"We have a great opportunity to use our agriculture expertise and strong partnerships to elevate marginalized farmers and make strides towards Zero Hunger."
Lucinda B. Smith, Board Chair
About the AGCO Agriculture Foundation
The AGCO Agriculture Foundation (AAF), initiated by AGCO Corporation in 2018, is a private foundation with the vision to prevent and relieve hunger through agricultural development. We launched the Foundation to focus our philanthropy on impactful programs that help feed our steadily growing world sustainably and equitably.
Our five key focus areas enable us to identify pathways to improved agricultural prosperity and support marginalized farmers in their critical mission to supply food to our vulnerable populations.
Through our holistic approach, we strive to make a real, positive and sustainable impact in emerging communities where it is needed most.
Our Foundation Board
Our five board members are the governing body of the AGCO Agriculture Foundation.
Forward-looking approach to Nutritional Demands
Our Foundation recognizes the right-to-nutrition as a human right and assists with its fulfillment through access to adequate food or means of its procurement in vulnerable communities. What does it take to feed a changing world? In response to the world’s increasing nutritional demands and in support of our vision to prevent and relieve hunger holistically, we are combining smart impact, sustainable agriculture, and philanthropy in all of our initiatives. We assist our marginalized farmers in their critical mission to meet growing local demands for healthy nutrition.
Advancement of Quality Education in Agriculture
The AGCO Agriculture Foundation integrates agricultural education and training into all its initiatives. We believe that access to quality education leads to the enhancement of capacity building and skill development in farming. When we combine this with practical and hands-on agricultural experiences on the field, our students have the right formula for success. We understand the importance of increasing the appeal of agriculture as a career choice for young students, diversifying our industry and empowering marginalized farmers to take ownership of their agriculture businesses.
Advancement of Community Development, particularly in Rural Areas
Our Foundation is focused on the advancement of rural communities and believes that local challenges in achieving a significant reduction in hunger, require local solutions by local farmers. We accomplish this approach in a number of ways, including strategic funding to organizations with local expertise that help us to build the necessary infrastructure for rural farming that improves rural resilience in terms of food security, employment opportunities in agriculture, secured incomes and a reduction of poverty.
Ethical Treatment of Animals Across the Value Chain
The AGCO Agriculture Foundation is addressing the needed balance between an increase in demand for protein and the ethical treatment of animals across the value chain. Our Foundation supports the development of animal welfare solutions in the agriculture industry, improving standards for animal-based food production by ensuring the care, health and welfare of farm animals in our food production. We understood early on the impacts of animal protein production in marginalized communities and are developing local animal protein training on our farm facilities.
Advancement of Social Initiatives that Enhance Our Vision
Our non-profit engagement supports vital social and economic initiatives that enhance long-term strategic development and pathways to agricultural prosperity. Hence, we also look at the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals as a blueprint for a better and more sustainable future for all, especially SDG #2 to end hunger, achieve food security, improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. With a population growing to 8.5 billion by 2030, our work has just begun and as we embark on this journey, we pledge that no farmer is left behind.
Photo: Global Growers