Banking on Resilience - Family Bank’s Journey Beyond Finance
Banking on resilience - Family Bank’s journey beyond finance
A strategic investment in Family Bank is transforming Kenya’s agribusiness landscape through sustainable finance.
Investment summary
Many Kenyan tea producers understand that conserving biodiversity and using resources more sustainably can increase efficiency and profitability, and help them mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change. To do this, they need financing and support.
Our investment in Family Bank Kenya contributed to financing small-holder tea producers aligned with Rainforest Alliance.
Impact spotlight - From fields to global markets
In Kenya’s agricultural heartlands, producers with internationally recognized sustainability certifications are proving that farming can be both profitable and environmentally friendly. With support from the eco.business Fund and its partner Family Bank, these businesses can now access the capital they need to scale responsibly.
John Karuga, founder of Everest Enterprise, was one of Kenya’s first horticulture exporters. He used Family Bank’s financing to bring his vision of Kenya as a horticultural leader to life, expanding his business from exporting a single container a week to over 100.
In Bomet County, Hillary Too and Zeddy Chepkemo of Tet Tea Factory used bank financing to prepare for a more sustainable future by installing solar power and improved waste systems.
These stories reflect the ripple effect of accessible, purpose-driven finance—empowering local businesses to lead, innovate and thrive in harmony with the environment.
Family Bank has been our backbone throughout our journey. The Bank’s products have helped grow our business to new heights, and without the Bank’s help, we would not have been in business.
Zeddy Chepkemo, Factory Accountant, Tet Tea Factory
Purpose of the investment
In the short term, the investment helped tea producers in Kenya to be more efficient and conserve biodiversity on their farms. In the longer term, it is the first step in the bank’s efforts to diversify into agriculture and attract new development partners.
Family Bank Kenya is already discussing new opportunities with partners interested in specific projects. Perfometer Agribusiness is keen to collaborate on opportunities around the dairy industry. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), an agricultural research center, is exploring opportunities in sorghum. The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is interested in collaborating with Family Bank around maize.
By working with partners like these, Family Bank will significantly increase the resilience of agribusiness in Kenya.
Impact of the investment
Since 2022, our investments have contributed to putting nearly 6,600 hectares under sustainable management. This has supported 8,000 indirect jobs and 9,700 smallholder farmers. Financing sustainable measures on the Green List should also deliver additional environmental benefits, including increased CO2 storage and water savings.
We provided 105 Family Bank credit and loan officers with specialised and comprehensive training around sustainability lending. This improved Family Bank’s credit paper quality and increased the credit team’s understanding of agri-facilities. Today, 70 branches consistently originate agri-loans, up from 20 before EBF’s support. This significantly diversified Family Bank’s agri-loan book to include dairy (mainly milk processors), cereals (mainly grain processors) and horticulture (mainly small to medium scale exporters).
We have also provided ongoing assistance on improving Environmental and Social Management Systems to enhance environmental and social risk screening, data analysis and impact reporting.
SDGs supported
