Agricultural small and medium enterprises (agri-SMEs) like Sylva Food Solutions are Africa’s largest employer and economic engine. They are also the key to fighting hunger. Three out of four agri-SMEs can’t access bank loans, and are too large for microfinance, creating an estimated $100 billion gap in unmet demand for financing. Bridging this gap is critical to feeding the future

Due to COVID-19 and climate change, the world was already experiencing some of the worst levels of food insecurity in modern history. Now, with the Russia-Ukraine war causing reverberating impacts on global food, fuel, and fertilizer supplies, the world is facing a colossal hunger crisis. USAID is responding to the growing emergency by addressing immediate supply disruptions to fulfil humanitarian needs, and through the U.S. government’s Feed the Future initiative, investing in medium and long-term efforts to increase investments in agricultural capacity and resilience, mitigate the global fertilizer shortage, and work with partners across the world to support the most vulnerable affected communities.