For nearly 50 years, market-led development and sustainable agriculture transformation have been at the core of Chemonics’ work to reduce hunger and poverty. We aim to support people, communities, and food systems in increasing their resilience to proliferating conflict, climate, and economic shocks. These efforts accelerate growth and protect progress in agriculture and food security. Our success is rooted in innovation and continuous learning. Chemonics partners with and connects consumers, farmers, financial institutions, and the public and private sectors across the agrifood system to identify and implement locally led solutions.
About Chemonics
Founded in 1975, Chemonics is a global leader in sustainable development consulting. Spanning more than 100 countries, our network comprises 6,000 specialists who collaborate with communities around the globe to identify and apply innovative, sustainable solutions to the world’s biggest challenges.
Our Services
APPLYING A MARKET-LED APPROACH. Across all Chemonics-implemented activities, we focus on strengthening relationships between market actors in the agriculture sector, identifying incentives for behavior change, strengthening cross-market services, and improving access to information. We collaborate with local partners to address systemic enabling environment challenges; build capacities for market engagement; and expand economic opportunities for women, youth, and marginalized groups. In Moldova, USAID’s High Value Agriculture Activity supported the passage of 24 critical laws and regulatory changes. These changes are improving the agriculture sector’s enabling environment and thereby assisting local companies in achieving over $200 million in domestic and export sales. Our adaptive management approach works to strengthen systems-level resilience and ensure long-term, sustainable improvements.
SUPPORTING FOOD SECURITY FOR ALL. Chemonics strives to ensure the sustainable supply of, access to, and availability of affordable, nutritious foods. We work with local organizations to strengthen agricultural industries to improve production and increase incomes for smallholder farmers. Since 2000, we have been an implementing partner of the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) — a leading provider of early warning and analysis of acute food insecurity around the world. Through FEWS NET, international and local organizations and research institutions collectively monitor weather patterns, food prices, livelihoods, and agricultural trends to predict when and where people are at risk of food insecurity.
ENABLING ACCESS TO SAFE AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD. Using a consumer-centered approach to address the underlying factors of malnutrition, we leverage relationships with the private sector to produce, package, and store safe, nutritious foods that will reach consumers in underserved markets. In Bangladesh, USAID’s Feed the Future Bangladesh Horticulture, Fruits, and Non-Food Crops Activity is partnering with the largest retail chain in the country to establish a new and trusted supply chain for certified safe vegetables. This joint effort is, in turn, fostering demand for healthy and fresh foods while providing farmers and producers with a diversified source of stable income. We also support activities that help women increase their income and balance childcare needs — critical to their ability to invest in safe and nutritious diets for themselves and their families.
Chemonics has long demonstrated a robust commitment to agricultural development, inclusive market system development, and resilience. We excel in operating in some of the most dynamic environments across the globe. Since 1975, Chemonics has implemented 300+ agriculture and food security activities in 80+ countries, accounting for over 10% of Chemonics’ portfolio value ($2.8 billion).
FACILITATING INVESTMENT AND ACCESS TO FINANCE. Robust investment is a key driver of inclusive economic growth, and facilitating stable partnerships in fragile contexts requires a multifaceted approach. Chemonics aims to increase investment in agriculture and food systems through programs that develop innovative methods to mobilize private capital; mitigate risk to foster stability and resilience; and provide technical assistance, including transaction advisory services, to agriculture firms and enterprises of all sizes. Since 2021, Chemonics has joined partners to drive $80 million in investments to agribusinesses through USAID’s Investment Facilitation Activity in the DRC and USAID’s Uganda Strategic Investments Activity — breaking barriers for enterprise growth in complex environments, especially for women-owned businesses.
STRENGTHENING RESILIENCE THROUGH CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE. Our proactive, data-driven approach helps stakeholders reduce risk and recover from conflict, climatic, environmental, and economic shocks and stresses in ways that reduce chronic vulnerability and facilitate inclusive growth. In Zimbabwe, USAID’s Feed the Future Zimbabwe Fostering Agribusiness for Resilient Markets Activity uses household surveys to measure and analyze resilience data on a regular basis. This feedback assists the activity in targeting interventions where they are most needed and has resulted in marked improvements in community resilience capacity. Across our agriculture projects, we promote climate mitigation and adaptation activities and technologies — such as soil conservation, erosion prevention, and greenhouse production — as well as the use of drought-tolerant seed varieties, biopesticides, micro-irrigation kits, and solar-powered dryers.