AUSTIN, TX / ACCESS Newswire / July 10, 2025 / Whole Foods Market Foundation is excited to announce over $1.9 million in funding across eight transformative projects impacting 15,577 people in Bolivia, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria, Tanzania and the United States. Throughout the year, the Foundation provides funding to help its partners improve nutrition and create opportunities for financial stability. Each project is community-led and designed to create lasting impact in communities worldwide.
From supporting agroforestry in Bolivia to improving children's access to healthy food in American schools, these carefully selected programs represent the Foundation's dedication to fostering sustainable economic growth and resilience where it's needed most. Learn more about each project below:
Chef Ann Foundation | United States
The Foundation's long-term partner, Chef Ann Foundation, which promotes scratch cooking in schools across the United States, will receive a 1-year, $300,000 grant to support 8 fellows in the Healthy School Food Pathway Fellowship program (HSFP). This fellowship is a 13-month program designed for mid-level school food professionals-like chefs, site managers, and supervisors-who are committed to transforming school food systems to be healthier. This program was developed in response to a needs assessment report conducted by the Food Institute Group in collaboration with the Chef Ann Foundation, which identified the current gaps in approaches in school food transformation. This project aims to address the critical workforce development gap in school food systems that are not currently addressed by other programs.
Chomateo | Bolivia
Chomateo, a new partner of the Foundation, will receive a $50,000 grant that will support 110 smallholder farmers working in agroforestry across Bolivia. The organization focuses its efforts on adding value to coffee, cocoa, and forest products like artisanal soaps and essential oils. Alongside supporting farmers, Chomateo is committed to sustainable livelihoods, preserving biodiversity and enhancing cultural heritage.
ColdHubs | Nigeria
ColdHubs, a new partner of the Foundation, will receive a $350,000, 3-year, zero percent interest loan to maintain and grow their network of solar-powered cold rooms and ice points that will serve small-scale rural markets, while providing post-harvest management trainings to smallholder farmers. Food spoilage is a widespread challenge for Nigerian farmers- over 90 million smallholder farmers report lost wages due to lack of cold storage at key points along the food supply chain. ColdHubs will use their funds to implement three new cold hubs and three ice points, impacting an estimated 640 smallholder farmers and market retailers. This is projected to increase their annual revenues by 55-65%.
J-Palm | Liberia
J-Palm Liberia (JPL), a partner of the Foundation since 2021, will receive a $448,528 3-year, zero percent interest loan. This funding will allow the organization to expand their harvesting initiatives by purchasing palm from 3,500 wild palm collectors. In addition, JPL has purchased a new machine to transform the discarded palm kernel shells into fuel efficient briquettes. They plan to market these briquettes to the Liberian public as a cheaper and cleaner source of fuel. To date, J-Palm Liberia has received $686,548 in funding from the Foundation.
Kawadah Farm | Liberia
Smallholder farmers across West Africa face significant challenges, including limited access to infrastructure, farming techniques, and advanced food processing technologies, making it difficult to sustain their livelihoods. Kawadah Farm Liberia (KFL) is a for-profit social enterprise in Liberia that sources cassava, soybeans and gari (processed cassava) from Liberian smallholder farmers. Kawadah Farm Liberia will use their 3-year, no-interest loan of $290,000 to increase processing capacity so they can expand their network to reach 5,000 more farmers, provide training and small tool loans to increase farmer production and increase smallholder income in Liberia.
Kokoa Kamili Limited | Tanzania
Kokoa Kamili Limited (KKL), a new partner of the Foundation, will receive a $300,000, 3-year, zero percent interest loan to purchase cocoa from a minimum of 533 farmers. Because cocoa is a year-round crop, these funds will be leveraged multiple times a year. Kokoa Kamili will also provide smallholder cocoa farmers with comprehensive services including seedlings, agronomic support, organic certification support, and above market pricing for their cocoa harvest through access to global premium markets.
Kumasi Drinks | Côte d'Ivoire
Kumasi Drinks is a for-profit social enterprise that creates additional income for smallholder farmers in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire by sourcing cocoa fruit juice- a byproduct of cocoa bean harvesting that is typically discarded- and transforming it into a marketable beverage. As a first-time partner, Kumasi Drinks will receive a 1-year $66,600 loan to bring online its Côte d'Ivoire supply chain, starting with cocoa juice purchases from 231 farmers to fulfill the needs of Ivorio, a leading juice brand in West Africa. In future cycles, they expect to grow their sourcing capacity through the Ivorio partnership and reach 1,286 farmers over the next 3 years.
Partners for Education, Agriculture and Sustainability (PEAS) | Texas
Partners for Education, Agriculture and Sustainability (PEAS), has been a partner with the Foundation since 2015. They will receive a 1-year, $100,000 grant to support 8 of their core staff members in engaging 4,500 students at 28 school sites across the Austin, TX metro area in garden education. PEAS also operates in a high-need area: the schools they serve have an average of 69% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, notably above the national average. PEAS will also use their grant to develop supplemental revenue streams, including caregiver cooking classes, PEAS farm field trips, professional development services, workshops and presentations, consultation, summer camps, and curriculum.
Since 2005, Whole Foods Market Foundation, has invested over $197 million supporting over 16,750 partner organizations and schools in 81countries around the world.
For more information, visit wholefoodsmarketfoundation.org/funding-announcements.
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ABOUT WHOLE FOODS MARKET FOUNDATION
Whole Foods Market Foundation works to nourish people and the planet by providing access to essential resources to improve nutrition and create opportunities for financial stability. The registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, based in Austin, Texas, encompasses the pillars of Whole Cities, Whole Kids and Whole Planet. For more information on the Foundation's work, visit wholefoodsmarketfoundation.org. For ongoing news and updates, follow Whole Foods Market Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
Media Contact:
Sandra Mariscal, Director of Philanthropy
Sandra.Mariscal@wholefoods.com
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Contact Info:
Spokesperson: Whole Foods Market Foundation
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SOURCE: Whole Foods Market Foundation
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/consumer-and-retail-products/whole-foods-market-foundation-announces-1.9m-to-fund-projects-in-boliv-1047640
