Back to the farm: Africa’s youth power up food security
Story | 11 August 2025
WFP’s partnerships with leading philanthropic organizations are critical in supporting our efforts to feed the hungry while enhancing organizational capacity and furthering development of WFP’s strategic initiatives. Collaboration with foundations enables WFP to implement innovative programming that better serves communities in urgent need, while also providing long-term solutions to hunger and poverty that deliver for the vulnerable.
The Mastercard Foundation is partnering with WFP to support young people across eight African countries through enterprise capacity building, access to markets and finance, and skills development, fostering entrepreneurship and innovation. Together, we are helping African youth – particularly women – launch enterprises, secure sustainable employment, and strengthen agrifood systems. By the end of 2024, the partnership had reached 380,000 young people, 58 percent women – unlocking potential and opportunity across agricultural value chains.
With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, WFP tackles urgent issues that impede food security throughout the developing world, such as Women’s Economic Empowerment, Digital Financial Inclusion and Large-Scale Food Fortification. Projects have also focused on increasing the amount of purchases WFP makes from smallholder farmers and supporting WFP’s Food Security Analysis Service to help countries comprehensively assess and respond to food insecurity.
The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) has helped WFP prevent stunting through its “Right Foods at the Right Time—Improving Nutrition of Children under 2,” initiative. Together, CIFF and WFP have reached 42,000 children under two years of age, along with 57,000 pregnant and nursing women in Malawi. WFP and CIFF are now working on maternal and child nutrition with a focus on Balanced Energy-Protein (BEP) supplements.
The Rockefeller Foundation has supported WFP in restructuring its natural disaster assistance programme, which has evolved from an ad-hoc solution to a global risk-management system with a particular focus on helping people cope with climate-related food crises in Africa. WFP and the Foundation are now working together to leverage the power of institutional procurement to improve diets through school feeding.
WFP is launching World Food Invest, an impact investment fund designed to unlock the potential of small and medium-sized enterprises in fragile settings. By channeling capital into local businesses that strengthen food system supply chains, reduce post-harvest losses, and boost rural economies, the fund will support locally driven solutions to hunger and poverty. Leveraging WFP’s extensive field presence and operational expertise, World Food Invest will help de-risk investments while creating sustainable opportunities for private sector engagement that deliver lasting impact for vulnerable communities. Download the factsheet to learn more.
WFP’s partnerships with leading companies and corporates are vital in driving innovation and expanding our ability to deliver life-saving assistance. By leveraging the technical expertise, resources, and networks of the private sector, these collaborations help WFP strengthen supply chains, improve nutrition, enhance sustainability, and develop solutions that address both immediate needs and long-term challenges. Working together with corporate partners enables WFP to implement impactful initiatives that support communities in need today while building resilience for the future.
Balenciaga
Cainiao
Choithrams International Foundation
MBC Hope
METRO Group
Salesforce (Tableau)
WFP does not endorse any product or service