+1: Food Security

A network-based approach to improving food access and resilience in Africa

The African continent is facing a food crisis greater than any other region in the world. Already affecting over 300 million people, the crisis is worsening due to climate variability, political instability, economic downturns, and other shocks. And the ensuing hunger and malnutrition puts communities at further risk of violence and exploitation.

Both immediate needs and the root causes of food insecurity need to be addressed, urgently.

The Roddenberry Foundation—in partnership with the Sall Family Foundation, Shockwave Foundation, and Tarsadia Foundation—has launched +1: Food Security to promote a more inclusive, scalable, and collaborative approach to ensuring lasting access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food across the continent.

Leveraging the +1 Global Fund framework, we aim to:

Create a collaborative and scalable model for identifying and supporting locally-led organizations addressing food insecurity in Africa

Build a robust pipeline of diverse, “under-the-radar” organizations working with last-mile and vulnerable communities

Collect unprecedented data on individual, organizational, and network behavior to catalyze action and learning

Form an adaptive ecosystem of funders, intermediaries, social entrepreneurs, and grassroots organizations addressing food insecurity

The pandemic has shed light on the fragility and inequality of our most foundational systems, while highlighting the innovation and resilience of locally-led, community-based organizations. To improve upon and ultimately change our failing systems for the better we must leverage this moment to support them in profoundly different ways. The +1: Food Security initiative is an ambitious, collective effort to catalyze this change.

+1: Food Security is supported by a unique collaboration of institutions working together to “end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture” (SDG 2).

See our awardees from each Round and if you’re interested in learning more please let us know.