Fighting Hunger & Poverty with Opportunity
We create opportunities across Africa for rural communities with tools and services to efficiently process, save, and sell more food.
Postharvest Solutions Provider
We implement programs and strategies to sustainably reduce hunger and poverty by supporting rural communities with opportunities to process, save, and sell more food.
With our technical expertise and over 40 years of experience, we focus on mechanizing postharvest processing while supporting entrepreneurial development in rural communities for cultivating a thriving agricultural industry and resilient food systems.
Why Postharvest?
820 million people around the world live with hunger.
Feeding a growing population.
The current food system is not designed to adequately reach those most vulnerable to hunger, even though we ALREADY produce ENOUGH food to feed the world.
Smallholder farmers produce 80% of food produced across Africa.
Limited postharvest resources for smallholders.
Without access to affordable technology, much of the postharvest labor is done by hand or with rudimentary tools which is both inefficient and labor intensive.
10-50% of food produced is lost between harvest & consumption.
High levels of postharvest loss.
With manual labor, much of a harvest cannot be processed before it spoils. Not only does this mean less food is available, but it is also a significant contributor to the climate crisis.
Only 5% of agricultural investment supports postharvest solutions.
The need to invest in postharvest.
If smallholder farmers cannot effectively process and preserve their harvest, they won't be able to capitalize on resources available to improve production or increase their yields through other agricultural investments.
Priority Areas
Climate Resilience
Adapting to a changing world.
Today’s escalating climate crisis causes extreme weather across Africa, impeding the availability, accessibility, and stability of nutritious food for hundreds of millions of people. That is why Bountifield partners with smallholder farmers to build resiliency.
Food Security & Nutrition
Increasing accessibility of nutritious food.
Food security means people have consistent access to enough food to survive and lead healthy lives. Access to postharvest technology in rural communities increases the quantity and quality of local food available to feed more families.
Economic Development
Improving livelihoods through innovation.
With improved access to postharvest technology through Bountifield intervention, more jobs are created in these rural communities which increases incomes both for entrepreneurs and smallholder farmers alike.
Inclusive Growth
Growth shared by all.
We strive to achieve equitable growth across gender and generational lines where community members have the opportunity to position themselves as leaders of transformative and resilient food systems for all.
The Bountifield Model
Bountifield's "one-to-many" model has proven that one rural entrepreneur can reach hundreds of smallholder farmers in surrounding areas with access to agricultural technology. Farmers benefit from these businesses as they process their crops more efficiently, saving time and food and also increasing revenue potential. Therefore, by equipping one entrepreneur with the tools they need, we are able to reach hundreds of farmers that otherwise would lack the access to this vital service.
Our Three Pillar Program
In order to make this model work and achieve our priority area goals, we offer three essential services to our entrepreneurs:
Technical Support
Vetted and approved postharvest processing technology and post-sales support.
Business Resources
Technical, business management, and marketing training to set their agribusinesses up for success.
Financing
Financial packages to access the credit needed to invest in and expand their own business capacity.
Who Benefits
Women
Closing the gender gap in agriculture.
Across Africa, women account for 60% of the agricultural workforce, yet they have less access to business education, technical support, and financial capital. We strive to change this by equipping women with the resources they need to rise as leaders.
Rural Youth
Empowering tomorrow's leaders today.
Because of limited job options and skills training, rural youth are migrating to urban areas. Our programs focus on providing opportunities for youth to remain in their communities by strengthening the agricultural landscape.
Micro Enterprises
Investing in the "Missing Middle."
Referred to as the "missing middle," there is little investment in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). By focusing on these entrepreneurs, we help to build an ecosystem of postharvest support for smallholder farmers to reach those living with hunger.
Smallholder Farmers
Bridging the technology gap for farmers.
Smallholder farmers often lack access to affordable technology, leaving much of the work done by hand or with rudimentary tools that are inefficient and labor intensive. We work to bridge this gap, saving time, money, and food.
