Organisation launched to develop food production in Africa

General Mills has launched Partners in Food Solutions, a non-profit organisation with the goal of bringing food production and food processing expertise to small and medium-size food processors in Africa. Cargill and Royal DSM have also joined the effort.

“The need for sustainable food production is central to combating hunger in Africa,” said Ken Powell, chairman and chief executive officer of General Mills. “General Mills has deep food processing expertise and the technical leadership skills necessary to transfer critical knowledge to food processors in Africa, who can then produce more food and feed more African people. Local food processors can then source more ingredients from local small-holder farmers, many of them women, creating an important and stable outlet for their crops.

“General Mills has been piloting this effort for more than two years, and we know we can help. Through Partners in Food Solutions, General Mills will be able to reach out to additional partners from across the food industry. The need is critical, and we know our industry can make a transformative difference.”

A grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development has allowed the program to expand in scale. Partners in Food Solutions is currently working with 15 food processors on about 40 projects in Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi, impacting 60,000 farmers. As a new non-profit, it aims to broaden the program over the next five years to include as many as 10 corporate partners working with 200 food processors and 1 million farmers in 14 African nations. Partners in Food Solutions has also hired and trained four African food scientists who are helping to find companies in need of expertise.