Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funds African animal feed scheme

The programme will attempt to improve animal nutrition in Africa

Animal nutrition company Nutreco has received a $4.8 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which it claims will accelerate the implementation of localised, sustainable complete feed production in sub-Saharan Africa, driving forward the Dutch firm’s Feeding the Future programme. 

Compound feed production across the continent is some of the lowest in the world, and some of the most expensive due to inefficiencies and infrastructure challenges. As a result, small-scale livestock producers face declining incomes and uncertain futures, unless they gain access to quality animal feed. 

As the middle-class of Africa grows and many Africans start to have access to more disposable income, the demand for meat and dairy products will continue to grow. This is demonstrated by the growth of Western fast-food brands expanding their presence on the continent, such as KFC launching in Rwanda in the past few  years.

The $4.8 million grant will directly fund 21 Hendrix4U complete feed production projects initially in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Uganda. Hendrix4U provides a ‘factory-in-a-box’ for rural areas ensuring access to quality compound feed production for small-scale producers, in a “financially sustainable way” according to Nutreco.

The 37 Hendrix4U projects in total, which all include a full-service package for small-scale feed production, will not only improve local feed value chains, but also critically improve the profitability of over 15,000 poultry and dairy producers, Nutreco claims.

“More than half of the projected global population growth in the coming decades will take place in Africa, and many will face food insecurity and hunger if no innovative solutions are developed to increase the sustainable production of food in the region,” said Nutreco CEO Fulco van Lede.

“Today’s grant funding serves as validation of the work we are doing in Africa to equip producers with the right tools to future proof their livelihoods – and as a result, ensure high quality food and produce is accessible for communities throughout the continent.”