The AGCO Agriculture Foundation (AAF), a private foundation committed to ending hunger through sustainable agricultural development, announced a $25,000 donation to Sehgal Foundation, a private non- profit organization coordinating COVID-19 emergency response efforts in rural India.
The recent surge in COVID-19 cases in India has affected peoples’ food security and livelihoods, especially in remote areas. Many households are struggling to provide two meals a day for their families, and critical health needs are rising.
The AAF’s grant will help meet the immediate hunger needs of 12,000 displaced people in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar by providing food ration kits with pigeon pea, chickpea, soya, cooking oil, and other nutrient-dense foods. In addition, the funding will support access to essential safety and preventative healthcare supplies.
“We recognize that the COVID-19 situation is desperate in vulnerable communities in rural India and want to ensure they are supported as the nation works to recover from the pandemic,” said Metti Richenhagen, Director of the AGCO Agriculture Foundation. “Sehgal Foundation is an excellent partner to work with as we seek to support food security and emergency response through grassroots efforts in local Indian states and villages.”
The emergency response in India will build on the AAF’s COVID-19 Aid Program. Last year, the AAF donated $450,000 in grant funding to support more than 50,000 vulnerable communities around the world and provide 210,000 meals to marginalized farmers and their families.
