Agriculture is the main source of income for hundreds of millions of people around the world, most of whom work on small-scale, or smallholder farms. The Gates Foundation supports agricultural innovations for smallholder farmers, especially in regions affected by climate change and food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. We work with partners to develop sustainable, inclusive agricultural transformation that creates economic opportunity and gives everyone access to affordable, nutritious food.
MEZZI CAN: MAXIMIZING MILK COLLECTION
Across Africa, millions of small-scale dairy farmers produce milk. But the traditional method of collecting, storing, and transporting milk has its challenges. Milk pails can be kicked over, and attract contaminants that cause the milk to spoil. And repurposed jerry cans used for transporting milk often break and are difficult to clean. The Mazzi Can was created specifically to help solve these problems. See the labeled diagram to learn more about the innovative design features on the Mazzi Can that help dairy farmers maximize their milk collection and sales.
RESILIENT CROPS
Hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers are seeking ways to adapt to the challenges of climate change. Our partners are working on crop and livestock innovations that boost resilience to new weather patterns and improve food security in their communities.
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A TELA Maize demonstration site at the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) in Abuja, Nigeria, on July 29, 2024. -
Dr. Clare Mugisha, a senior scientist working as the Global Breeding Lead of Common Bean for the NARO bean 6 at CGIAR’s Alliance of Bioversity International and International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) photographed at the Kawanda Research Institute, in Kawanda, Uganda on May 30, 2024. -
A BT cowpea demonstration site at the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) in Abuja, Nigeria, on July 29, 2024. -
INDIA / Karnal / 13 September 2009 Farm labourers walk through minimum-till rice crop in the farm of Samir Jawa at Jundla village. -
Sorghum demonstration fields at the Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) campus in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. February 11, 2011. -
Soybean plants, Abuja, Nigeria, October 7, 2006.
DUAL-PURPOSE CHICKENS
While commercial chickens are typically bred for either eggs or meat, hybrid “dual-purpose” birds efficiently deliver both. It can be a game changer for a smallholder farmer—a flexible source of protein for her family as well as products they can sell.
Because the chickens thrive on food foraged around the farm instead of commercial feed, this breed also costs the farmer less and is more climate-friendly.
