General Mills announced the launch of Partners in Food Solutions as a hunger-fighting nonprofit bringing food production and food processing expertise to small and medium-sized food processors in African nations.

“The need for sustainable food production is central to combating hunger in Africa,” said Ken Powell, chairman and CEO, General Mills. “General Mills has deep food processing expertise and the technical leadership skills necessary to transfer critical knowledge to food processors in Africa, who can then produce more food and feed more African people. Local food processors can then source more ingredients from local small-holder farmers, many of them women, creating an important and stable outlet for their crops.”

Image: Robert Nyirenda, Owner, Nyirefami Grains Ltd., Tanzania with Peter Erickson, SVP, Innovation, Technology & Quality, General Mills

General Mills developed Partners in Food Solutions as an employee volunteer initiative in 2009. Hundreds of the company’s employees volunteered to help African food processors and producers solve technical and quality challenges over the last two years, working on dozens of food technology initiatives in Africa.

Expanding rapidly with new African partners, increased volunteer support, funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and new corporate partners Cargill and DSM, Partners in Food Solutions continues to expand its reach by enlisting more partners.

Partners in Food Solutions is already working with 15 food processors on about 40 projects in Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi, impacting 60,000 farmers. As a new nonprofit, it aims to broaden the program over the next five years to include as many as 10 corporate partners working with 200 food processors and 1 million farmers in 14 African nations. Partners in Food Solutions has also hired and trained four African food scientists who are helping to find companies in need of expertise.

The work ranges from new product development to packaging, from plant design to fortification. The food products are sold to consumers, but they also include food aid, reaching millions of those in need.