Key Takeaways:
- The John Deere Foundation has announced $19 million in grants to eliminate global hunger.
- The grants are the largest in the foundation’s history and were announced at the World Food Prize Foundation’s event in Des Moines, Iowa.
- The grants will be awarded to World Food Program USA, One Acre Fund, and The Nature Conservancy.
- The funds aim to increase access to food, support resource-constrained farmers, and bolster global food systems.
- The announcement marks the 75th anniversary of the John Deere Foundation.
The John Deere Foundation has announced a series of grants totaling $19 million intending to eliminate global hunger. The grants were announced by Josh Jepsen, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of John Deere, at the World Food Prize Foundation’s Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa.
The grants aim to increase access to food, uplift resource-constrained farmers, and support global food systems. They will be awarded to World Food Program USA, One Acre Fund, and The Nature Conservancy, making these the three largest grants in the foundation’s history.
World Food Program USA will receive $5 million to strengthen the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the world’s largest humanitarian organization. The funds will be used to support WFP’s Innovation Accelerator, which invests in technology and digital transformation to eliminate the causes of hunger.
One Acre Fund has been awarded $7.5 million to accelerate its work in ensuring that every farm family has the knowledge and means to achieve big harvests and support healthy families. The grant will enable the organization to support over 750,000 farm families across sub-Saharan Africa over five years.
The Nature Conservancy will get $6.5 million to promote natural climate solutions in key regions across the globe, including Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, and the United States. The grant will fund forest restoration, conservation, and agroforestry projects in economically and environmentally vulnerable areas.
The announcement comes as the John Deere Foundation commemorates its 75th anniversary. The foundation has been a powerful source of philanthropy for nonprofit organizations serving John Deere home communities and farm communities worldwide.
The grants align with John Deere’s commitment to creating a world where food is a moral right for all. They also reflect the company’s belief that the private sector, especially those businesses involved in agriculture, has the responsibility to help close the investment gaps in the global food system.
Photo by Darla Hueske on Unsplash
