Photo: WFP/Hugh Rutherford
AGCO Agriculture Foundation
The AGCO Agriculture Foundation (AAF) supports a holistic approach to the prevention and relief of hunger and food insecurity through sustainable agriculture development. The Foundation focuses its philanthropy on building needed agricultural infrastructure to help feed the world sustainably and equitably.
COVID-19 Aid Program
As the global COVID-19 pandemic first swept over the earth in early 2020, it became clear that this was far more than a health crisis, bringing economic dislocation and devastation in its wake and intensifying hunger, food insecurity and poverty. In urgent response, the Foundation worked closely with its partners to provide humanitarian relief.
In April 2020, the Foundation established its COVID-19 Aid Program with an initial $450,000 grant to 14 non-profit organizations around the globe. This included $100,000 of support for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), which focused its COVID-19 emergency response on the provision of food relief, social safety nets and medical supplies in vulnerable communities in Latin America and Africa. They also worked with WFP to provide additional lifesaving support for marginalized farmers and their families. The COVID-19 emergency response efforts provided approximately 210,000 meals to people in need. Through other non-profits in the U.S, Argentina, Brazil, Turkey, Spain, U.K, India and Africa, the Foundation’s COVID-19 Aid Program has impacted more than 50,000 vulnerable communities and has helped scale-up efforts to prevent and relieve hunger.
AAF COVID-19 Aid Program — Regional Recipients
Feeding America
Flint River Fresh
Food Forward Kane Country Farm Bureau Foundation
Peoria Area Food Bank
Amigos do Bem
Gerando Falcoes
Moviliza RSE
ONG Banco de Alimentos, Brazil
ONG Banco de Alimentos, Argentina
The Trussel Trust, UK
World Food Program Turkey
Banco de Alimentos de Madrid
Self-Help Africa
Goonj India
China Wujin Charity Federation
2020 Impact Award
At the end of 2020, the organization la gran Noche de Argentina y Sudamericana recognized the Foundation with an “RSC Distinction 2020” for its work during the coronavirus pandemic in South America.
Five Focus Areas for Assisting Marginalized Farming Communities
Going forward, as the pandemic recedes and abates, the AGCO Agriculture Foundation intends to return to its primary purpose of building needed agricultural infrastructure to meet increasing nutrition needs, taking a holistic approach to the prevention and relief of hunger. In seeking to initiate impactful programs to support food security and sustainable agricultural development in underserved communities around the world, the Foundation focuses on five areas:
- Nutrition and health with a forward-looking approach to nutritional demands
- Agricultural education seeking to advance quality education where it’s needed most
- Community development particularly in rural areas
- Feeding the world ethically supporting improved treatment of farm animals in the supply and value chain
- Combatting hunger through aid for community initiatives around the world
As AGCO’s Sustainability strategy rolls out this year, the Foundation will further develop its strategy to align operations in geographies where it can make the greatest impact on our farmers and society.
Sustainable Poultry Production in Zambia
In 2020, the Foundation funded a sustainable poultry initiative for marginalized Zambian farmers in urgent need of building resilience against the impact of the pandemic on the poultry sector. The initiative aligns with the Foundation’s focus areas of “Ethical Treatment of Farm Animals across the Value Chains” and “Forward-looking Approach to Nutrition.” Launched at the Martin Richenhagen Future Farm in Lusaka, the initiative enhances local capacities in response to the increasing demand and consumption of poultry protein. The Foundation has partnered with the nonprofit organization Self Help Africa to manage the initiative on the ground through training on improved animal welfare, increased production, and improved livestock management operations. The initiative supports approximately 150 poultry farmers, including approximately 50 female poultry farmers, empowering them to improve their livestock management operations, which will result in their increased productivity, skills, income and access to nutrition.
