WASHINGTON – Feed the Future’s new Partnering for Innovation program formally launched today at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington, DC. The program, supported through the  United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Fintrac Inc., aims to engage the private sector and put transformational technologies into the hands of smallholder farmers in developing countries to quickly and sustainably improve their productivity and incomes.

“By fostering partnerships and promoting innovation, we can help unlock the potential of small-scale farmers and catalyze broad-based economic growth and trade to  advance global food security,” Tjada McKenna, Feed the Future’s Deputy Coordinator for Development.

Senior leaders from agribusiness companies, the United States government, research organizations, and the development community gathered at the event, which outlined the Feed the Future Partnering for Innovation program’s four primary components. These include an emphasis on identifying, promoting, and commercializing agricultural technologies for smallholder farmers; developing robust industry partnerships with private and public sector markets; capturing best practices for effective engagement; and managing knowledge and promoting partnerships. These efforts directly support Feed the Future’s primary goal of reducing global poverty and undernutrition. 

“Fintrac is proud to support this effort to engage the commercial sector in a way that will, most importantly, make an impact on millions of smallholder farmers,” said Claire Starkey, Fintrac President.

About Feed the Future

Feed the Future is the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative. With a focus on smallholder farmers, particularly women, Feed the Future is establishing a foundation for lasting progress against global hunger by supporting countries in developing their agriculture sectors to spur economic growth that increases incomes and reduces hunger, poverty, and undernutrition. Feed the Future efforts are driven by country-led priorities and rooted in partnership with governments, donor organizations, the private sector, and civil society to enable long-term success.

About USAID

USAID is an independent agency that provides economic, development and humanitarian assistance around the world in support of the foreign policy goals of the United States. Spending less than one-half of 1 percent of the federal budget, USAID works in over 100 countries to promote broad-scale human progress at the same time it expands stable, free societies, creates markets and trade partners for the United States, and fosters good will abroad.

About Fintrac

Fintrac is a woman-owned and U.S.-based consulting company that develops agricultural solutions to address hunger and poverty. For more than 20 years, Fintrac has worked with local and global partners to increase production, improve post-harvest handling, add value, and develop markets and competitive value chains for the world’s most vulnerable farmers and communities.