Plunkett Foundation News 16.10.2009
PLUNKETT PERSPECTIVE
This week’s Perspective revisits Plunkett’s roots with a trip to Ireland and the Plunkett House; the first home of the Plunkett Foundation.
http://plunkettfoundation.blogspot.com/
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NEW MAKING LOCAL FOOD WORK REPORT RELEASED
Community Investment in Community Supported Agriculture was produced by community shares expert Jim Brown for the Community Supported Agriculture Strand of Making Local Food Work.
The report can be downloaded from Making Local Food Work partner the Soil Association's website. Follow the link http://tiny.cc/oaegs
https://www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk/news/news.cfm/newsid/115
HAMBLEDON VILLAGE SHOP AWARDED LEADER FUNDING
Hambledon Village Shop has been stocking a range of meat, fruit and vegetables sourced from local farms this summer thanks to the Surrey Hills LEADER scheme. The shop, which is owned and run by the community, was the first Surrey enterprise to be awarded a LEADER grant. Trustee and Post Mistress Jane Woolley successfully applied for £10,000 to replace and upgrade the chiller and freezer equipment so that the shop could provide a market for Surrey farm produce. Already food is flying off the shelves. The Surrey Hills LEADER Grant Scheme has £2 million to fund projects over the next five years and can provide up to 50% of the cost of a project, to a maximum of £50,000 per grant. Its aim is to help the development of sustainable enterprises involving food, farming, woodland, community and tourism in the Surrey Hills LEADER area.
For more information please contact Lauren Young on 0208 541 8697 or email surreyhillsleader@surreycc.gov.uk
Co-operatives and Social Enterprise News
CREDIT UNION LAUNCHED FOR ALL SCOTTISH NHS WORKERS
A credit union for more than 150,000 NHS staff has been launched by the Scottish Government. Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon hailed the innovation as an example of the benefits provided by "a truly mutual NHS". The credit union, which all NHS staff in Scotland will be eligible to join, will offer savings facilities and "competitive" loan rates. It began in 1998 as a credit union for Greater Glasgow Health Board staff, then expanded to Lanarkshire and Ayrshire. It has given out loans totalling more than £24 million, and has been given permission by the Financial Services Authority to operate Scotland-wide. Ms Sturgeon said: "It's a really concrete example of how a truly mutual NHS can lead to tangible benefits for the 150,000-strong NHS staff community."It's particularly welcome at a time when many people will be wanting to ensure the maximum security for their money and know more about how their money is being used for investments and loans."
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/health/credit-union-launched-for-all-scottish-nhs-workers-1.924502
©The Herald Scotland
SOCIAL ENTERPRISES TO BE PAID BY RESULTS UNDER TORIES
Social enterprises being paid for successfully delivering public services without central or local government intervention would be the 'hallmark' of a Conservative government, Oliver Letwin, Conservative MP stated.. Speaking at a Conservative conference fringe event organised by the Social Enterprise Coalition (SEC), the Tory MP for West Dorset and former shadow chancellor said a new framework was needed to ensure social enterprises could take risks and innovate without being caught up in red tape. This included a radical policy of 'payment by results', which would see social enterprises paid for their successes for initiatives set up away from government control. Letwin said this public service delivery, which could include schools, hospitals and rehabilitation, needed to be at arms length from government because 'we do not believe government is good at managing much...ever'. Letwin was, however, unable to say what role the banks would play under a Tory government and failed to give his view on legislation that would force banks to invest in their communities, such as the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) in the US - a form of legislation being seriously considered by Labour.
http://tiny.cc/3ejz6
© Social Enterprise
FOOTSEY – 22ND OCTOBER 2009, DONCASTER RACECOURSE
Interested in Social Enterprise? Then you need to be at Footsey. The eighth annual Footsey trade fair is the key fixture for the social economy in Yorkshire and the Humber and the largest Social Enterprise trade fair in the UK. It is an opportunity for social enterprises to promote themselves and for buyers to procure their services and products. Whether you're a new or existing social enterprise or a potential customer of the social economy, Footsey will enable you network and make new valuable contacts.
