How We Help
We believe in a holistic approach to building up the capacity of local economies in rural Africa by supporting all aspects of postharvest — from local manufacturing and regional distribution of Bountifield tools to connecting farmers with markets.
Partnering With Rural African Farmers to Save Food and Nourish Their Communities
One of the most effective methods of reducing poverty in sub-Saharan Africa is helping smallholder farmers produce and capture an abundance of nutritious food and bring it to markets at all levels. Traditional postharvest handling and processing methods are highly inefficient and ineffective, resulting in low crop yields as well as spoilage and contamination that can destroy up to half of their crops.
At Bountifield, we use a farmer-centric approach, collaborating with farmers and entrepreneurs to identify appropriate solutions that dramatically increases the postharvest output and decreases the loss of crops. We surround them with an ecosystem of programs and services, including high-output tools, technical and business training, and connections with local support resources. We listen and learn so we better understand their challenges and needs in order to introduce opportunities that more effectively save food and improve quality, resulting in a more nutritious product and potential to generate a higher income.
Improving the Lives of African Women
Women play a critical role in agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa, but they face tremendous time and labor constraints and are disproportionately affected by poverty. Social norms and discrimination undermine their well-being and ability to access and benefit more directly from markets. We help women overcome these challenges and improve their overall quality of life through a combination of time-saving postharvest tools and an array of training, education, and awareness resources. Through these resources, women gain the technical ability to use and maintain the tools, understand food safety practices, and learn the business skills needed to run a small business. As a result, there is a more available, accessible and nutritious food supply in the rural sector.
We understand the importance of working with women and men. We also understand how important it is to support women’s collective capacity and access to productive resources to increase their production and more readily sell their goods at market as a targeted strategy to achieve equity and overall well-being.
Providing Sustainable Postharvest Business Solutions to African Farmers and Rural Entrepreneurs
We work closely with local farmers to understand their unique requirements and constraints to create comprehensive solutions of high-output postharvest tools, technical training, and local support resources. By partnering with Bountifield, farmers improve their food production, generating more surplus of nutritious food and more opportunities to sell as well as raise their incomes. They are incentivized to plant more, opening up greater opportunities for themselves, their children, and their communities.
We are part of the global movement to create a better, healthier, and more sustainable planet. Our work is in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, launched in 2015 as “a global blueprint for dignity, peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and in the future.”
The 17 goals recognize the interwoven nature of economic, social and environmental development and acknowledge that we all must do our part if we are to improve the lives for everyone around the world. Bountifield’s mission and programs proudly contribute to several of these goals.
