News Release: McKnight expands international crop research program with grant from Gates Foundation
December 8, 2008 - $26 million in funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation allows McKnight to expand grantmaking.
The McKnight Foundation today announces it has been granted $26.7 million through 2013 for crop research funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation of Seattle. Funding from Gates will allow McKnight to make the most of both foundations' investments, taking advantage of McKnight's 25-year history strengthening a network of scientists, organizations and communities working for food and nutritional security in Latin America and Africa.
"The United Nations estimates more than 900 million people are undernourished, living in hunger," said McKnight's president Kate Wolford. "In issues of food security and sustainability, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and McKnight have overlapping interests. This grant will allow McKnight to double its support for research to help some of the world's poorest farmers."
McKnight has funded plant biology and crop research since the early 1980s, and established the McKnight Collaborative Crop Research Program (CCRP) in 1994. Today, the CCRP supports 26 projects in 17 countries, promoting sustainable food production and improved nutrition through strategic partnerships among researchers, development organizations and farmers in Latin American and Africa. Attentive to local cultures and resources, funding often focuses on under-researched crops in harsh environments where the poorest people live.
"We're enthusiastic about partnering and learning with the McKnight CCRP, which has a strong track record of effective grantmaking in agricultural development," said Dr. Rajiv Shah, director of Agricultural Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "The ultimate goal is to help small farmers boost their yields and incomes so they can build better, healthier lives for their families."
Through its "community of practice" (CoP) model, the CCRP supports geographically clustered projects to collaborate on interrelated issues, a promising approach in comprehensive community development efforts. Program grantees meet regularly to discuss their work and to address cross-cutting issues such as climate change and links between agriculture and nutrition.
Complementing McKnight's core commitment of $4.7 million annually, Gates' funding will allow the program to expand its research portfolio and its support for grantees. The CCRP will create a CoP in east Africa to better serve current and future grantees; bolster crucial program links to the social sciences; empower each CoP team to develop strong leaders for regional strategies and decision making; and devote resources to monitoring and evaluation.
"From struggling economies to shifting climates, our world grows more complicated every day," said Wolford. "Despite the staggering challenges, this increased investment will help the McKnight CCRP find innovative and environmentally sensitive solutions to food security issues. We are pleased to continue our work building and sharing smart, regional solutions for regionally specific food needs."
ABOUT THE MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION
The McKnight Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life for present and future generations through grantmaking, coalition-building and encouragement of strategic policy reform. Founded in 1953 and independently endowed by William and Maude McKnight, the Minnesota-based Foundation has assets of approximately $1.6 billion and granted about $93 million in 2007.
ABOUT THE BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people — especially those with the fewest resources — have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed more than US$900 million in agricultural development efforts focused on small farmers in Africa and South Asia, most of whom are women. The foundation invests across the agricultural value chain — from seeds and soil to farm management and market access — so that millions of small farmers have tools and opportunities to overcome hunger and poverty. The foundation believes that strong partnerships and a redoubled commitment to agricultural development across all sectors could help hundreds of millions of people — and entire regions — move out of hunger and poverty and build better futures.
Contact
Tim Hanrahan, Communications Director
Related links
McKnight's crop research program