www.footsey.org.uk/register
© New Start Mag
LACK OF FUNDS THREATENS SOCIAL INVESTMENT BANK’S RISK-TAKING
A social investment wholesale bank set up with the money currently on the table will not be able to take the investment risks needed to make a difference to social enterprises. This is one of the common concerns raised in response to the government's consultation on the design and function of the proposed Social Investment Wholesale Bank (SIWB) which closed recently. The Social Enterprise Coalition in its response said that the SIWB could make riskier investments than other institutions, but to do so it would need to be of sufficient size to 'price out the risk'. Similar concerns were raised by Charity Bank. Although Charity Bank does not support the idea of a SIWB at present, its response stated: 'If government persists with its proposals then we would argue that a long-term wholesaling institution must be capitalised adequately.' It points out that if the SIWB were to see the light of day it must be risk-tasking. It warned that an 'undercapitalised SIWB will have to prioritise income generation at the expense of risk taking, innovation and market making.'
http://tiny.cc/wOp4v
© Social Enterprise
RACE AND RECESSION CONFERENCE
The Race and Recession Conference is a key Black and Minority Ethnic Third Sector (BME) event of 2009 in seeking highlight the impact of the recession on BME communities and offers opportunities to share ideas, inform policy developments, identify strategies and debate solutions. The public policy and financial landscape is changing no matter the outcome of the next general election. This is an important time for those working with and for BME communities to help shape the agenda and influence policies to ensure that the most disadvantaged and marginalised in our society are not further excluded. This conference will be a great opportunity to consider the impact of the recession on BME Third Sector organisations and the communities they work with whilst using the expertise of the delegates to look at good practice and explore solutions.
http://www.voice4change-england.co.uk/race_and_recession:_be_part_of_the_solution.html
© Voice4Change
SALE OF GOVERNMENT ASSETS MAY ‘UNDERMINE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE’
The Development Trusts Association (DTA) called on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to ensure that plans to sell off £16bn of national and local government assets will include consideration of the vital role that communities and the wider third sector can play in the ownership and management of public assets for ongoing community benefit. The Prime Minister outlined plans to address the growing public deficit through the sale of public assets. Much of the money (£13bn) will be raised through the sale of local authority assets – a portfolio worth an estimated £220bn nationally that includes town halls, community centres, swimming pools, libraries, schools, parks and more. “While some of these assets are redundant or underused by local authorities, many are nevertheless a vital community resource” said Steve Wyler, Director of the Development Trusts Association, “and all over the country councils are in the process of transferring such assets into community ownership and management – creating a long-term foundation for citizen action and self-help, local enterprise, income generation, and neighbourhood services”.
© DTA
MILLIONAIRE PLUMBER SUPPORTS LOCAL COMMUNITY GARDEN CENTRE!
Charlie Mullins, Britain’s first Millionaire Plumber, visited Long Lane Garden Centre in Orford. He worked under cover as a volunteer helping with practical jobs on the site; digging a drain, making wooden ornaments, and joining in with the day to day work alongside people with learning disabilities, and then confessed that he was the Secret Millionaire, and gave a donation of £20,000 to improve facilities on site. The programme was shown on Channel 4 on Wednesday 14th October. Kath Jones, Project Coordinator says “It has been a hard graft, but worth it. I am thrilled that due to this donation we will be able to give the 50 people a week who work here a better environment – the new toilet will be especially welcome!” Long Lane Garden Centre is a part of Walton Lea Project, a local Charity providing work experience and learning for adults with learning disabilities.
http://www.waltonlea.org.uk
© Walton Lea Project
LOCALS TAKE OVER PUB FOR TV SERIES
Is your local pub closed or in danger of closing? If so does your village have the resolve to save it? TV company, Twofour, is looking for British pubs in need of a business boost, for their new UKTV series ‘The Peoples Pub’. Together with expert landlord, Jay Smith, the programme offers members of the community the chance to muck in and save or reopen their local pub. They will give communities some of the necessary initial funding to save their local, in an attempt to give it a new lease of life for a long-term future. If you know of an appropriate pub that needs help, in the hope of bringing it back into permanent use or wish to find out more about the project please contact greg.goff@twofour.co.uk or call: 01752 727528 .
http://www.acre.org.uk/resources_publications_headlines2oct09.html
© TwoFour
CAMPBELL ROBB TO MOVE TO SHELTER
Campbell Robb, Director General of the Office of the Third Sector and Social Exclusion, has announced he will take up a new post as Chief Executive of the housing and homelessness charity Shelter in the new year. Cabinet Office will make an announcement on Campbell’s replacement in the very near future. Campbell Robb was appointed as the first Director General of the Office of the Third Sector in May 2006. During this time he has successfully delivered a comprehensive programme of support for the sector, worth over £515m. Under his leadership, OTS has delivered a further package, worth around £60m targeted on supporting the sector through the recession.
