How a Kazakh-Belarusian startup is implementing "green business": an interview with Green Bee co-founder

On October 27, 2021, the organic products marketplace Green Bee became a finalist in the international startup competition EuroAsian Startup Awards in the "Best Newcomer" category. The Tech spoke with startup co-founder Aset Musaev to assess how realistic the concept of natural and healthy food products is in Kazakhstan.

Green Bee Overview

Green Bee is a marketplace that connects farmers, small-scale eco-product manufacturers, and their customers from large cities. By downloading the mobile application, buyers can choose from fresh, eco-friendly vegetables, cheeses, meat, poultry, dairy, and other organic products.

In the interview, you will learn:

• The experience of the finalists in the international startup competition EuroAsian Startup Awards; 
• How the idea for the organic products marketplace originated; 
• How the food certification process is organized.

How did the idea for the organic products marketplace come about? 

The idea for the startup belongs to the well-known entrepreneur and venture capitalist Bakht Niyazov. During a trip to Bali, he was inspired by the idea of bringing together local green businesses, eco-hotels, eco-restaurants, organic product manufacturers, and craft service providers in one service. Such an application could be useful for travelers and provide access to unique local eco-businesses. Thus, the idea for creating the Green Bee marketplace was born. The hypothesis was tested in Bali, Indonesia, and in San Francisco, USA, where there is a high concentration of small green businesses. The pandemic brought its own adjustments, and the focus narrowed to the niche of organic food products. 

Who is responsible for certifying organic products? How can one be sure that the products are truly organic?

When connecting to the marketplace, farmers and manufacturers provide certificates for their products. The core of the Green Bee marketplace showcase consists of products of Kazakhstani origin, but there are also products from Russia and CIS countries. We are working on launching a scoring system that will connect farmers and organic product manufacturers with national certification bodies in different countries to simplify and expedite the certification process.

Today, 29 eco-businesses from the Almaty Region are working with the marketplace. Every day, we receive new applications for connection. Currently, there are 887 products on the Green Bee showcase – these are farm products, vegetables, meat, poultry, milk, cheeses, various healthy snacks, and much more. 

Are there prospects for the development of organic product production in Kazakhstan?

In the last 20 years, the global organic product market has grown sixfold, with a total volume of $106 billion. In Kazakhstan, as well as worldwide, there is growing demand for eco-friendly food products, and organic marketplaces are one of the fastest-growing businesses. By the way, in Kazakhstan, work is underway to develop a bill on the production and circulation of organic products.