Grant will support the farm discovery programme for disadvantaged children in the UK 

DULUTH, GA | AUGUST 17, 2023 – The AGCO Agriculture Foundation (AAF), a private foundation with the vision to prevent and relieve hunger through sustainable agricultural development, today announced a USD 100,000 grant to The Country Trust to support the expansion of the farm discovery programme which seeks to connect disadvantaged children with the land that sustains us. 

The Country Trust is the leading national education charity connecting disadvantaged children with the land that sustains us all through food, farming and countryside experiences. 20,000 children from disadvantaged communities visited a working farm with The Country Trust in 2022.

The grant funds will enhance the growth of the farm discovery programme and enable thousands more children from disadvantaged areas to explore working farms and discover a connection with the land. The funding support will also strengthen the support for teachers to facilitate and sustain the impact of the farm discovery visits.

"Supporting the next generation’s connection to farming and agriculture requires us to sow the seeds of inspiration and embrace new knowledge through farm visits, cultivating a sustainable future for our world," said Lindsay Haddon, Advisory member, AGCO Agriculture Foundation. "Driven by our farmer-focused solutions to sustainably feed the world, AGCO and the AGCO Agriculture Foundation remain committed to supporting the next generation to understand agriculture and food production from farm to table."

The AAF funding will enable The Country Trust to provide 70 additional farm discovery visits for 1,820 children. In addition, the donation towards this initiative will provide up to 70 teachers with access to resources and digital activities to sustain the impact of the farm discovery programme.

The farm exploration excursions will teach students about climate change, soil health, crop production, agricultural technology, food nutrition, and other essential agricultural-related topics. Learnings from the Farm Discovery program will also assist in designing targeted future programs and effective communication with schools in the most underprivileged regions to ensure they know about Farm Discovery and how it improves learning and development.

"We are facing significant environmental, health and educational challenges, the impacts of which fall disproportionately on the poorest in our society, and the need for our work has never been greater. We urgently need to enable the next generation to forge a strong connection with the land, our life support system, and to help them acquire the knowledge and skills that will enable them to thrive and contribute to a thriving world. We are very excited to be working with AGCO to help nearly 2,000 children from the most deprived communities in the UK to take those first steps.” said Jill Attenborough, CEO of The Country Trust.