An international foundation donates $250 million to support farmers in Iraq

Farms from southern Iraq
 
11/18/2021

Economy News - Baghdad

The PepsiCo Foundation has donated $250,000 to support farmers affected by conflict and climate change in Iraq.

A statement issued by the United Nations office, seen by "Al-Iqtisad News", stated that "the PepsiCo Foundation, the charitable arm of PepsiCo, made a donation of $250,000 to enable the World Food Program to expand its ongoing initiative in Iraq (food aid in exchange for asset building)," Which seeks to help rural communities become self-reliant and withstand disasters and shocks, such as climate change.”

He pointed out that "this initiative received support from senior government officials in Iraq and the Iraqi-American Business Council."

"This cooperation will allow Iraqi smallholder farmers to establish strong links with the market, obtain the necessary financing for their agricultural businesses, increase the quality of their crops, and make progress in approaching international food and safety standards for sustainable agriculture," he added.

He explained that "the World Food Program, through the support of the PepsiCo Foundation, will provide the necessary training and technical expertise to farmers, and best agricultural practices, such as the targeted use of irrigation and fertilizers, while PepsiCo will purchase the potato crop from farmers for use in food production, which helps in enhancing farmers' livelihoods." ".

The statement quoted PepsiCo's Vice President for Corporate Affairs in the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan, Wael Ismail, as saying, "We are very pleased to cooperate with the World Food Program to help support the agricultural sector in Iraq, build sustainable livelihoods, and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations sustainable development goals, which Focused on ending hunger and building a better and more sustainable future for all.

"This partnership is a great example of the importance of public-private sector cooperation to address a pressing global issue, which is food insecurity, and this partnership will have a significant impact on tens of thousands of people in local communities," he stressed.

This partnership is part of PepsiCo's Positive Agriculture (Pep+) strategy, which focuses on regenerative farming practices and empowering farming communities to improve the livelihoods of more than 250,000 people working in the company's agricultural supply chain, achieving the company's goal of reaching 100% of key components. to feed them sustainably by 2030.

More than 32,000 farmers in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia are under the umbrella of PepsiCo's Sustainable Agriculture Programme, which focuses on adopting responsible agricultural practices that can improve crop yields, improve farmers' livelihoods, enhance levels of respect for human rights, and protect the local environment and natural resources.

For his part, the representative of the World Food Program in Iraq, Ali Reda Qureshi, welcomed the new partnership with the company, explaining that “PepsiCo, through the exchange of experiences and resources with the World Food Program and local communities in Iraq, will help build a more sustainable food system, and provide solutions for small Farmers are able to increase the productivity of their land and improve their income through better market links, ultimately transforming their lives.

It is worth noting that the PepsiCo Foundation has long been a partner and supporter of the United Nations World Food Program, as the Foundation has supported the mission and programs of the World Food Program since 2006, by providing funds in excess of $12.2 million, including grants and donations from company employees. .

The new initiative is part of PepsiCo's global commitment "Food for Good", which aims to enhance food security in the communities in which the company operates, and benefit from collaboration with local partners.

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