much more than just engaging in local manufacturing, we envision to empower farming communities by helping them create value out of Agricultural waste” says Audrey, the CEO.

As a hybrid business under the guidance of the Ashesi Venture Incubator (AVI), Sabon Sake is helping to achieve a number of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its provision of quality organic soil amendments that increase crop yield and which serve as a substitute for the traditional carbon fertilizers; Reducing Hunger (SDG2), Promoting Good Health and Well-being (SDG3), and Ensuring Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG12) are a few of the UN’s SDGs which are directly impacted by Sabon Sake’s work . In Audrey’s own words,

“At Sabon Sake, we work every day to help farmers battle soil degradation; a real-time threat that jeopardizes the future of sustainable food supply. Along with our products designed specifically to buck the trend, we connect with our farmers in intimate ways to ensure they adopt climate-resilient farming techniques and habits. We also help our customers realize their dreams and empower them economically so they spread the word and effect change in their respective communities.”

The AVI is an off-shoot of the New Entrepreneurs Xchange for Transformation: Idea to Impact project (NEXTi2i), which is a collaboration between Ashesi University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s D-Lab. Over the course of one year, fellows are given the opportunity to invest in their businesses and redefine their business models through the incubator’s provision of business coaching from local and global business leaders, business development sessions, support services and financial stipends.

Speaking on the motivation behind her work, Audrey said, “just the fact that we’re building something that will in the long run transform the agricultural sector in Ghana into one that is more sustainable and climate-friendly, is enough inspiration and motivation for me.

As a long-term goal, Sabon Sake envisions to become the market leader and pioneering brand for climate-smart organic farming and agricultural management in Ghana and beyond.

To find out more about Audrey’s work with Sabon Sake, click sabonsake.com

Tags: Ashesi, Ashesi alumni, AVI fellows, entrepreneurs, Incubator, shaping the economy