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/news/news_stories/091015_campbellrobbshelter.aspx
© Cabinet Office
BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION LAUNCHES SOCIAL INVESTMENT FUND
UK charities are among those eligible to apply for loans and investment from world's largest philanthropic trust. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched a $400m (£252m) social investment fund that will provide loan financing, underwriting and equity investments for not-for-profit organisations and businesses with a social purpose. The foundation, the world's largest philanthropic trust, said it wanted to maximise the effectiveness of its money in the light of a reduction in the value of equity markets, which is thought to have reduced the value of its endowment by about 20 per cent. "We're also working with a range of partners," a spokeswoman for the charity said. "We hope to leverage our investment by attracting others to invest alongside us. Traditionally, we've given money away in grants, so this is a change in our behaviour."
She said any investments made would be in areas that supported the foundation's goals, including investing in businesses and charities providing health and development services, and offering support to small businesses in the developing world. UK charities will be eligible to receive money from the programme. The foundation would run a two-to-three-year pilot, after which time it might expand the amount of money available for social investment, she said. It expects to make investments only of $2m or more, and has said it anticipates the first one to be made by the end of the year.
http://tiny.cc/Dznvq
© Third Sector 2009
Farming and Food News
AN OPEN SPACE EVENT FOR COMMUNITY FOOD PROJECTS ACROSS THE SOUTH EAST
The Fresh Ideas Network invites you to discuss and debate the following question:
“How do we reach our audiences to make a sustained impact and how do we measure our success?”
This event is aimed at Community Food Projects and their supporting organisations who wish to share ideas around effectively communicating what they believe in and what they do. We are addressing this question in a context of Community Food Projects struggling to reach their communities and win the support of local statutory agencies and decision makers. Please note that we will be using Open Space methods for the event, enabling participants to direct the agenda and schedule for the day.
This event is free to community food projects with a budget/income of less than £20k, but there will be a participation cost of £40 to other attendees.
Please register via our website www.freshideas.org.uk/events/index.htm .For more information please contact Chiara Vagnarelli, Regional Network Co-ordinator on 01273 431 710 or chiara@freshideas.org.uk
For more information on how Open Space works, please follow this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Space_Technology
© SUSTAIN
FOOD SALES BOOST TO CO-OP PROFITS
The Co-operative Group has posted a 17% rise in first-half profit, boosted by its food business.
The funeral-to-banking group, which bought supermarket chain Somerfield in 2008, made a pre-tax profit of £228.8m. The Co-op, Britain's fifth-biggest chain of grocery stores, reported that sales in its shops rose 7.3% in the 28 weeks to 25 July. Sales of its Simply Value range soared by 80%, while purchases of Fairtrade products grew by 35%. Earnings at Co-operative Financial Services increased by 11%.Speaking on BBC Radio 5 live, Chief Executive Peter Marks said the figures proved the company was taking customers away from its competitors. The group, which has about 4.5 million members and 5,300 retail outlets, traces its roots back to the founding of the co-operative movement in Rochdale, north-west England, in 1844.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8302375.stm
© BBC
MILK PRODUCTION GAP STILL GROWING
Analysis of milk production data for the year 2008/9 shows that the larger British farmers have increased their share of the nation's milk supply to just under sixty percent, although the number of larger farms has fallen by 384 since 2007/8. DairyCo analysis of RPA data for 2008/9 revealed that 3,484 dairy farms, representing 28% of the industry, produced over one million litres of milk. This accounts for 59% of the British milk supply in 2008/9. Compared to 2007/08 the number of farms producing over one million litres has fallen by 384, a drop of almost 10%. In England, 7% of dairy farmers produce over two million litres a year, while in Wales the figure is 3%, accounting for 24% and 15% respectively of their country's 2008/9 milk supply. In Scotland, 9% of dairy farms, a total of 110, produce over two million litres a year, supplying over one quarter of the country's yearly total. The number of farms producing over two million litres per year in Scotland has more than doubled since 2004/5, and their share of the country's total milk supply has increased from 12% to 26%. http://www.dairyco.org.uk/news/press-releases/september-2009/milk-production-gap-still-growing.aspx
© DairyCo
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FARMA!
