Minderoo Foundation contributes to FAO’s Grain Storage Support Strategy

A new US$3 million (A$4.4 million) project, funded by Australian philanthropic organisation Minderoo Foundation, is contributing to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Grain Storage Support Strategy, which is being implemented closely with the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.

“Providing farmers with temporary granaries for storing this year’s harvest is a very important and timely decision, as part of the granaries was destroyed or damaged,” said Markiyan Dmytrasevych, Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food.

“One of the requirements for farmers for receiving such assistance is registration in the State Agrarian Register, recently launched by the Ministry.”

“The Minderoo Foundation funded project will allow for an additional 264.4 thousand tonnes of grain and oilseed storage in Ukraine and strengthen the efforts of the governments of Japan and Canada, aiming to cover grain storage between 2022-2023 along with related technical support and equipment,” said Pierre Vauthier, Head of FAO Ukraine Office.

With the funds of the Minderoo Foundation — the first private source of funding for the Grain Storage Support Strategy — FAO will deliver temporary storage equipment across Ukraine.

Minderoo Foundation Chairman, Dr Andrew Forrest, said the philanthropic organisation he and his wife Nicola Forrest started in 2001 had a mission to arrest unfairness and create opportunities to better the world.

“Vulnerable nations, such as those in northern Africa and central Asia, rely on crops grown in Ukraine to feed their people,” Dr Forrest said.

“The longer-term impact of our partnership with FAO will be strengthening food security at the household level in Ukraine, protecting the livelihoods of Ukrainian farmers and ensuring other dependent countries access to adequate supplies of grain, at a manageable cost.”

“People across the world are going hungry and suffering unnecessarily through no fault of their own,” Mrs Forrest, the Co-Chair and Co-Founder of Minderoo Foundation, added.

“We hope our support helps to alleviate this. We at Minderoo Foundation stand resolute in our support of Ukraine and the brave Ukrainian people.”

To date, with the additional funds from Minderoo Foundation, FAO has raised US$60 million against the total of US$65 million requested for the implementation of the Grain Storage Support Strategy.