HarvestPlus and Cargill are thrilled to introduce the NutriHarvest project, a groundbreaking 36-month, $3 million initiative. This project, funded by Cargill and implemented by HarvestPlus, aims to expand access to nutritious food and improve the lives of over 119,000 farmers across India, Kenya, Tanzania, and Guatemala. The project will also deliver more than 17 million nutritious meals, addressing critical food security challenges.
Approximately two billion people globally suffer from micronutrient deficiencies, leading to serious health issues such as stunted growth, night blindness, impaired brain development, weakened immunity, and even death. These deficiencies often result from diets dependent on staple crops that lack essential micronutrients. The NutriHarvest project seeks to combat this by promoting the production and consumption of nutrient-dense foods, including biofortified staple crops, opportunity crops, and animal-based foods.
NutriHarvest aligns with the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) initiative, which promotes resilient food systems based on diverse, nutritious, and climate-adapted crops grown in healthy soils. Through this partnership, HarvestPlus and Cargill aim to increase the production of nutrient-rich crops with the potential to improve global food security, especially in regions impacted by climate change.
The project focuses on three key areas to improve farmers’ livelihoods, food security, and nutrition:
- VACS: This component emphasizes increasing the production of climate-resilient, nutrient-rich crops. In Kenya and Tanzania, NutriHarvest will collaborate with seed companies and farmers to enhance the cultivation of legumes and vitamin A-rich sweet potatoes, creating a more diverse and resilient food system.
- Home Grown School Feeding: NutriHarvest seeks to boost children’s dietary diversity by incorporating nutrient-dense crops into local school feeding programs. The project will support farming households with biofortified seeds and link the nutritious crops produced to school feeding programs through partnerships with local farmers, millers, food banks, and enterprises. This will increase the availability of vitamin A maize and iron beans in Kenya and Tanzania, iron pearl millet and zinc wheat in India, and zinc maize and iron beans in Guatemala.
- Hatching Hope: In India, NutriHarvest will help poultry farmers, particularly women, through the Hatching Hope initiative. Launched by Cargill in 2018 in partnership with Heifer International, this program will provide training and resources to improve poultry farming practices, enhancing farmers’ livelihoods and driving local economic growth.
The NutriHarvest project aims to create long-lasting change by empowering farmers to grow and market nutrient-dense crops and proteins while improving livestock farming skills. This effort will make nutritious food more accessible and affordable in local markets, contributing to a more secure global food system.
“We are excited to partner with Cargill on this transformative initiative, leveraging our ecosystem approach to improve nutrition through VACS, biofortified crops, and school meals, all while enhancing the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and their households,” said Arun Baral, CEO of HarvestPlus and HarvestPlus Solutions.
In Tanzania, Penina Muoki, HarvestPlus country manager, emphasized, “The NutriHarvest Project offers a unique opportunity to address the leading micronutrient deficiencies—vitamin A, iron, and zinc—through the production of opportunity crops frequently consumed by households at risk of malnutrition.”
Pilar Cruz, Chief Sustainability Officer at Cargill, added, “As a key player in the global food system, Cargill is committed to addressing pressing challenges and improving food security. Through the NutriHarvest project and VACS, we are deepening our commitment to increasing food access and building long-term resilience in communities, improving both nutrition and farmer livelihoods.”
The NutriHarvest project represents a major step forward in the global fight against malnutrition. Partners are invited to support and join this important initiative.
About Cargill:
Cargill is committed to providing food, ingredients, agricultural solutions, and industrial products to nourish the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way. Sitting at the heart of the supply chain, we partner with farmers and customers to source, make and deliver products that are vital for living.
Our 160,000 team members innovate with purpose, providing customers with life’s essentials so businesses can grow, communities prosper, and consumers live well. With 159 years of experience as a family company, we look ahead while remaining true to our values. We put people first. We reach higher. We do the right thing—today and for generations to come. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.
About HarvestPlus:
HarvestPlus improves nutrition and public health by developing and promoting biofortified food crops that are rich in vitamins and minerals and providing global leadership on biofortification evidence and technology. HarvestPlus works across CGIAR as part of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). For more information, visit harvestplus.org.
About HarvestPlus Solutions:
HarvestPlus Solutions (HPS) is a purpose-driven, global networked organization headquartered in Washington, DC. HPS’ primary goal is to accelerate the scaling and commercialization of innovative solutions from HarvestPlus and the CGIAR.
