Giving Compass' Take:

• A food support system for Venezuelan refugees in Colombia is critical and is bringing hope to Venezuelan families during this refugee crisis.

• How can funders work to develop and execute a strategy that can begin to address this crisis and support farmers and food workers? 

• Learn more about the scale of the Venezuela refugee crisis. 

Food takes on an even more vital role during times of crisis. More than 4.7 million Venezuelans have left the country—one reason is the lack of affordable, nutritious food. Fourteen percent of children under five years old monitored by the relief agency Caritas Venezuela are showing signs of acute malnutrition. A 2017 survey found that 64 percent of the population lost at 25 pounds due to lack of proper nutrition.

This refugee crisis is predicted by the Brookings Institution to become the largest in modern history. In Colombia, 1.6 million Venezuelans have arrived as refugees. A few years ago, I supported the creation of a social agribusiness, Acceso Colombia, that purchases fruits and vegetables from small farmers and sells to national retailers, including Grupo Éxito, Olímpica, and Ara, to lift farmers out of poverty. As the Venezuelan refugee crisis worsened, I knew we had to make our agribusiness and farmer network part of the support system bringing food to refugees.

This food support system begins with our network of small farmers who grow bananas, pineapples, carrots, and other fruits and vegetables. Since April 2019, our agribusiness Acceso Colombia, with a personal donation from me of US$350,000, has been purchasing extra produce – more than 480 tons to date – which our local team aggregates and sorts before delivery to local partners. This creates new income opportunities for farmers as well as drivers who transport the produce as far as 500 miles away to reach border cities. Our local team and farmers are thrilled to be part of the network serving Venezuelans.

Read the full article about a food support system for Venezuela by Frank Giustra at Food Tank.