DOHA, Qatar (March 27, 2022) – Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation announced today, at the 2022 Doha Forum, a new strategic partnership called Nanmo,
or “growing together” in Arabic. Nanmo will invest in climate-adaptive agricultural tools and
technologies to build resilient food systems and markets that provide nutrition, income, and
economic opportunities to small-scale producers and their communities across the African
continent.
QFFD and the Gates Foundation jointly pledged up to US$200 million toward agriculture, climate
resilience, and economic development projects to support smallholder farmers on drylands on the
African continent. These farmers are bearing the brunt of the effects of climate change and this
partnership will aim to strengthen economies in sub-Saharan Africa in four key areas:
• Equity as a primary driver of inclusive growth
• Enterprise as a means of job creation and poverty alleviation
• Agriculture as a primary source of food, jobs, and income
• Accessto technologies, financial tools, and emerging best practices as a driver of productivity,
nutrition, and climate adaptation
The partnership will also seek to ensure that women small-scale producers can positively contribute
to, and benefit from, decisions about how their communities grow food and create jobs.
“Hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, are already seeing
their livelihoods threatened by higher temperatures and changing weather patterns,” said Bill Gates.
“We’re building on our longstanding collaboration with QFFD to help these farmers adapt. Together,
we can prevent millions of people from falling into poverty and hunger due to climate change and
increase agricultural yields to jumpstart equitable economic growth where it’s most needed.”
The strategic partnership was announced by Bill Gates and Mr. Khalifa Al-Kuwari, Director General of
QFFD, in the presence of Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman during a panel at the Doha Forum. It
will support climate-adaptive tools, practices, policies, and markets as sustainable drivers of resilient
food systems that provide nutrition, income, and economic opportunities to small-scale producers
and their communities. It will also include systems-level research and country-level implementation
to adapt to local environments.
One of the first projects funded by Nanmo will focus on improving the livelihoods of low-income
women farmers in a number of African countries, working with the World Poultry Foundation to
provide them with improved breeds of chicken for egg and meat production.
Mr. Khalifa Al-Kuwari said, “We are thrilled to be announcing a new initiative in collaboration with
our strategic partner, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, titled Nanmo, which aims at ensuring
that sustainable development goals are met everywhere.” He added, “We have high hope that these
valuable partnerships will expand our efforts to improve the lives of vulnerable communities,
ensuring their economic security against the backdrop of this ever-evolving planet.”
The partnership will also fund projects with a clear path to achieving impact across multiple United
Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including poverty alleviation, agricultural
transformation, nutrition, and youth and women’s and youth economic empowerment. Investments
like these are especially important at a time when conflict in one part of the world can threaten food
security across the globe.
“A thriving agriculture sector generates economic growth, but that growth doesn’t automatically
benefit everyone equally,” said Melinda French Gates, co-chair of the Gates Foundation. “Nanmo
isn’t just about protecting agriculture against climate change. It’s also about making sure that
smallholder farmers, including millions of women, can lift themselves out of poverty and invest in a
better future for their families and their communities.”
The Gates Foundation has spent over US$5 billion since 2009 on advancing agricultural development
to support the needs of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Stronger food
systems for smallholder farmers are urgently needed to avert more serious hunger crises in dryland
regions. This will help boost economies and improve the ability of farmers to respond and adapt to
climate change.
About Qatar Fund for Development
QFFD is a Qatari public institution committed, on behalf of the State of Qatar, to implement foreign
aid projects by international best practices and standards.
Since 2012, QFFD has been providing aid to many countries in accordance with the international
cooperation goals of Qatar National Vision 2030. Its primary goal is to achieve inclusive and
sustainable development by addressing global priority issues in education, health, and economic
development. In this context, priority is given to the following Sustainable Development Goals:
• SDG 3: “Ensuring healthy lives and well-being for all”;
• SDG 4: “Ensuring fair and inclusive education for all and enhancing lifelong learning for all”;
• SDG 8: “Promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and keeping full
and productive employment and decent work for all.”
To realize optimal development impact, QFFD projects are also designed to have cross-cutting co-
benefits within SDG 2 “Zero hunger” and SDG 6 “Ensuring availability and sustainable management
of clean water and sanitation for all,” in addition to SDG 17 “Partnerships to achieve goals.”
QFFD cooperates with many reputable actors through strategic partnerships both locally and
internationally. These include Civil Society Organizations, government agencies, UN agencies, and
the private sector.
About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to
help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving
people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In
the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—
have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle,
Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of Co-chairs Bill Gates
and Melinda French Gates and the board of trustees.
Media contact: media@gatesfoundation.org
