IKEA Foundation and SNV partner to strengthen food and energy systems in Africa

IKEA Foundation and SNV have launched a strategic partnership to create a collaborative ecosystem, working alongside communities, institutions, and enterprises across East Africa to build a movement towards stronger, more resilient food and energy systems.

The agri-food and energy systems in many countries are currently working in silos. As African nations develop roadmaps to remove barriers and enable multiple systems to work better together, this partnership will focus on accelerating the integrated adoption of regenerative agriculture (RA) and the productive use of renewable energy (PURE)—two areas that, when combined, can improve livelihoods, reduce environmental pressures, and expand economic opportunity.

The first programmes under the Power for Food Partnership were launched in Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Kenya. Our collaborative efforts are envisioned as a partnership, with an initial phase of five years for €45 million. At its core, this partnership looks to further systemic change at the intersection of agri-food and renewable energy to enable sustainable and more equitable lives for all.

Annemieke Beekmans, Director of Technical Expertise, SNV, said:

“This partnership is an opportunity to think differently about how systems can work together, and who gets to shape them. Beyond a technical overlap, the focus on nexus points between regenerative agriculture and productive use of renewable energy, through better coordination, smarter, more inclusive investment and the primacy of stronger local leadership are vital to scaling outcomes. In a time of increasing fragmentation, values-driven partnerships like this are a way to build the kind of enabling environment that long-term, inclusive and sustainable development actually requires.”

Marilia Bezerra, Chief Programme Officer of IKEA Foundation, added:

“This partnership is rooted in trust and shared purpose. It’s about standing alongside communities who are leading change from within. By connecting regenerative agriculture and renewable energy, we’re supporting locally driven innovations that respond to real needs and lived experiences. We’re proud to partner with SNV and local leaders in building systems that are resilient, inclusive, and shaped by those most affected.”

In Eastern Africa, nearly 80% of the rural population is employed in agriculture, yet many remain trapped in low-productivity, uncertain systems. Inputs are expensive, returns remain uncertain, and 2 / 3 access to clean energy is limited—leaving rural communities vulnerable and economically constrained. The climate crisis is making farming harder. In Uganda alone, shifting climate patterns are projected to reduce maize yields nationally by up to 10% in the near future. Meanwhile, most rural farmers still lack access to energy—fewer than 1 in 10 rural households are connected to the grid. Without energy, farmers cannot irrigate, process, or store produce. PURE technologies—solar irrigation, cold storage, agro-processing—exist, but uptake remains low due to affordability, policy barriers, and infrastructure gaps. Marginalised groups, particularly women and youth, face structural barriers in accessing land, finance, technology, and decision-making spaces. Addressing this inequity is central to any meaningful and inclusive shift in the systems that shape people’s lives.

By strengthening stakeholder engagement, supporting policy action, and fostering an enabling environment, the Power for Food Partnership aims to build a collaborative ecosystem where the opportunities and needs of farmers in RA and the needs-based approach to PURE are collectively harnessed more effectively to further a more sustainable and resilient future. Through a systemic approach to address interconnected crises, the programme will catalyse locally led innovations such as solar-powered irrigation, regenerative soil practices, and decentralised energy for post-harvest processing. It will also work with national and local governments, civil society, and the private sector to improve policy and investment conditions, while gathering evidence to inform future scale.

Since 2019, IKEA Foundation and SNV have worked together to support more inclusive, climate-resilient systems, including efforts in Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Rwanda. That earlier work laid the foundation for deeper engagement—through pilots, shared learning, and strong local partnerships. This new chapter deepens that partnership and reflects a shared belief in long-term, community-led change.

SNV is a global development partner, rooted in the African and Asian countries where we operate. With 60 years of experience and a team of approximately 1,600 people, it is our mission to strengthen capacities and catalyse partnerships that transform agri-food, energy, and water systems to enable sustainable and more equitable lives for all.

The IKEA Foundation is a strategic philanthropy that focuses its grant-making efforts on tackling the two biggest threats to children’s futures: poverty and climate change. It currently grants more than €200 million per year to help improve family incomes and quality of life while protecting the planet from climate change. Since 2009, the IKEA Foundation has granted more than €1.5 billion to create a better future for children and their families. In 2021, the Board of the IKEA Foundation decided to make an additional €1 billion available over the next five years to accelerate the reduction of Greenhouse Gas emissions. Learn more at www.ikeafoundation.org.

For media enquiries, please contact: Asmita Bakshi, Strategic Communications and Media Lead, SNV abakshi@snv.org.