From cooperation to business, but without ever forgetting environmental sustainability and aid to the arid and semi-arid areas of Kenya, where he has been living and working for some time.
Tommaso Menini, a Milanese who moved to East Africa 12 years ago, never stops. In addition to his increasingly well-known and appreciated activity as “Grand Vizier” of cosmetics, essential oils and other treats for the sense of smell and skin through his company Jua by Agar, he now grows thousands of indigenous plants in the part of Kenya most affected by climate change.
 
The programme prioritises the sustainable use of non-timber forest products, such as gum arabic, myrrh, incense and aloe, ensuring the conservation of these precious natural resources, but for some time now, the Nanyuki nursery has also been working with other plants that produce fruits, seeds or resins that Menini uses in cosmetics under his own brand, which has also been present in Tanzania and Uganda since 2025.

The Lombardy-based entrepreneur, who after many years as a development worker and project coordinator in Uganda and Kenya, focused on income-generating activities and working with pastoral communities in truly problematic regions, created KAVADI, a giant nursery of indigenous plants in northern Kenya. KAVADI is an acronym for “Kenya Arid Lands Value Chain Development Initiative”, and Menini himself tells us about his initiative, which is being developed in the counties of West Pokot, Isiolo, Samburu, Laikipia and Marsabit.
"I have always noticed, and lamented, the partial or total lack of the private sector in cooperation projects, and the KAVADI concept was born primarily to fill this gap. It then evolved over the years to include the regenerative aspect through greenhouses and nurseries, first with only indigenous aloe, then with eight other species of trees of commercial interest, typical of arid and semi-arid areas.

The sustainability of the initiative, which is part of a larger commercial incubation programme starting in 2026, will come from the sale of seedlings and toll processing, which we want to start in 2026, with distillation services, cold pressing (for seeds, nuts and more), as well as packaging, labelling and marketing. All these services will be offered by KAVADI, a practical, non-theoretical incubation concept dedicated to businesses operating in arid areas.

Growing small baobabs, crotons, moringa, neem and tamarinds, in addition to the woody plants already mentioned, means launching a business incubator for the Italian, to set an example for all communities and help them grow, while at the same time encouraging businesses and organisations to do the same, using his know-how.

By training local communities in sustainable harvesting techniques and aloe cultivation, KAVADI promotes ecologically sustainable practices in line with long-term environmental conservation, explains Menini. At the heart of our mission is the promotion of sustainable resource management and adaptation to climate change. The initiative places great emphasis on involving women and young people in economic activities, providing these groups with essential business management skills. This dual objective strengthens the economic resilience of communities while mitigating the environmental impact of desertification and deforestation, which are critical problems in these fragile ecosystems."
The impact of the initiative goes beyond the economic aspect. By focusing on drought-resistant species, such as Aloe secundiflora and soon many others, KAVADI plays a key role in environmental regeneration and biodiversity conservation. These species help restore degraded land, conserve water and improve soil fertility. In addition, the collection of gums and resins provides alternative livelihoods, reducing soil degradation caused by unsustainable practices such as charcoal burning.
Another important aspect, also related to charcoal, is the long-term impact of the “footprint” of the trees that the initiative is growing, which in 25 years will have sequestered more than 190 tonnes of carbon dioxide and offered those who have bought and managed the trees the opportunity to “cash in” with the infamous “carbon credits”.