In Mukono, Uganda, the fate of a decapitated banana plant takes a remarkable turn, going from useless to extraordinary. Rather than being an inconvenience for farmers, these discarded stems have found new life thanks to a pioneering Ugandan company. They’ve turned banana fiber into stunning, sustainable handicrafts, and the impact is nothing short of revolutionary.
This innovative and sustainable venture is a game-changer in East Africa, a region where Uganda boasts the world’s highest banana consumption rate and ranks as Africa’s top banana producer. Bananas, particularly in rural areas, make up a substantial portion of the daily calorie intake, with up to 25%, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.
In Uganda, consuming bananas is deeply ingrained in local customs and traditions. Many meals are incomplete without a serving of “matooke,” the local term for starchy boiled mush made from raw banana cultivars. However, to harvest these bananas, the plant’s stem must be decapitated, and in large plantations, the scene can appear almost violent during a bumper harvest, with the discarded stems eventually rotting away in open fields.
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Enter TEXFAD, a local startup that describes itself as a waste management group. They’ve found an ingenious solution to this abundance of rotting banana stems, extracting valuable banana fiber, which is then used to create a wide range of products, including hair extensions for women.
John Baptist Okello, TEXFAD’s business manager, highlights the importance of this business in a country where farmers struggle with millions of tons of banana-related waste. The company collaborates with seven different farmers’ groups in western Uganda and pays $2.70 per kilogram of dried fiber.
David Bangirana, the leader of one of these farmer groups in the Sheema district, explains that only a small part of the inner stem of a decapitated plant is harvested for fiber, and the rest is returned to the farmer for use as manure. The group is working on building capacity to create finished products.
TEXFAD also partners with Tupande Holdings Ltd., which supplies banana stems from farmers in central Uganda. Tupande’s workers sort through the stems and machines transform the fiber into threads.
Aggrey Muganga, the team leader at Tupande Holdings Ltd., states that his company works with more than 60 farmers, ensuring a continuous supply of raw material. However, this is just a fraction of what’s available in a country where more than a million hectares are planted with bananas. Banana production has been steadily increasing, from 6.5 metric tons in 2018 to 8.3 metric tons in 2019, according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics.
“We extract fiber threads from the sheaths of the stem, putting extra income in the hands of the farmer. We turn this waste into something valuable that we sell to our partners who also create amazing products,” says Muganga.
In a village just outside Kampala, the Ugandan capital, TEXFAD employs over 30 people who use their hands to craft unique and visually appealing items from banana fiber. Their rugs and lampshades are particularly popular with customers, and the company has even begun exporting some products to Europe.
Banana fiber’s versatility allows it to be softened to the level of cotton. TEXFAD is now collaborating with researchers to experiment with creating fabric from banana fiber. While they can produce paper towels and sanitary pads from banana fiber, making clothing remains a future goal.
Additionally, TEXFAD is designing hair extension products, aiming to reduce the use of synthetic alternatives harmful to the environment. All TEXFAD products are biodegradable, and the company’s banana hair development program, led by Faith Kabahuma, offers a promising alternative to synthetic hair extensions.
Kabahuma notes the issue with synthetic fibers clogging up the environment, stating that TEXFAD’s solution could make a significant impact by providing a biodegradable, eco-friendly choice for consumers.