FARMA has marked its 30th birthday. FARMA, the Natinal Farmers Retail and Markets Association, represents farmers, growers, producers and farmers' market organisers throughout the UK. They are the only organisation in the UK dedicated to supporting the local direct sales sector and driving local foods. Members gathered from across the UK at Packington Moor Farm to enjoy a delicious local meal prepared by the award-winning catering team there. Speakers commented on the incredible journey of the local food sector, from the Association's roots in the pick-your-own movement of the 1970s and 80s, then the rise of farm shops in the 1990s, to the merger with the farmers' market association in 2004. According to a YouGov report published in June this year over 50% of people now buy local foods from farm-direct outlets - and this continues to grow.
http://www.farma.org.uk/news/37-news/364-happy-birthday-farma
© FARMA
APPROVAL FOR 'SHARE FARMING' IMMINENT
Irish farmers could soon have the option of joining forces to increase scale by adopting a system of 'share farming'. Teagasc is in the process of seeking approval for a share farming system that would enable two farmers to farm jointly, while still being treated as separate individuals for legal and tax purposes. The system, similar to that widely used by British, Australian and New Zealand farmers, would be different to the current partnership farming, employer/employee or landlord/tenant arrangements. A landowner and share farmer would enter into an agreement to jointly farm the land, but each would still be treated as an individual farmer for taxation and Department of Agriculture support schemes. A draft legal contract for share farming is currently being worked on. The arrangement is seen as a way for existing farmers to increase scale, and for new entrants to take their first step on the farming ladder.
http://www.independent.ie/farming/news-features/approval-for-share-farming-imminent-1904885.html
© The Independent
FIRST MILK AND ARLA RAISE MILK PRICE FOR EX-DFB PRODUCERS
Hundreds of ex-DFB producers are to receive improved milk prices from First Milk and Arla.
In the case of First Milk, some 80 per cent of the 410 ex-DFB producers on milk supply contracts are to be offered full membership and a standard litre price of 22.06ppl. They are currently on 19.65ppl. Arla is raising the ex-DFB producer price to 21ppl for September - it is retrospective and based on market realisation - but says it expects to be able to utilise all their milk within the business in October and November and the price should match that of the standard litre contract price which is 24ppl at present. The First Milk offer is full membership from November 1 subject to a 0.3ppl capital retention.
http://tiny.cc/EAuZN
© Farmers Guardian
£75 MILLION FOOD PRODUCTION RESEARCH PROJECT UNVEILED
Under the programme – the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Innovation Platform – money will be invested over the next five years to support ‘innovative research and development’. Research will cover areas like crop productivity, sustainable livestock production, waste reduction and management and greenhouse gas reduction. The project is a joint initiative by the Technology Strategy Board, Defra and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). They said the aim was is to ‘bring Government, business and researchers together in a major initiative to stimulate the development of new technologies that will increase food productivity, while decreasing the environmental impact of the food and farming industries’.
http://www.farmersguardian.com/news/%A375-million-food-production-research-project-unveiled/28291.article
© Farmers Guardian
NORTHERN TRAINING PROGRAMME
The Soil Association is we are running a series of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) training days over the winter months as part of the ‘Making Local Food Work’ Programme. All these events will take place in Leeds or Sheffield, and are free to CSA practitioners. They are being led by experts in the various fields, and are designed to provide the technical knowledge and confidence to launch or expand your Community-Supported Agriculture project. The first event, Business Planning for CSAs, is being run by Julie White and John Metcalfe, both social enterprise consultants who between them have decades of experience in providing business support to local food enterprises. Whether you already have a business plan or not, this workshop will help your project plan for the future and measure success.
If you would like to attend, please fill out the attached registration form for this event. Places are limited to two per CSA. For all enquiries and bookings for the following 5 events, please contact: Kirstin Glendinning on kglendinning@soilassociation.org
Please note that booking is essential. All events are free for CSA groups and practitioners, with lunch and refreshments provided.
1. Business Planning for CSAs – 31st October 2009
2. Community Finance for CSAs – 23rd November 2009
3. Marketing for CSAs – 23rd January 2010
4. Building Community and CSA Administration – 27th February, 2010
5. Crop planning, pig and poultry-keeping – 27th March, 2010
© Soil Association
Rural Development News
GRANTS SCHEME TO SPRUCE-UP RURAL WALES
Village improvement grants are being offered to micro and community businesses in south west Wales.
