Partnering with Many Companies for Rural Empowerment

Rural development is complex, requiring collaboration across various sectors and stakeholders. In 2024–2025, Freshly partnered with a wide range of organizations—from NGOs and agri-fintech firms to UN agencies—to empower rural communities in Kurdistan and beyond. These collaborations aim to improve livelihoods, boost agricultural productivity, and enhance food security.

In this article, we will explore the key partnerships Freshly has fostered over the past year and how these collaborations have made a real difference for rural communities, particularly women-led farms and smallholder farmers.

1. Overview of Freshly’s 2024–25 Partnerships

Freshly’s approach to rural empowerment is built on collaborative, inclusive, and scalable partnerships. Over the past year, Freshly has partnered with local and international organizations that share the goal of creating sustainable change in rural agriculture. These partnerships span several areas:

• Microfinance access for farmers
• Solar-powered cold storage solutions
• Regional food innovation labs for value-add processing
• Technical training and capacity building for rural youth

These initiatives are specifically designed to address the unique challenges faced by rural farmers, from limited access to capital and technology to lack of proper infrastructure. By working together with stakeholders, Freshly is able to create synergistic solutions that address multiple aspects of rural poverty and agricultural sustainability.

2. Microfinance Access for Women-Led Farms

One of the most impactful aspects of Freshly’s partnerships has been its work with microfinance institutions to provide women-led farms with access to capital. Women farmers in rural Kurdistan often face barriers to financing, limiting their ability to invest in modern farming techniques, agricultural inputs, and infrastructure. Through collaboration with microfinance partners, Freshly has helped empower women to:

• Start or expand their farms
• Purchase equipment like drip irrigation systems, greenhouses, and water pumps
• Improve crop yields and market access

In 2024, Freshly helped over 500 women farmers access microloans, enabling them to increase their productivity and become economically independent. This initiative has not only improved food security but also helped enhance gender equality in agriculture, which is a key focus for Freshly and its partners.

3. Solar-Powered Cold Storage Units

Another crucial area of focus has been cold storage solutions. In partnership with private investors and green energy firms, Freshly introduced solar-powered cold storage units across rural areas of Kurdistan. These units help farmers preserve their crops for longer periods, preventing post-harvest losses—which can reach up to 30% for some crops.

The solar-powered systems are especially critical in areas with unreliable electricity, providing consistent refrigeration without the need for traditional power grids. These storage units also have a positive environmental impact by reducing carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels.

In 2024, Freshly and its partners installed 20 solar-powered cold storage units, benefiting over 1,000 farmers. This technology not only reduces food waste but also opens up new markets for farmers to sell their produce, increasing their income potential and improving the stability of local food systems.

4. Regional Food Innovation Labs

Freshly has partnered with local agricultural research centers, universities, and food innovation labs to launch regional food innovation hubs. These labs are dedicated to developing value-added agricultural products that can increase farm profits and help farmers diversify their income streams.

At these labs, farmers can learn about processing techniques to transform raw crops into high-value products like:

• Canned vegetables
• Dried fruits
• Herb-infused oils and sauces

By creating partnerships with agri-tech firms and food processing specialists, Freshly has provided farmers with the tools and knowledge to scale their operations and bring new products to market. This not only reduces reliance on raw crop exports but also adds value to the region’s agricultural products, which strengthens the local economy.

5. Training and Empowering Rural Youth

Freshly has placed significant emphasis on capacity-building programs for rural youth, preparing them for careers in sustainable agriculture, entrepreneurship, and agri-tech innovation. By offering training in areas such as:

• Organic farming practices
• Mobile agribusiness
• Agri-tech development

Freshly, in collaboration with local universities and NGOs, has created an education ecosystem that fosters youth leadership in agriculture. These programs are designed to help young people stay in rural areas by providing them with the skills and knowledge needed to build sustainable careers and businesses.

6. Looking Ahead: Scaling Impact

As Freshly continues to grow, its partnerships with NGOs, private companies, and government bodies are expanding, with plans to bring innovative solutions to more rural communities in 2025 and beyond. Future initiatives include:

• Expanding microfinance access to thousands of additional farmers
• Deploying more solar-powered cold storage units in remote regions
• Increasing capacity-building efforts for rural youth
• Scaling food processing innovations to create regional hubs of excellence

By working together with diverse stakeholders, Freshly aims to make rural empowerment a scalable, long-term solution that benefits both farmers and their communities.

Key Insight:

Partnerships are the backbone of rural development. Freshly’s work demonstrates the power of collaborative, cross-sector solutions to tackle the challenges of rural poverty, agricultural inefficiencies, and food insecurity. Through partnerships with microfinance organizations, tech firms, and international agencies, Freshly is transforming rural Kurdistan into a more sustainable, prosperous region for farmers, entrepreneurs, and communities alike.