ABOUT US Introduction /Background) The Centre for African Bio-Entrepreneurship (CABE) established as a knowledge sharing organization under the Non-Governmental Co-ordination Act of 1990 of Kenya, works to enhance and improve the welfare of smallholder and youth entrepreneurs in Africa. It does this through mobilising support, linking them to market and non-market agencies, protecting their rights and assisting them to improve their entrepreneurship (see CABE Governance Structure).   CABE was founded in September 2003 in the Netherlands and one year later, it was formally registered in Kenya. Our founding members are currently the interim board of directors of CABE. The organization remains lean and efficient by relying on a few staff that are hired on contract basis as well as specialized consultants for specific tasks. CABE’s uniqueness is its focus on policy research/ innovation and agro-entrepreneurship. The technical team of CABE are multi-skilled and multi-disciplinary covering supply and value chain of tree crop and animal sub sector (See the profile of CABE personnel). Vision and Mission CABE envisions becoming a recognized and respected representative and proponent of the prioritized African smallholder agro-enterprises. Its mission is to address disconnect’ between farmers/youth and policymakers by building their linkages and entrepreneurial capacity (see making links work). Target groups   Our target groups consist of smallholder and youth agro-entrepreneurs with limited resources for training and marketing. “We help them improve their earnings and increase the value of their investments through value addition and market-oriented tree, crop and livestock production through specifically coordination of linkages in the value chain and organisational innovation. In so doing, we employ the innovation systems framework.” Aims   CABE aims to improve the welfare of farmers, youth and local traders through enhancement of their innovation capacity to access and utilize existing and new knowledge, increase their productivity in a sustainable manner and gain access to appropriate markets for their products by pursuing four themes: ·Sustainable livelihood ·Entrepreneurship ·Knowledge learning ·Innovation systems We specifically: - Mobilize and raise awareness of smallholders on existing and new enterprise opportunities; - Identify and prioritize appropriate technologies and institutions; - Build competences of smallholders in value addition and market-oriented production. - Facilitate linkages of smallholders to relevant market and non-market agencies; - Facilitate establishment of Community-based Market Information Systems; and - Provide social, legal and economic support to smallholder entrepreneurs.   Over the last five years CABE has made strides but will continue to strive to improve on what has been done so far. The founding members have, for many years, been involved in the farmer mobilization, capacity training, technology adoption and adaptation and linking local innovations to other relevant agencies. The NGO has conducted a study on local agro-seed trading in western Kenya. In collaboration with its local partners has successfully conducted a study on constraints in smallholder farmers’ return to organic farming practices in Kenya. It completed a pilot study for ATPS on the dynamics of introducing TC bananas to farmers. Recently CABE established an integrated agroforestry project in western Kenya. CABE is currently participating in the STEPS Environmental Change and Maize Innovation Pathways Project to evaluate maize innovation systems for their appropriateness, distributional effects and resilience.