The FreshSource brand became a reality when Farah Emara visited a rural farming community and spoke to a group of struggling farmers.
One elderly farmer shared his frustration that despite growing some of the best tomatoes in the region, he barely made enough money to support his family. Prices had tripled when his produce reached consumers, yet his earnings remained shockingly low.
Farah Emara discovered that Farmers struggled to make a profit, middlemen took excessive cuts, and consumers paid high prices for fresh produce. The inefficiencies were too obvious, with food losses reaching up to 45% before reaching market shelves. At this point, Emara decided, alongside her brother, who had a computer science and investment banking background, to streamline the agri-supply chain in Egypt with FreshSource, ensuring efficiency and equity for all stakeholders.
FreshSource operates as a B2B agri-supply chain platform, leveraging technology to transform the sourcing, movement, and sale of fresh produce. They partner directly with farmers to supply a diverse clientele, including restaurants, hotels, and online retailers with high-quality fruits and vegetables.
FreshSource reduces inefficiencies that often lead to higher consumer prices by streamlining the supply chain. It ensures that fresh produce remains affordable and accessible, directly combating food insecurity. Also, the company empowers local farmers by increasing their incomes through direct partnerships and fair pricing, which fosters economic stability and reduces poverty levels.
This model ensures transparency and offers producers micro-financing and technical development. Within months of launch, FreshSource had scaled its operations across multiple cities, making waves in Egypt’s agricultural sector.
The company secured an undisclosed seven-figure US dollar seed investment from 4DX Ventures and Wamda in 2022. This funding was used to scale geographical expansion within Egypt, technological platform enhancements, and team growth.
A primary strategy that has helped FreshSource to be exceptional is its holistic cold chain infrastructure, which optimises resources, storage, and distribution. Farah Emara ensures they manage the entire fresh food value chain, including transportation, storage, and packaging, which helps them achieve optimal quality and minimal waste. This strategy has led to a remarkable reduction in food loss, averaging just 2% compared to the national average of 45%.
They’ve also integrated technology into their services. The platform leverages data to offer optimal pricing, streamline processes, and provide an excellent delivery system to consumers, setting it apart in a traditionally non-digital industry.
Today, FreshSource is recognised as one of Egypt’s leading B2B agri-supply chain platforms. They now serve major customers across 11 Egyptian cities, establishing a robust network of thousands of producers and hundreds of businesses, including restaurants, hotels, online retailers, and traditional retailers.
In 2022, the World Bank and the IFC awarded Farah Emara the Digital Agriculture Award, acknowledging her innovative contributions to the sector.
