The Rockefeller Foundation taps into IGD's network of CEOs to reduce post harvest loss

WASHINGTON - March 19, 2014 - PRLog -- The Initiative for Global Development (IGD) has been awarded a grant by the Rockefeller Foundation to identify scalable interventions to reduce post-harvest loss in several agricultural value chains in sub-Saharan Africa.

This will be done through research on the risks and opportunities associated with greater engagement by wholesalers and private retailers in reducing post-harvest loss in the food supply chain.  IGD will draw on its extensive relationships with global corporations to recommend opportunities for business to play a greater role in reducing upstream waste and loss.

“IGD is eager to contribute to understanding the risks and opportunities associated with wholesalers and retailers in reducing post-harvest loss in the food supply chain. We hope to identify market-driven solutions as well as opportunities for private sector partnerships that have the potential to significantly reduce post-harvest loss and help improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and others dependent upon these value chains,” says Helen Mant, IGD Vice President.

IGD’s approach will draw on expertise in African agriculture, corporate impact assessment, and inclusive business models. The project will assess the risks and opportunities for the Rockefeller Foundation in pursuing partnerships and interventions to address post-harvest loss that leverage the technology, management expertise, and infrastructure and logistics of large-scale wholesalers and retailers in the food and beverage sector.

This work will focus on three markets – Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria – selected to allow for comparison across different drivers of growth and demand in the agriculture sector.

“The Rockefeller Foundation is excited to leverage IGD’s influential network of African and multinational companies to tackle post-harvest loss. We are confident that through their industry-expertise and connections, we will gain knowledge that will benefit the public on risks and opportunities regarding partnerships with commercial wholesalers and retailers to address post-harvest loss,” said Mamadou Biteye, Managing Director, the Rockefeller Foundation Africa Regional Office.

About the Initiative for Global Development (IGD)

The Initiative for Global Development is a non-profit organization that drives poverty reduction by catalyzing business growth and investment in Africa. Our influential network of market-leading companies work together to enhance the commercial and social impact of their investments on the continent. IGD member companies actively engage with IGD’s experienced team of industry experts to test and demonstrate innovative business models, develop and share industry insights, and assess the impact of business operations and investments. To learn more, please visit www.igdleaders.org.

About The Rockefeller Foundation

For more than 100 years, The Rockefeller Foundation’s mission has been to promote the well-being of humanity throughout the world. Today, The Rockefeller Foundation pursues this mission through dual goals: advancing inclusive economies that expand opportunities for more broadly shared prosperity, and building resilience by helping people, communities and institutions prepare for, withstand, and emerge stronger from acute shocks and chronic stresses. To achieve these goals, The Rockefeller Foundation works at the intersection of four focus areas – advance health, revalue ecosystems, secure livelihoods, and transform cities – to address the root causes of emerging challenges and create systemic change. Together with partners and grantees, The Rockefeller Foundation strives to catalyze and scale transformative innovations, create unlikely partnerships that span sectors, and take risks others cannot – or will not. For more information, please visit www.rockefellerfoundation.org

For more information contact
Katie Reilly, +1.708.408.8408, Katie@IGDLeaders.org.


If your company would like to get involved in this project, contact Helen Man, HMant@IGDLeaders.org.