At the Wyss Academy for Nature, our Innovation Fund was created with a simple ambition: to support entrepreneurs who build nature-positive solutions together with local communities. We believe that lasting landscape restoration depends on business models that strengthen both ecosystems and livelihoods. Through the Fund, we back early-stage ventures that are willing to test new approaches in complex environments.

We are therefore very pleased to share that we are investing in and partnering with OnlyPlants to pilot Bambara groundnut cultivation in Northern Kenya.

Last year, the Wyss Academy and OnlyPlants teams spent time with the Chui Mamas, a women’s group in Laikipia, to introduce them to Bambara groundnut. The women have acquired their own land and are building independent income streams through farming. What stood out was not only their entrepreneurial spirit, but their curiosity. When introduced to Bambara, they immediately began asking practical questions. Could this crop thrive here? Could Bambara milk serve as a reliable source of nutrition during dry periods when livestock produce little milk?

 Together, we will now explore these questions through a structured pilot. At Tambuzi, another local partner of the Wyss Academy, we will test how different Bambara varieties perform under semi-arid conditions. In collaboration with the Chui Mamas at Lewaso, we will assess whether Bambara can become a viable, women-led livelihood opportunity and a resilient source of nutrition. We will also introduce selected varieties into existing semi-circular bunds to observe potential soil and ecological benefits.

 For us, this partnership is about more than introducing a new crop. It is about understanding whether climate-resilient, indigenous crops can strengthen regenerative landscape efforts by linking restoration, entrepreneurship, and local food systems in practice.

We look forward to sharing what we learn as this collaboration evolves!

This project is done in partnership with: OnlyPlants, Chui Mamas, Tambuzi, Green Earth Warriors & Brainforest.