TELEFOOD

KEY FACTS

-   TeleFood has generated more than US $29 million in donations since 1997.

-   More than 3,200 TeleFood projects have been approved so far in 130 countries around the world.

-   TeleFood projects are small and self-sustaining, costing between US $5,000 and US $10,000.

-   TeleFood projects target the poorest of the poor. By improving cultivation methods, they enable people to produce more food and to generate additional cash income.

DETAILS – TELEFOOD

Food and Agricultural Organization of United Nations launched the TeleFood Program in 1997 to encourage initiatives to create a global solidarity movement, pooling the resources of governments, the private sector and civil society to raise awareness of the problem of hunger and to collect funds to finance projects that provide sustainable solutions.

With this aim, TeleFood has established an annual campaign of broadcasts, concerts, sporting events and other activities to harness the power of media, celebrities and concerned citizens to help fight hunger. Since then, every year, artists from all over the world donate their time and talents to TeleFood. 

Helping the hungry feed themselves

TeleFood is an annual campaign of broadcasts, concerts and other events dedicated to increasing awareness about hunger and to raising funds for micro-projects designed to help the hungry help themselves. The campaign provides a direct link between people wanting to help, both in the developed world and elsewhere, and families and communities in the developing world afflicted by hunger.

How TeleFood raises money

Individual donations and corporate sponsorship constitute the basis for TeleFood funding. Since the programme’s establishment in 1997, dozens of TeleFood concerts, sporting events, television shows and other activities have been used to raise funds for projects to fight hunger. TeleFood receives different kinds of support. Direct financial contributions and assistance – technical and otherwise – make it possible to organize broadcasts, concerts and sporting events. And celebrities from all corners of
the world perform at fund-raising events or otherwise lend their names to the cause. Since its start, TeleFood has generated more than US$29 million in donations.

Small projects that make the difference

Projects carried out with TeleFood funding provide direct assistance to food-insecure communities by providing physical inputs. These small-scale ventures help beneficiaries increase their incomes, learn improved working methods or purchase the food they need for a better life.

TeleFood projects are designed according to a few guiding principles:

-   Projects are small in scale and deliver direct inputs such as seeds, farming tools, water pumps and small animals to beneficiary communities.

-   The projects target specific needs. They are sustainable and environmentally safe and are designed to have a lasting impact even once initial supplies   are exhausted.

Types of projects

Crop production projects typically involve the cultivation of cereal, roots and tubers, vegetable and fruit. Small animal projects usually focus on poultry and rabbits, goats and sheep, or pigs. Fish production projects focus on small-scale fish culture and the improvement of artisan fisheries.

-   To ensure sustainability and access to technical supervision, they are linked to other development projects.

-   The projects are submitted by FAO member governments or by communities themselves and are approved by FAO technical experts.

-   The average cost of a project is about US$7 500, with a ceiling of US$10 000. Funds are used exclusively for physical inputs such as seeds, tools, starter livestock, field supplies and non-motorized equipment. No proceeds are diverted to cover administrative costs.

-   Project categories are: crops, livestock, and fish.

These micro projects make important contributions to family nutrition and livelihoods by providing the essential vitamins and minerals that are often lacking in local diets and by producing surpluses that can be sold to generate income.