U.S. African Development Foundation Reaches 32,000 Beneficiaries

In 2012, the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF) reached 32,000 smallholder farmers and processors involved in agricultural services through Feed the Future grants. This year, USADF funded 57 new Feed the Future projects worth more than $6.5 million that directly empower under-served and marginalized community groups and enterprises in ten African countries. USADF Feed the Future grants help organizations create tangible benefits for agricultural producers and processors, such as increasing or sustaining the number of jobs in a community, improving income levels and strengthening agricultural value chains.

One third of USADF’s 2012 Feed the Future grants were capacity-building projects that ensure grantees strengthen planning, production and marketing capabilities. One such grantee is NUMA Feeds in Uganda, a fortified cereal company that produces high quality porridge suitable to the local palate. NUMA also mills animal feeds and provides local farmers with a steady market for their maize and millet. A U.S. Peace Corps nutrition volunteer currently serves as a Feed the Future liaison with NUMA to improve the company’s product line.