History
Overview
Incorporated in 2006, ACE Trust is one of ACE’s four entities. It was established to support ACE the Commodity Exchange with structural developments for commercial investments, by designing and implementing projects alongside development partners. Common to all ACE Trust projects is the promotion of inclusive models, paving the way for a commercially sustainable agricultural commodity exchange and structured trade entities. At the same time, smallholder farmers’ capacity building is central to activities to boost both their productivity and livelihoods.
As such, the three other entities fall under ACE Trust, namely: ACE Africa, Commodity Services Limited (CSL), and Chithumba. While they all have their own strategies and mandates, they are committed to implementing and adhering to a set of values, with integrity, transparency, and openness at the core. They constantly collaborate and complement each other’s activities, working towards ACE’s goal for structured trade in Malawi. ACE Trust is therefore the catalyst, coordinating efforts across the organization to ensure that ACE develops in line with the vision and supports the different entities. Ultimately, they all strive to develop commercially and, as they do, adopt inclusive models that integrate farmers into the service delivery.
Over the years, ACE Trust has set strong foundations for structured trade in Malawi. It has built 13 warehouses for farmer organizations (FOs), developed rural warehouse models, implemented the ACE Market Information System (MIS), developed the ACE Marketing School (AMS) and Farmer Business School (FBS), developed access to finance modalities, introduced the Warehouse Receipt System (WRS), introduced access to input modalities, and promoted policies conducive to and enabling structured trade in Malawi. In total, it has worked with more than 14,000 women and 12,000 youth
What Do We Do?
ACE Trust empowers smallholder farmers (SHFs) and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by providing knowledge, skills, and tools to participate in structured commodity trade. Through strong partnerships with development partners, private sector entities, NGOs, and government, ACE Trust promotes a fully inclusive and transparent market system. As a pioneer of the Warehouse Receipt System in Malawi, ACE Trust is focused on scaling services nationally, fostering trust, and mitigating commodity price risks. Additionally, it emphasizes ongoing organizational development to enhance efficiency, governance, and employee well-being within the organization.
Main Functions of ACE Trust
ACE Trust ensures that services are relevant and impatcful for anyone seeking to access structured trade within Malawi
Structured trade development for ACE Africa, Chithumba and CSL Africa
Promote inclusivity in agricultural production and markets.
Organizational support functionalities for all entities.
Inclusivity
Organizational support funtionalities for all entities