Minnesota Ag Connection - National/World News - Elanco Accelerator Delivers $8 Million to Smallholder Farmers

National & World Ag News Headlines

Elanco Accelerator Delivers $8 Million to Smallholder Farmers
USAgNet - 02/19/2020

Elanco Animal Health Inc. announced that its shared value East Africa Growth Accelerator (EAGA) initiative has delivered a Social Return on Investment (SROI) of almost 250% for dairy and poultry smallholder farmers, their families and other stakeholders in the region. For every US$1 invested by Elanco and its partners in the EAGA initiative during its initial phase from June 2017 to December 2018, $2.48 of socio-economic value has been created for society in East Africa.

According to the FAO's 2018 Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition, 20% of the population in Africa is undernourished1. In Eastern Africa, the prevalence is higher than the continental average at 31%, or more than 130 million undernourished people. Animal proteins like meat, milk, eggs and fish provide critical nutrients for physical and cognitive development, but 25% of protein2 from farm animals is lost due to animal illness in the East African region.

The EAGA initiative launched in 2017 with a $3.1 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to provide sustainable development solutions to address potential food shortage in the region due to livestock disease and mortality. By providing farming families with access to high-quality, reliable veterinary medicines and knowledge to support healthier food animals, the EAGA initiative has made strides in addressing three of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals -- zero hunger, ending poverty and ensuring good health and well-being of people.

"We believe that healthier animals are the x-factor for solving some of society's greatest problems," said Maria Zampaglione, senior advisor, Corporate Social Responsibility at Elanco. "The impact and social return on investment we are seeing with the EAGA initiative so far reiterates that belief. Healthier animals are making a real difference for East African families and communities through the livelihoods and well-being they support."

The initiative has enabled the registration, manufacturing and distribution of affordable, high-quality veterinary products to address, prevent and treat livestock disease, along with intensive training for dairy and poultry smallholder farmers and channel partners in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

Other National Headlines