Google.org Grants $2.8 Million to World Food Program USA in Support of Joint Accelerator With United Nations World Food Programme’s Innovation Accelerator
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 18, 2024) – World Food Program USA has received a $2.8 million grant from Google.org, marking a significant milestone in the fight against global hunger. This grant supports the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Innovation Accelerator, a cutting-edge initiative aimed at leveraging innovation and technology to tackle food insecurity worldwide.
“We consider the private sector, particularly Google.org, to be best-in-class innovators and visionaries and we rely on their expertise to help us create systemic innovations that will transform our efforts to eradicate global hunger. We are very appreciative of Google.org’s support, ” said Barron Segar, World Food Program USA President and CEO.
Stuart McLaughlin, director, advocacy and strategic partnerships at Google.org, made the announcement during an official side-event of the 2024 World Economic Forum hosted by the WFP Innovation Accelerator, “Galvanizing Impact Innovation for Zero Hunger”, which highlighted Google.org’s commitment to empowering communities and advancing innovative solutions to global challenges.
“By harnessing the power of innovation and technology, together, we aspire to drive meaningful change and address global food insecurity. This grant exemplifies our commitment to creating a sustainable and hunger-free future for all,” said McLaughlin.
The WFP Innovation Accelerator focuses on integrating advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), data analytics, blockchain and new business models to improve humanitarian response and address the root causes of hunger. The grant will fund an acceleration program aimed at developing and scaling 10 ventures created and developed within WFP. These solutions, anchored in technological innovation, aim to improve emergency response, supply chain efficiency, and support for small-scale farmers in many of the world’s most vulnerable communities, including in Yemen, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Haiti. The program includes a comprehensive package of cutting-edge business support, scaling strategies and grant funding.
“This partnership amplifies our capacity to leverage cutting-edge technology with WFP’s global operational capacity. Google stepping up the support in times of a global food crisis is critical to scale game-changing solutions to create more impact for some of the most vulnerable people across the world.” said Bernhard Kowatsch, head of the WFP Innovation Accelerator.
This significant investment by Google.org is part of its ongoing commitment to creating sustainable and impactful solutions in global communities. It also marks a key moment in the collaboration between the technology sector and humanitarian organizations.
About Google.org
Google.org, Google’s philanthropy, brings the best of Google to help solve some of humanity’s biggest challenges combining funding, product donations and technical expertise to support underserved communities and provide opportunity for everyone. We engage nonprofits, social enterprises and civic entities who make a significant impact on the communities they serve, and whose work has the potential to produce scalable, meaningful change.
About World Food Program USA
World Food Program USA, a 501(c)(3) organization based in Washington, D.C., proudly supports the mission of the United Nations World Food Programme by mobilizing American policymakers, businesses and individuals to advance the global movement to end hunger. Our leadership and support help to bolster an enduring American legacy of feeding families in need around the world. To learn more, please visit wfpusa.org.
About the United Nations World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator
The WFP Innovation Accelerator, started in 2015, is one of the world’s biggest social impact startup accelerators. It offers 16 annual programs to the broader ecosystem on multiple social impact and sustainability issues, such as hunger, climate change, primary healthcare, gender equality, and emergency response. In 2022 alone, the portfolio of 150+ startups and innovations impacted 37 million people globally. Since launch, the WFP Innovation Accelerator has maintained a 2X growth rate every year and raised over $200 million in grants for innovations. For more information, visit https://innovation.wfp.org/.
Media Contacts
Toula Athas
World Food Program USA
tathas@wfpusa.org
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