Food industry leaders raise £2 million for Farm Africa

It’s the tenth anniversary of Food for Good, a network that unites global food and farming businesses behind the power of food to change lives.

The anniversary is an important milestone for the network, which has raised an incredible £2 million for Farm Africa to help farmers across eastern Africa grow their incomes sustainably while protecting the environment.

Funds are raised through membership fees, as well as a series of ambitious fundraising challenges taken on by leaders in the food industry. From beehive building in Tanzania to a trek across Mount Elgon on the border of Uganda and Kenya, Food for Good members over the last ten years have been put through their paces to transform the lives of farmers.

Chefs have made a huge contribution to Food for Good by raising funds for Farm Africa through designing the menu for the biennial Food for Good Gala Dinner, participating in the annual Chefs’ Football tournament and the Dine for Good fundraising campaign, as well as taking to the mountains.

In 2013, the Food for Good network set renowned UK chefs Ashley Palmer-Watts, John Freeman, Paul Foster and Paulo de Tarso a challenge of a lifetime. Their mission? To trade in their aprons for hiking boots and climb Africa’s towering Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for Farm Africa.

Only 41 per cent of those who set out to climb Kilimanjaro manage to make it to the summit at Uhuru Peak, which towers over Africa at a height of 5,895 metres above sea level. With their fundraising target spurring them on, the team defied the odds, reached the top and raised a staggering £375,000 for Farm Africa.

“That was the toughest thing that I’ve ever done. My body completely gave up on me. I could barely put one foot in front of the other but my head was the only thing keeping me going. I was determined to make it to the top. When I actually made it I’d never been so emotional; a sense of relief, pride and pain all at once,” commented Paul Foster.

Ashley Palmer-Watts not only had to cope with the freezing conditions and physical demands of the climb but also a fear of heights.

“The journey to the top was more mentally and physically demanding than anything I’ve ever done before. And at a few points I didn’t think I was going to make it. But when we reached Stella Point after 6.5 hours and there was one more hour to go, I knew I was going to… it was incredibly emotional seeing the whole team at the top and I’m very proud the whole team pulled together and made it,” commented Ashley.

The Food for Good network is aiming to raise £280,000 for Farm Africa in 2021, so you can expect more opportunities to be involved in mountain climbing, treks and building challenges in the future.

Companies in the food and farming sector can join the network for a fee of £10,000 plus VAT, which will count towards the total. Plans are also being developed for a Covid-safe fundraising challenge for food industry participants, to be announced soon and the next Food for Good Gala Dinner is scheduled to take place in October 2022, having been postponed from 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

You can look back on ten years of Food for Good challenges here: www.farmafrica.org/latest/postcard-from/post/971-ten-years-of-food-for-good-challenges-

To join the network and keep up to date with the latest Food for Good events and challenges visit www.farmafrica.org/foodforgood.

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