Ames, Iowa
April 9, 2009
Iowa State University and
Monsanto Fund, the
philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company, have teamed up to
better the lives of subsistence farmers in Uganda.
“What you generally see is that people who get livestock are
raising their standard of living,” said Max Rothschild, Charles
F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor of Agriculture in animal
science who leads the project for Iowa State. “The children are
better fed, places are cleaner, they are better established.
People have a little more hope.”
The goal is to place animals with 100 farmers, with 65 getting
pigs and 35 receiving goats. Those to receive animals have been
selected from 500 applicants in the Kamuli district.
Rothschild said the first step is for the farmers to build
structures to house the animals. About 55 farmers are at that
stage with the help of some matching funds.
The Monsanto Fund provided $100,000 for the two-year project,
which is part of Iowa State’s Center for Sustainable Rural
Livelihoods livestock component. The Center is partnering with
Volunteer Efforts for Development Concerns (VEDCO), a
non-governmental organization, to oversee the project.
The grant pays for the animals, some feed and seed needed to
grow additional feed. Seed is being distributed now to take
advantage of the first rainy season of the year.
Rothschild said women are usually in charge of these farms,
which consist of 1- or 2-acre plots. Some sell a portion of the
crop harvest, but most of what they raise is used by the family.
“These are the poorest of poor people. Pig and goat production
is a way to save money, and produce cash for school fees or
emergencies,” he said.
Deborah Patterson, president of Monsanto Fund, said her
organization is proud to support Iowa State in this endeavor.
“They are helping to ensure a more sustainable future for
subsistence farmers in Uganda and making a huge difference in
their lives,” Patterson said.
Monsanto Fund is the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto
Company. Incorporated in 1964, the Fund’s primary objective is
to improve the lives of people by bridging the gap between their
needs and their resources. Monsanto Fund is focused on
grant-making in four main areas: nutritional well-being through
agriculture; science education, primarily on professional
development for teachers; the environment, which includes
conservation, protection of biodiversity, clean water and
restoration of wildlife habitat; and improving the quality of
life in communities where Monsanto employees live and work. |
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