Key Takeaways:
- The Rockefeller Foundation has allocated over $11 million towards climate solutions as part of its $1 billion climate strategy.
- The funding supports 25 grantees across various regions, focusing on food and health security, energy access, and more.
- Initiatives include scaling regenerative agriculture, developing data science-led climate projects, and supporting indigenous communities.
- The grants aim to promote climate action and capitalize on the transition opportunities for historically underserved populations.
The Rockefeller Foundation has announced a significant investment of over $11 million in climate solutions, marking the first round of funding from its ambitious $1 billion climate strategy. This initiative aims to improve global food and health security, curb coal dependency, increase solar energy access, and enhance climate finance, among other objectives. The funding will support the work of 25 organizations dedicated to fostering concerted climate action and leveraging the climate transition’s benefits for billions who have historically been marginalized.
Strategic Climate Action in Agriculture and Beyond
The Foundation’s Climate Exploration Fund, accounting for over half of the initial grants, is designed to support various projects that will inform future work, test hypotheses, and identify novel partners. Among the 18 grants totaling over $7.5 million, several are poised to have a direct impact on agriculture and food systems:
- AgMIP, in collaboration with the University of Ghana and Havos.ai, will analyze the challenges to climate change’s food systems and explore how underutilized crops in Africa can contribute to global nutrition.
- The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) is set to catalyze regenerative agriculture practices in Southeast Asia, focusing on empirical evidence for nature-positive solutions for rice production in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.
- In partnership with the New York City Mayor’s Office of Food Policy, Colorado State University will develop NYC’s Good Food Purchasing Program, aiming to leverage public food procurement to support local sustainable farmers and improve health outcomes.
Supporting Indigenous and Local Communities
The Foundation’s commitment extends to indigenous and local communities, recognizing their crucial role in climate resilience. For instance, the University of Arizona will support the revitalization of Tribal foodways in the Southwest, scaling native seeds and regenerative practices and developing an Indigenous Data Governance Model.
Global Reach and Collaborative Efforts
The Foundation’s efforts span across continents, from facilitating intercultural dialogues in the Amazon with the Hivos Foundation to partnering with the East-West Center to engage community leaders and indigenous peoples across six Asian countries in climate-responsive policy and investment strategies.
Advancing Health and Energy Solutions
In addition to agricultural initiatives, the grants will support projects like Dalberg Catalyst’s work with Santiago’s Chief Heat Officer to address urban heat impacts on health and RMI’s development of solutions to the carbon problem posed by coal plants.
The Rockefeller Foundation’s Vision
Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation, emphasizes that these grants are just the beginning of operationalizing the Foundation’s vision to break down barriers and speed up opportunities to mitigate climate change. Elizabeth Yee, Executive Vice President for Programs, echoes this sentiment, highlighting the Foundation’s learning approach and commitment to reimagining its work to address the unprecedented challenge of climate change.
Image provided by the Rockefeller Foundation
