Switzerland: Multinational food and drink processing conglomerate, Nestlé recently began a collaboration with the Africa Food Prize to hasten the transformation of food systems to improve the food security and climate change resilience of the continent.
The Africa Food Prize offers $100,000 to people or organizations who are revolutionizing the continent’s food and agricultural systems. With the goal of boosting food security, promoting economic growth and development, and eradicating hunger and poverty in Africa, the Prize focuses on particularly effective agri-food initiatives and technology advancements that can be duplicated throughout the continent.
The Africa Food Prize is spearheaded by AGRA, an African-led and African-based organization that transforms agriculture from a single fight to survive into farming as a business that flourishes, placing smallholder farmers at the core of the expanding economy of the continent. Including its headquarters in Kenya, AGRA operates in 15 African nations.
Nestlé will provide the 2023 Africa Food Prize with a contribution of $101,600. A portion of the donation will go toward the overall prize and a different category that is dedicated to inventions that promote regenerative food systems.
Transforming agriculture to be more productive and sustainable is key to reducing hunger and improving livelihoods for the long term. We aim to support and amplify efforts that spearhead regenerative agriculture and food systems to enable better productivity, better nutrition and better incomes for people in Africa.
Remy Ejel, CEO of Zone Asia, Oceania and Africa, Nestlé S.A. remarked.
The cooperation between Nestlé and the Africa Food Prize expands on the company’s years of work to enhance agriculture and nutrition on the continent. The business has made considerable efforts to increase communities’ access to affordable nutrition, such as by adding iron to Maggi bouillon cubes in Central and West Africa. With the development of the first net zero dairy farm in Skimmelkran, South Africa, it is also a pioneer in regenerative dairy farming.
A jury made up of some of Africa’s top food system leaders assesses entries for the Africa Food Prize. Winners are chosen based on scalable efforts and proven outcomes. Submissions for next year’s Africa Food Prize will be accepted starting in January 2023. Winners of the initiative will be revealed at the AGRF, or Africa Food Systems Forum, which will take place in September.