AAF donates to “BORSCH” initiative in Ukraine

The AGCO Agriculture Foundation (AAF) , a private foundation with the vision to prevent and relieve hunger through sustainable agricultural development, donates $50,000 to an initiative called “BORSCH” implemented by the Land Club, a non-profit organization in Ukraine. The donation will help “BORSCH” contribute to Ukraine’s food and nutrition security during this crisis and improve the livelihoods of Ukrainian farming communities affected by the war.

Expanding on the AAF Ukraine Humanitarian Aid program, the AAF donation to the “BORSCH” initiative will contribute to the purchase of so-called “borsch set” vegetable seeds, namely cabbages, carrots, onions, beetroots, and potatoes. The seeds will be distributed freely to farmers for the planting season in the war-affected areas in Ukraine where they are not now available and accessible.

This donation builds on the Ukraine Humanitarian Aid program the AAF launched in March to support Ukraine with food supplies and ensure the safety of all Ukrainian colleagues and their families. As part of that immediate response, the AAF donated $100,000 to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to provide immediate emergency food assistance. In addition, the AAF established the ongoing ‘AGCO Ukraine Emergency Relief’ ShareTheMeal team campaign with WFP to donate and give lifesaving food to those affected by the conflict in Ukraine.

“During this crisis, our priority has been to support farmers and their communities with essential resources,” said Metti Richenhagen, Director for the AAF. “Through our Ukraine Humanitarian Aid Program, we are committed to supporting farmer-focused initiatives like ‘BORSCH,’ which helps to ensure that this humanitarian crisis does not become a hunger and food insecurity crisis for farming communities and families.”

In Ukraine, the borsch set vegetables are primarily grown in local gardens totaling 3 million hectares of land and benefiting 3.5 million farming households. The initiative distributes seeds to Ukrainian farmers with up to 1 hectare of cultivated farmland, enabling them to produce nutritious food while generating additional income.

“The situation in Ukraine is already negatively impacting sustainable food systems,” said Frederic Devienne, Vice President, EME, EME Regional Lead, and Board Member of AGCO Agriculture Foundation. “Putting farmers first to sustainably feed our world is core to our purpose and European operations, and we want to help our farmers and customers in Ukraine continue to keep food production running during the crisis.”