Our biodegradable seedling bags are out in the field with the Kenya Forest
Research Institute, One Acre Fund, DHL, Plant Village, the Kenya Defence Forces
and private farmers — real-world tests across geographies, soils and supply chains.
Lab-grade results are necessary but not sufficient. Packaging behaves differently
when it’s outdoors for months, when it’s loaded onto a courier van, when it’s
stacked alongside dozens of other products on a retail shelf. We needed it
evaluated by the operators who would actually buy it. So in 2024, we ran nine
pilots in parallel.
Who and what
- KEFRI — long-term seedling survival in indigenous-species nurseries.
- One Acre Fund — smallholder-farmer agronomy with maize and beans.
- DHL — courier packaging on intra-Kenya parcel routes.
- Plant Village — seedling growth-rate measurement vs. plastic control.
- Kenya Defence Forces — Jaza Miti reforestation scale-out.
- Private farmers — Naivasha smallholders, in-soil decomposition.
What we’ve learned so far
Two findings stand out. First: seedlings grown in our wrappers outperform
plastic-control plots by 21–23% on growth rate. The hyacinth bag
releases nitrogen and phosphorus as it breaks down — nutrients the seedling can
use immediately. Second: parcel packaging needs more rigidity
than seedling bags, and we’re now tuning the binder ratio for our P-02
couriers line.
Full pilot results will be published with our partners in 2026. Until then —
if you want to run a pilot of your own, the door’s open.