Irvine’s: Developing Business and Communities in Zimbabwe

If Africa is changing, it is companies such as Irvine’s that have spearheaded that change. Economic growth has led to increased income and the opportunity to feed people like never before. This case study illustrates the success story of a poultry business based in Zimbabwe. It is a business forged out of shortage and need, which reacted wisely and flexibly to adapt to various challenges throughout its 60+ year history to become the industry leader in its sector in Africa. Irvine’s has long maintained its goal of improving animal husbandry practices and providing the genetics to the people they serve with the capability to produce healthy and affordable animal protein. Their determination to achieve their goals, combined with a strategic partnership with Cobb breeding company, has placed them in a unique position, with opportunities to educate and support small-scale African farmers. The story of Irvine’s is one that could be repeated in agriculture across Africa, as the world wakes up to the fact that Africa is no longer a hub of famine and desperation that it once was and can focus instead on Africa’s enormous potential and this continent’s new status as a land of opportunity.