WASHINGTON & BURLINGTON, Vt., US – GrainPro and Vermont-based Food 4 Farmers announced today a strategic partnership to address food security in coffee-growing communities of Latin America. The partnership will bring together two mission-driven organizations that have deep ties to coffee-farming communities in Latin America, with a joint focus on reducing the seasonal hunger that affects families who depend on coffee harvests for their income.
Food 4 Farmers is active in Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, where it partners with coffee cooperatives and other community-based organizations to strengthen local food systems through sustainable farming practices, diversifying income, and cultivating local leadership.
“Our community-centered approach gives coffee farmers access to the knowledge, tools and resources they need to cultivate a food-secure future for their families and communities. We are thrilled to partner with GrainPro to tackle the root causes of seasonal hunger in coffee-farming communities throughout Latin America,” said Alyson Welch, Executive Director of Food 4 Farmers.
GrainPro is a social impact company dedicated to transitioning small farmers from survival mode to prosperity. The company manufactures post-harvest solutions that help improve the quality of life for farmers by organically protecting their commodities against food losses.
“Our vision is a healthy planet without hunger and poverty,” said Jordan Dey, President and CEO of GrainPro Inc. “GrainPro’s technology can help play a role in improving lives and much of this work requires a deep-field presence and the right approach. Food 4 Farmers understands the challenges and opportunities farming families face – and there is nothing more important than eliminating the chronic hunger season between harvests.”
GrainPro, which has operations in Africa, Asia and Latin America, recently adopted a long-term strategic plan founded on addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including No Poverty (SDG #1), Zero Hunger (SDG #2), Gender Equality (SDG #5), Reducing Food Loss (SDG #12.3) and Climate Action (SDG 13).
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, more than one-third of the world’s population – or 2.3 billion people – face periodic or occasional lack of access to food, which has only worsened during the global pandemic.
Food 4 Farmers co-founder and program director Marcela Pino said, “The coffee-farming families we support experience anywhere from 2 to 8 months of food insecurity, every year. Even with fair trade and other certification premiums, their coffee income is simply not enough, with most families living well below the Global Poverty Line of $1.90 per person per day. And families are confronting new challenges every year, including the impacts of climate change and, more recently, the COVID pandemic. Our partnership with GrainPro will have an immediate, positive, and direct impact on our ability to help coffee farmers and their communities build resilience and improve their quality of life.”
The strategic partnership will include annual financial support from GrainPro to Food 4 Farmers, while also leveraging the leadership of both organizations – which includes global experts in sustainable agriculture, smallholder financing, environmental sustainability and responsible sourcing – to drive change.
Food 4 Farmers is a nonprofit organization using the power of collaboration to build lasting solutions to hunger and improve livelihoods for coffee-farming families. Most of the world’s coffee is grown by small-scale farmers who own less than 5 acres of land. Small farms and historically low coffee prices have created an income gap between what farmers earn, and what they need to support their families. Food 4 Farmers coaches and connects coffee-growing organizations and families with the expertise they need to build food security and better livelihoods by diversifying coffee farms to grow food crops, using climate-friendly practices, and strengthening local leadership and economic opportunities. For more information, visit www.food4farmers.org.
GrainPro Inc is dedicated to sustainably reducing world hunger. GrainPro develops hermetic storage technology for farmers, empowering them to protect their hard-earned harvest against losses. Working with people from a rich variety of cultures and backgrounds and with partnerships in Africa, Asia and Latin America, GrainPro believes that working together we can eliminate hunger and poverty globally. www.grainpro.com
