When David Wright founded Enimiro Products Uganda Ltd in 2019, his ambition was to prove that successful agribusiness begins with trust. With a background in finance and commodity trading and drawing on his experience at Sahanala Madagascar, one of the pioneers of fully traceable vanilla supply chains, he set out to build a business that places smallholder farmers at the heart of the value chain. This vision became Enimiro's "Farmer First" approach, combining direct trade, digital traceability and long-term partnerships to create lasting opportunities for rural producers.
Today, Enimiro works with more than 4,000 smallholder farmers across Uganda, exporting premium vanilla, coffee, pineapple and jackfruit to international markets, including the European Union and the United States. Under David's leadership, vanilla export volumes have increased tenfold, from around 10 metric tons to 100 metric tons per year, through direct farmer engagement, agronomic support and sustainable farming practices.
For David, technology is only valuable when it improves farmers' lives. Enimiro's digital traceability system registers farmers, captures GPS locations and links every harvest to its source, while supporting transparency throughout the supply chain. Beyond compliance, he sees traceability to strengthen farmers' access to training, fairer markets and long-term commercial relationships.
This philosophy is reflected in the experience of Manana Stephen, a partner farmer who expanded his vanilla plantation from 80 to 240 vines after joining Enimiro in 2020. By offering farmers an alternative to informal trading through transparent partnerships, Enimiro has helped build more secure livelihoods while improving the quality and competitiveness of Uganda's agricultural exports.
This long-term vision also helped secure a financing partnership with the Common Fund for Commodities in 2022, reinforcing Enimiro's capacity to invest in farmers and future growth. Through this approach, David demonstrates that agricultural innovation is not only about technology, but also about building trusted relationships and creating value for farmers through transparency, inclusion and sustainable partnerships.
Enimiro has also benefited from the COLEAD Fit for Market Plus programme, receiving tailored technical assistance to strengthen its food safety and quality management systems, prepare for BRCGS certification, and develop a carbon footprint management framework. Complemented by specialised training and post-training support on topics including GLOBALG.A.P., HACCP and access to finance, this support has reinforced the company's capacity to meet evolving market requirements and drive continuous improvement. The company’ experience was also shared in Session 13 of the OECD–COLEAD Fruit and Vegetable Industry Series, where discussions explored how digital technologies and artificial intelligence are helping strengthen traceability, improve operational decision-making and enhance the competitiveness of fruit and vegetable value chains.
This activity is supported by the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, implemented by COLEAD within the Framework of Development Cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union. This publication receives financial support from the European Union and the OACPS. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or the OACPS.