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FARM-Africa proposes a new agricultural fund at the Clinton Global Initiative

FARM-Africa, an international non-governmental organization working with African farmers, is presenting the Maendeleo Agricultural Enterprise Fund as a Commitment to Action at the Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative in New York this week.

 The Fund will seek to provide grants to consortia of local partners to support small-scale agricultural producers to incubate innovation, access new technologies, skills, and inputs, add value to their produce, and link to profitable markets. Aiming to fund around 48 projects over five years, the Fund will benefit 96,000 farmers directly, enabling them to move beyond subsistence production and build sustainable enterprises. FARM-Africa will also seek investment to scale up successful projects, to reach more than 3 million people.

FARM-Africa has previous experience in managing such an initiative. The Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund started in 2002 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and supported small-scale agricultural producers. Results were impressive; for every dollar spent, the return on investment in terms of increased farmers' income was between $1.30 and $24.67 and increases in crop yields were as high as 400 percent. More than 900,000 people benefited from the initiative. The new Fund will aim to build on this success by expanding the geographical remit and introducing new and more flexible funding mechanisms to embrace a wider range of both applicants and donor-investors.

Dr. Christie Peacock, Chief Executive of FARM-Africa said, “Our previous work has shown that with just a little investment, subsistence farmers in Africa can benefit from improved food security and better household incomes. FARM-Africa is delighted to be given this opportunity to showcase our work at such an eclectic and influential gathering and we hope that the current unprecedented interest in the potential of smallholder farmers from partners, donors, investors, and corporations can translate into real commitment and tangible results through our work.”

ENDS 

Notes to editors:

About FARM-Africa: FARM-Africa is an organization that passionately believes in the potential of Africa’s farmers to break the cycles of hunger, poverty and misery that have encumbered the continent for too long. For over two decades, we have worked hard to develop and test innovative agricultural solutions to poverty. Founded and rooted in Africa, we have always worked at the grassroots, in partnership with farmers and herders, on the plots, plains, forests and farms that make up the continent’s diverse rural economy. We strive to make a big impact through being dynamic, innovative and ambitious. We have seen our models adopted by governments, NGOs, and donors. Above all, we have seen them lift families out of rural poverty and offer them hope and dignity for the future ahead. For more information on FARM-Africa visit www.farmafrica.org.uk or contact Ngaio Bowthorpe on +44 (0) 20 7067 1252 or by email on ngaiob@farmafrica.org.uk. For more information on FARM-Africa’s previous initiative, the Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund, please visit http://www.maendeleo-atf.org or contact Ngaio Bowthorpe via the above contact details.

About the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI): Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than 125 current and former heads of state, 15 Nobel Peace Prize laureates, hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations, major philanthropists, directors of the most effective nongovernmental organizations, and prominent members of the media. These CGI members have made more than 1,700 commitments valued at $57 billion, which have already improved the lives of 220 million people in more than 170 countries. The 2010 CGI Annual Meeting will take place from September 20-23, 2010, in New York City. The CGI community also includes CGI University (CGI U), a forum to engage college students in global citizenship, MyCommitment.org, an online portal where anybody can make a Commitment to Action, and CGI Lead, which engages a select group of young leaders from business, government, and civil society. For more information, visit http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/

‘Maendeleo’ is a Swahili word that means ‘development’.

A photograph of Dr. Christie Peacock is available on request.

An interview with Dr. Christie Peacock is available on request.

Comments

This is very encouraging to the people of Africa and the concerned world about the livelihoods of Africans. I pray you continue supporting the lifes of the poor. This definatly will change the peoples lifes.

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