Foundations' Quotes ... holistic, systemic improvements to U.S. policy and help
build a renewed global ... environmental quality and improved farmer livelihoods.
Foundations’ Quotes AGree
Foundations’ Quotes AGree Ford Foundation: “For hundreds of millions of families around the world, food security is a critical part of economic security. And yet the everyday challenges people face in producing, selling and buying food are nearly invisible in the global discussion of agricultural policy. “With the arrival of this dedicated initiative – supported by eight major foundations – we see tremendous opportunity to more thoroughly research and effectively address the interconnected issues of economic opportunity, food security, community well-being and national agricultural policy. By promoting joint solutions among nonprofits, governments and businesses, and ensuring the participation of the people who are closest to the problems, we have a chance to make markets work better for everyone who has a stake in the food production chain – and that’s just about all of us.”
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: “U.S. food and agricultural policies significantly impact the lives of farm families, both in the U.S. and in the developing world. Globally, food production will need to increase 70 percent by 2050 to meet the expected increase in population. It is clear that increasing these farmers’ productivity is critical to ensuring global food security in a sustainable way. AGree is an important longterm effort to promote holistic, systemic improvements to U.S. policy and help build a renewed global food system to meet the challenges of a growing population.”
Foundations’ Quotes AGree The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation: “The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation is pleased to support the launch of this timely and important initiative together with so many other foundations. Our past engagement in the area of agriculture policy confirmed the complexity and interrelatedness of the issues facing the U.S. food and farming system as a whole. An initiative such as this, which seeks connections and solutions and to elevate political discussions about this topic is a welcome new departure. We wish it every success in improving the lives of the poor in rural communities here and in the developing world.”
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation: “A major opportunity exists today to improve our food and agricultural system to better meet rapidly growing demands for nutritious food, improved health, environmental quality and improved farmer livelihoods. To grasp this opportunity, we need a new, broadly shared vision for the role of food and agriculture in society, a supportive set of public policies and a pragmatic strategy for action. “Stakeholders on all sides of these issues − ranging from farmers and businesses; to families concerned about childhood obesity, healthy food or water quality; to advocates for poverty alleviation and rural and international development − recognize the need for change, but have not had the means or the mechanism to develop or pursue that new vision. We believe that AGree provides that mechanism because it will help leaders from across the groups of affected stakeholders to develop the long-term strategy and plan of action needed to create a 21st century food and agriculture system. “An improved food and agriculture system can play a major role in advancing progress towards core priorities of The David and Lucile Packard Foundation – including environmental conservation and improving the lives of children. The Packard Foundation is pleased to be a sponsor of this initiative.”
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Foundations’ Quotes AGree W.K. Kellogg Foundation: “Equitable access to good, healthy food is central to child development, impacting how our children learn and grow. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation seeks to bring meaningful change to food systems so that all of our nation’s children and families can thrive. Improved access to healthy food can strengthen rural and urban communities, reinvigorate local economies, reduce healthcare costs and address historical inequities that prevent children and families from reaching their full potential. We are proud to support the AGree initiative because it will elevate critical policy conversations regarding our nation’s approach to food, food systems for all, and overall health and wellness.”
The McKnight Foundation: “For almost 60 years, a hallmark of The McKnight Foundation’s work is deep knowledge and relationships in the localities in which we work. Today, we see that ‘local’ is everywhere, as all people share one planet where market systems, policies and practices have the power to bridge oceans and impact communities a world away. “Like our partners in AGree, McKnight embraces a variety of strategies, ranging from support for our natural environment to climate change mitigation, effective regional development, and global food security. Our history of work teaches us that cross-sector crises require cross-sector solutions. To improve people’s wellbeing and prosperity everywhere through better food systems, AGree will unite key sectors, policy experts and practitioners for collaborative solutions. By pooling our resources and perspectives through AGree, foundations have an opportunity to better align our strategies for a healthier world, with positive new connections among food systems, agriculture and global well-being.”
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Foundations’ Quotes AGree Rockefeller Foundation: “The Rockefeller Foundation fosters innovative solutions to many of the world’s most pressing challenges, affirming its mission, since 1913, to ‘promote the wellbeing’ of humanity. Today, the Foundation works to ensure that more people can tap into the benefits of globalization while strengthening resilience to its risks. “In many of the poorer countries of the world a majority of the people, including many of the poorest, depend on small-scale farms for their livelihoods. The Rockefeller Foundation has long promoted and facilitated agricultural development as a means of helping these people pull themselves out of poverty while stimulating national economic growth. The policies of the United States can significantly influence the success of such agricultural development programs both as a source of financial and technical assistance and as a supplier and purchaser of farm products. The Foundation looks forward to AGree identifying opportunities for synergy, where farmers and consumers in the United States and in developing countries can all benefit from policy reforms.”
The Walton Family Foundation: "Resolving conflicts between the environment and agriculture in ways that support rural economies is essential to our goal of improving the health of both the Mississippi and Colorado Rivers. AGree's work to improve the environment while keeping some of the most fertile agricultural land economically productive for farmers points the way toward shared progress for the environment and economy of rural America.” ###
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