The Food for Good network raises £2 million for Farm Africa

18 March 2021

Food industry leaders have joined together to raise an incredible £2 million for Farm Africa. The Food for Good network unites global food and farming businesses behind the power of food to change lives.

Network members, which have included leading retailers Sainsbury’s and Unilever, support Farm Africa’s work embedding sustainable agriculture in eastern Africa. Funds are raised through membership fees, as well as a series of ambitious fundraising challenges taken on by food industry executives.

Sainsbury’s Director of Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability & Public Affairs, Judith Batchelar, announced the fundraising total during an online celebration for the Food for Good network’s tenth anniversary that took place on Thursday 18 March.

“We are absolutely thrilled that the Food for Good network has reached the milestone of raising a staggering £2 million for Farm Africa. Having led several of the fundraising challenges in eastern Africa myself, where I got to know many of the farmers benefiting from the charity’s support, I’m left in no doubt that every penny raised is being put to incredible use, helping Farm Africa give farming families the support they need to grow more and better produce, and sell it for higher prices, all while protecting the environment for generations to come,” commented Judith Batchelar.

Over the last ten years, Judith Batchelar and other leaders of the UK’s food industry have been put through their paces to transform the lives of farmers, raising money and taking on a range of challenges in eastern Africa that provide support to local farming communities.

The first Food for Good fundraising challenge took place in 2011, when a group of food industry leaders climbed Africa’s tallest mountain, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, raising £250,000 for Farm Africa. Other fundraising challenges have included the Bale Mountains Trek, the Mount Elgon Trek, the Tanzania Highland Challenge, two Big Beehive Builds in Tanzania, a Dig for Good fishpond dig in Kenya and the Thousand Trees tree planting challenge in western Uganda.

Dan Collison, Farm Africa’s CEO, is grateful for the continuous support given by the Food for Good Network.

 “As a charity that supports food producers in eastern Africa, we’re hugely grateful to have the generous support of the UK food industry. Every day, farming communities face the immense challenge of providing for their families in the face of lack of access to training, agricultural supplies and markets, all of which are compounded by climate change and now the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The support of the Food for Good network has never been more needed. We’re very thankful to everyone who has contributed to reaching the £2 million mark, from climbing Kilmanjaro, the Bale Mountains or Mount Elgon, to building beehives in Tanzania, digging fishponds in Kenya and attending the Food for Good Gala Dinners. Your support is supporting the development of a sustainable food system in eastern Africa,” commented Dan.

In 2021, the Food for Good network is aiming to raise a further £280,000 for Farm Africa. Companies in the food and farming sector can join the network for a fee of £10,000 plus VAT, which will count towards the total. Plans are also being developed for a Covid-safe fundraising challenge for food industry participants, to be announced soon and the next Food for Good Gala Dinner is scheduled to take place in October 2022, having been postponed from 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.  

To join the network and keep up to date with the latest Food for Good events and challenges visit www.farmafrica.org/foodforgood or contact foodforgood@farmafrica.org