Grants can be used for up to 50% of costs to allow businesses to give their properties a facelift. The project is an initiative of Carmarthenshire Council, as part of the village enhancement scheme being funded by the EU rural development plan. Clive Scourfield, executive board member for regeneration, said: ‘This funding should encourage businesses to freshen up their shop fronts and therefore make rural villages brighter, cleaner places, which in turn will help tourism.’ Grants of up to £15,000 will be available to business freeholders and long-term leaseholders. Other elements of the scheme include £500,000 worth of funding for Pendine to revive its coastal charm and a series of feasibility studies to identify other rural towns in the area in need of funding.
http://hotnews.newstartmag.co.uk/index.php?action=archive&mode=view&mi=419&nl=5&ei
© NewStart
RURALNET IS REBORN
A new organisation has been formed to continue the work of Ruralnet, the rural regeneration charity which ceased trading earlier this year. It will trade under the name RuralnetFutures and will have a more streamlined structure than its predecessor. Several members of the original staff continue to be involved and the venture will remain focused on establishing online communities through web consultancy and social media. One of its first initiatives will involve establishing a long-term commitment with Digital Unite, an organisation that specialises in helping the over-50s to use information technology. RuralnetFutures’ managing director, Rob Mannion, said: ‘The challenges facing rural Britain remain as strong as ever, but emerging Internet based technologies have the potential to help these communities have a voice and remain connected. ‘This is a huge opportunity for isolated communities to remain sustainable and maximise their potential and we want to be part of that.’ RuralnetFutures, which will be based in Warwickshire, is planning to announce other key strategic partnerships in coming months. http://hotnews.newstartmag.co.uk/index.php?action=archive&mode=view&mi=416&nl=5&ei
© NewStart
COALITION CALLS FOR NEW VISION FOR RURAL ENGLAND
Since the beginning of 2009, ACRE has worked with a coalition of relevant national organisations to develop a common vision for Rural England, based around the recommendations in Matthew Taylor MP’s 2008 report to government. The members of the coalition include the Local Government Association, Town & Country Planning Association, Commission for Rural Communities and the Campaign to Protect Rural England. The coalition’s prospectus ‘The future is rural too’ argues that “for 50 years or more, policy has undervalued rural England and failed to meet the needs of rural communities – and therefore of the nation. In hindsight, the result is starkly apparent. Rural communities have slowly but relentlessly become less and less sustainable and less and less self-sufficient.” Coalition chair Matthew Taylor MP said: “The coalition has come together in the belief that a more sustainable future for all rural communities is both essential and achievable. It demands a fundamental change of approach at both national and local level.”
The rural coalition argues that the future of rural England can only be secured if local rural communities take on the challenge of securing a more sustainable future for themselves and national policies, particularly on planning, provide the appropriate context for this to happen.
Other major national bodies are expected to join the coalition shortly.
©ACRE
SIR DON CURRY TO OPEN POLICY CONFERENCE IN CHELTENHAM
Sir Don Curry, Chair of the Sustainable Farming and Food Delivery Group and author of the influential Curry Report, will be opening a major Policy Conference at the Queens Hotel in Cheltenham on 21 October 2009. The conference, entitled ‘Rural Policy and Local Assets’, is organised by the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI), a collaboration of the University of Gloucestershire, the University of the West of England, the Royal Agricultural College and Hartpury College, based at the University of Gloucestershire. The conference is being held in the prestigious Queens Hotel in central Cheltenham.
http://www.acre.org.uk/resources_publications_headlines2oct09.html
©ACRE
THE LEARNING LAUNCHPAD FUND DEADLINE FAST APPROACHING!
The Learning Launchpad is a fund delivered by the Young Foundation working in partnership with Edge to enable young people, whatever their background, to achieve their potential. The fund focuses specifically on organisations that promote practical learning for young people. Early stage organisations can apply to the fund for financial investment and business support. If you are a fresh organisation with the ambition of reaching lots of young people, apply to the fund by Tuesday 24th November 2009.
For more details visit the website http://www.learninglaunchpad.org.
