Advancing Green Agriculture
The Covid-19 pandemic has further exposed the vulnerability of supply chains, agriculture yields, and markets. That is why we are supporting the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through the Ag/Energy for Nutrition Accelerator, investing in green agriculture innovations with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, and outfitting markets with clean and sustainable infrastructure. Through this work, we are helping to build more efficient and resilient supply networks that deliver healthy foods to vulnerable populations, and that create economic opportunity along the way.
- 20million
people face acute food insecurity in the East African region
- 90%of the African
population, both urban and rural, depend on open markets for their food
- 60%more food
must be produced in the next 15 years to meet the needs of a growing population in sub-Saharan Africa
Building more efficient, green, and resilient supply networks, strengthened by supportive policies, that deliver healthy foods to all and protect the planet.
Accelerating Agriculture and Energy Innovation for Nutrition
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the engine of economic and job growth in East Africa. While there is a clear market opportunity for healthy foods in the region, supply remains largely informal, with most of these foods sold through kiosks and innovation is dampened by lack of funding. We are working to support the growth of local SMEs that are addressing issues of availability, equitable access, affordability, food safety, and that are scaling energy-efficient solutions in protective food value chains. By 2022, the Rockefeller Foundation aims to increase the supply and reduce the price of healthy foods by 10%, making them accessible to five million more people.
Smart Markets
Open markets in Africa are the source of food for over 90 percent of the population, serving both urban and rural populations. However, poor waste systems, scarcity of modern infrastructure, and degraded market space surroundings pose challenges in driving commerce and ensuring both food and human safety. The Rockefeller Foundation is helping to scale “Smart Markets” that will be restorative and regenerative by design—equipping markets with solar technology, water harvesting infrastructure, waste management systems, and strengthening supply networks to meet food needs for all.
AGRA
About 70 percent of sub-Saharan Africans depend on agriculture for their livelihoods—and smallholder farmers account for 90 percent of food production in the region. Yet many farmers barely produce enough food to feed their families, leaving no money to invest in tools and technologies that could increase yields. By supporting scientific advances in human nutrition and food production, The Rockefeller Foundation is committed to reaching hundreds of millions of people with nourishing food, while improving the sustainability of the global food system.
Power of Procurement
We are leveraging the power of institutional food procurement to deliver healthy diets for all, especially the most vulnerable. Grounded in a pragmatic nutrition-positive, budget-neutral approach, analogous to the price-based costing approach often used in the private sector, we work backward from existing institutional food procurement budgets to maximize the nutritional value of foods served. This enables healthier diets for more people and market opportunities for private-sector investment, ultimately leading to more sustainable, nutrition-sensitive supply chains in the food system. For example, we are working in Rwanda in partnership with school feeding programs to test the transition from processed to whole grains.
To effectively transform the food system, we need to prioritize the right policies and economic incentives for farmers and consumers to embrace more protective foods.
Agnes KalibataPresident of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the 2021 Food Systems Summit
Recent Updates
The Rockefeller Foundation Announces New Awards to Strengthen Covid-19 Response in Communities Across Africa and Asia
NEW YORK, May 28, 2020 – The Rockefeller Foundation announced today that it will award three new grants to support organizations that are working with countries, communities, and regions in Africa and Asia to leverage data and technology to bolster their Covid-19 response. These grants will enhance data collection through contact tracing, symptom checking, and […]
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