One Acre Fund.

06.08.2024

 

Extension of partnership with One Acre Fund will help more farmer families to grow their way out of hunger.

 

In a new four-year partnership, Lind Foundation will support One Acre Fund’s programme in Burundi, making it possible to train more than 50,000 farmer families.

Most people living on less than $1 a day are African farmers. Approximately 50 million families in sub-Saharan Africa earn a living from smallholder farming, which produce roughly 80% of the continent’s food. But harvests still lag far behind the rest of the world.

Instead of giving handouts, One Acre Fund has designed a holistic market bundle of demand-driven products and services, that includes training, high-quality inputs on delivery, and post-harvest support, helping the lowest-income farmers increase their yields and profits.

In 2023, One Acre Fund supported farmers on average to achieve $143 in new profits and assets, equivalent to a 35% increase in income, and to date, One Acre Fund serves 4.8 million farmers across 9 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. These impressive results, bring One Acre Fund one step closer to their 2030 vision of serving 10 million families, equivalent to ~20% of all African smallholders and ~10% of the global population living in extreme poverty.

Burundi represents one of One Acre Fund’s highest-need markets, currently home to the world’s lowest per-capita GDP. Burundi’s economy is deeply rooted in agriculture, contributing about 40% to GDP and providing 95% of the food supply. However, about 70% of smallholder farmers, who make up the backbone of this sector, still face food insecurity caused by the effects of climate change, soil acidity, ineffective farming techniques, and limited access to quality farming inputs.

In recent years, One Acre Fund’s work in Burundi has expanded significantly. 2023 marked the second year of a 50% growth in Burundi, serving close to 300,000 farmers.

Climate change is a constant challenge for Burundian farmers, with unreliable rainfall patterns and soil acidity threatening their harvests. Heavy rain often leads to soil erosion, washing away topsoil and sometimes entire fields of crops. To mitigate these risks, One Acre Fund trains farmers in making contour lines and planting trees that help control soil erosion. They also train farmers on methods that help maximise soil health, like composting. By providing farmers with tools and knowledge to address these issues effectively, One Acre Fund helps farmers building resilience to severe changes in the climate.

Lind Foundation has donated EUR 1.3m to the programme in Burundi and we are looking forward to following and measuring the farmers’ financial and social changes over the next four years.

Read more about One Acre Fund: https://oneacrefund.org/ 

 

Facts:

  • Donation: EUR 1.3m (DKK 9.7m)
  • Commitment period: 4 years
  • Reach: 50,000 farmers in Burundi
  • Focus area: Sustainable Livelihoods
  • Supported since: 2022