© Learning Launchpad
International News
CEILIÚRADH ‘09: CREATING RESILIENT RURAL COMMUNITIES
How can our communities plan for the future? How can we benefit from local food? What about building local economies? These are just some of the topics that will be the focus of an upcoming two day conference at Tipperary Institute. This years’ Ceiliúradh is a time when thinkers, doers and communities will gather together to explore new ideas about how we want to live and if we want to move towards a healthy and positive future. Ceiliúradh is open to anyone interested in exploring the challenges faced by communities in the current economic environment and identifying solutions that will work.
Venue: Tipperary Institute, Thurles Campus, Dates: Wednesday 28th & Thursday 29th October 2009
Cost: €60.00
http://ow.ly/uk95
© National Rural Network
CO-OP WEEK: CANADA!
Co-op Week-- October 11-17 -- is just around the corner, and co-operators across Canada are preparing for next week's celebrations. Co-op Week is a time for co-op and credit union members across Canada to reflect on the achievements of the co-operative sector and the contribution our sector has made to the lives of Canadians and their communities.This year Co-op Week themes focus on the advantages of co-operatives and credit unions in an uncertain economy. Co-op Week 2009 is highlighting three of these advantages:
Co-operatives are...putting people first
Co-operatives are...creating sustainable jobs
Co-operatives are...investing in communities
A calendar of Co-op Week events activities can be found at www.coopscanada.coop/en/orphan/CoopWeekEvents . If your event isn't listed, please contact Donna Balkan at communications@coopscanada.coop and it will be posted as soon as possible.
©CCA
...AND IN THE U.S., IT'S CO-OP MONTH
While Canada devotes a week every year to highlight the contribution of co-operatives, American co-operators celebrate for an entire month. Since 1930, October has been recognized in the United States as Co-op Month. With donations from co-ops across the country, the National Co-op Month Committee promotes the co-op model to consumers, the media and policy makers.
For more information about Co-op Month, visit
http://www.co-opmonth.coop/
©CCA
CELEBRATING FINANCIAL CO-OPERATIVES ACROSS THE GLOBE
With credit union membership in the UK up by ten per cent, International Credit Union Day on Thursday 15 October celebrated the success of credit unions around the globe.
186 million people worldwide choose credit unions and latest figures from the Association of British Credit Unions (ABCUL) in June 2009, show that the 325 credit unions belonging to ABCUL were managing around £450million of members’ savings on behalf of over 550,000 people, with approximately £370 million out on loan.
International Credit Union Day, this year themed “Your Money, Your Choice, Your Credit Union”, will not only help to raise awareness of the invaluable work credit unions are doing, but it will also give members the opportunity to get more involved in the credit union movement as a whole. http://www.woccu.org/icuday
http://inthespotlight.uk.coop/2009/10/celebrating-financial-co-operatives.html
© Co-operatives UK
BILL GATES ADDRESSES WORLD FOOD PRIZE EVENT
The founder of Microsoft calls for a 'new Green Revolution' and announces that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will give $120 million in new agriculture grants. Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in a speech at the World Food Prize symposium in Des Moines, Iowa, urged a renewal of the Green Revolution to help solve world hunger and help farmers in the poorest nations. Gates is putting some of his fortune toward solving a problem that has confounded scientists and governments for decades—reducing global hunger.
During the past three years, his foundation has committed $1.4 billion toward agricultural development—funding projects ranging from plant breeding research for higher yields to helping African farmers find new markets for their crops and assisting farmers in India to manage soil and water resources better. After playing a key role in engineering the revolution which changed the way people use computers, Microsoft founder Bill Gates is focusing on a challenge that has vexed scientists and governments for decades —reducing global hunger. In another significant announcement, the Gates Foundation is requiring independent analyses of the projects being funded to verify which ones work and which ones do not. The overall approach the foundation is taking is that investments in agriculture need to be across the entire agricultural value chain.
Gates explained the foundation's vision, which includes investments in the development and use of better seeds, training, market access and policies that support small farmers. Gates also announced nine new Gates Foundation grants totalling $120 million for Africa that illustrate the range of efforts necessary to empower millions of small farmers to grow enough to build better, healthier lives. The new grants are on top of the $1.4 billion his foundation has committed to agricultural development projects in south Asia and Africa over the last three years.
Gates says the world should draw inspiration from the agricultural transformation in Latin America and Asia during the 1960s to 1980s--the Green Revolution which averted famine, saved hundreds of millions of lives, and fuelled widespread economic development.
http://farmfutures.com/story.aspx?s=32358&c=17
© Farm Futures