The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced a sizeable commitment of $15 million to boost food systems across the African continent. The promise was made public at the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF), which was held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and highlights USAID’s dedication to supporting resilient and inclusive food networks.
By focusing on key beneficiaries like women, smallholder farmers, and small- to medium-sized businesses engaged in the food systems sector, this funding effort is positioned to have a significant impact.
The following are the main points of USAID’s financial commitment:
Empowering Women in Agribusiness: $4 million of the cash will go toward the VALUE4HER initiative, which is run by AGRA. This innovative project is Africa’s first digital agricultural marketplace designed particularly to empower women. The financial obstacles that prevent women-owned small- and medium-sized businesses in developing nations from getting necessary financial services is a recurrent problem that is addressed by this study.
Building Shock Resilience: A $5 million investment will support the Sustain Africa initiative. This joint initiative aims to help smallholder farmers get affordable fertilizer while boosting their resistance to future changes in fertilizer price. With USAID’s assistance, the program hopes to improve its capacity to track trends in fertilizer prices and ensure prompt assistance for sub-Saharan African farmers.
Investment in nutrition: USAID will contribute $6 million to the Nutritious Foods Financing Facility (N3F) in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and Incofin Investment Management. This cutting-edge investment fund has a defined goal of improving sub-Saharan African diet quality and nutrition standards. It does this by giving small and medium-sized businesses that deliver low-cost, secure, and wholesome local foods financial support.
With a focus on reducing food insecurity and advancing sustainable food systems across Africa, USAID’s overall Feed the Future effort is in line with these strategic initiatives. The AGRA-organized AFSF provides an excellent forum for stakeholders to come together, work together, and together advance measurable improvement in African agriculture and food systems.
These funds have the potential to have a significant impact on the agriculture and food industries as a whole, with a focus on empowering women, supporting smallholder farmers, and boosting resilience to complex problems. The advancement of food security and sustainability on the African continent is a priority for USAID, as seen by this commitment.
Source: Myjoyonline
