The NFU and Farm Africa united to form Team NFU, running in this year’s London Marathon, with NFU President Minette Batters joined by NFU Vice President David Exwood, former NFU North East regional director Adam Bedford, Defra Lead Spatial Analyst David Fouracre, and farmer Frederic Exwood.
They far exceeded their initial target of raising £10,000 for the charity and the money will be used to support farmers in East Africa and reduce poverty by helping rural families grow their incomes.
Facing similar challenges
NFU President Minette Batters said: “On behalf of Team NFU, I want to express my huge gratitude to everyone who has donated. We are overwhelmed with people’s generosity, and it gives important recognition to Farm Africa’s charitable work.
“The organisation is playing an instrumental part in helping to build a prosperous rural Africa through its excellent work, supporting farmers to build their agricultural practices and increase their incomes.
“Many thanks and well done to David, Adam, David and Fred, for joining the NFU team. We all recognise that despite being on different continents, British and East African farmers are facing similar challenges when it comes to rising costs, climate change and food security, and it is more fundamental than ever that we stand together to drive positive change.”
Providing tools to build profitable businesses
Today, over half of the world’s extreme poor live in sub-Saharan Africa. The vast majority work in agriculture.
Farm Africa reduces poverty in eastern Africa by helping farmers grow more, sell more and sell for more.
For more information, visit: Farm Africa.org
“British and East African farmers are facing similar challenges and it is more fundamental than ever that we stand together to drive positive change.”
NFU President Minette Batters
Farm Africa CEO Dan Collison said: “Thank you so much to the NFU team for taking on the TCS London Marathon for Farm Africa this year
“Farmers all over the world face many of the same challenges and it’s fantastic to see the UK farming community uniting to support farmers in other regions.
“The funds raised will enable Farm Africa to equip farmers in eastern Africa with the knowledge and tools they need to build sustainable farming businesses, overcome poverty and build resilience to climate change."
How to donate
If you'd still like to donate, please visit the NFU Team page on Just Giving.
Here's how your sponsorship could help:
- £5 could help to buy 10kg of forage seeds, so that farmers can grow food for their livestock
- £11 could provide training to one woman in high-quality coffee production in Uganda
- £16 could help to pay for a farmer to hire help to bring in his harvest
- £22 could help to establish a forest product enterprise
- £60 is enough to buy two local female goats for pastoralist women in Ethiopia
- £100 could help to provide two farmers with the means to start a beekeeping business, including a hive, beekeeping equipment and a bee colony