Canadian Foodgrains Bank aiding African communities

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank has been granted $2.3 million by the federal government for its projects to help African communities hit hard by COVID-19. “The small-scale farmers we work with in developing countries have been significantly impacted by COVID-19 prevention methods,” said outgoing Foodgrains Bank executive director Jim Cornelius in a news release. “Drastic efforts to reduce the spread of the coronavirus have disrupted livelihoods, farm production and food supply chains,” he stated, “For small-scale farmers who rely on the crops they grow for food and income these disruptions can mean the difference between having food on their plates or not.” The Foodgrains Bank is putting in about $700,000 to bring the total to about $3 million. The new grant will go towards projects in Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya, starting this year and going into 2021. Projects will focus on providing agricultural support to: help farmers increase yields, support community savings and loans programs so farmers can buy seeds and inputs, and assist farmers to get crops to market.