A rural village where income arrives once a year is hard to transform, unless you change the rhythm of cash, supply, and trust. That is what Manuel Rodrigues has been building through EDP Mozambique: a practical, for profit system that links tens of thousands of small scale farmers growing maize and soya to real buyers, then reinvests that supply into poultry so families can earn again and again rather than waiting for harvest season.

We talk through how the model works on the ground: crop aggregation, processing, and a route to market that now includes 11 retail stores across central and northern Mozambique. Manuel explains why adding a hatchery and producing chicken feed from local maize and soya becomes the “flywheel” that creates a microeconomy, improves food security, and increases protein availability in communities where it is often scarce. You will also hear what vertical integration looks like next, from producing fertilised eggs with community partners to plans for an abattoir that can protect farmer margins and open access to the formal sector, including grocery, hospitality and restaurants.

The conversation does not dodge the hard parts. We discuss unethical behaviour such as seed loans not repaid, why clear consequences matter, and how sustainability changes when international donor funding is cut. Manuel also shares how chartered accountancy skills, from controls and costing to negotiation, help keep a complex operation accountable at scale.

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