Action Africa: Thriving Farms, Thriving Future is an initiative by Yara and supported by the United Nations, the Norwegian government and African institutions. Launched June 2020, its goal is to mobilise support for 250,000 smallholder farmers in seven African countries to secure food production and improved food security.
The initiative includes advocacy and partnerships, farmer connectivity and digital solutions, and operational support including 40,000 metric tons of high quality fertilizers with zinc for improved nutrition. Yara’s fertilizer contribution, combined with agronomic support, is expected to triple maize production and feed more than one million people across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique for one year.
Action Africa: Thriving Farms, Thriving Future will seek to:
- Keep food available and affordable for the most vulnerable
- Keep SMEs going as they are the backbone of food systems in Africa
- Get inputs to smallholders
- Keep food markets open and safe
- Keep knowledge flowing to farmers and digitize for traceability whenever possible
At Yara, we pride ourselves on our mission to responsibly feed the world and protect the planet - and the very reason we exist. If we do not act now, millions of people will be pushed into deep poverty and hunger, and this is especially concerning in Africa where lives and livelihoods are at risk. As a critical part of the food value chain, Yara has a responsibility to support vulnerable farming communities and help avert a hunger crisis, and we aim to do that through Action Africa.
Yara hopes that the initiative can be a catalyst for other private sector players to join in a coordinated effort to deliver better farm productivity, meet local food demand, improve farmer incomes and improve population health through better nutrition.