Common Fund for Commodities to highlight the U.S. Department of State Office of Global Food Security, VACS collaboration and regenerative agriculture at Climate Week 2024, New York City

Michael Van Den Berg, Director of the Agricultural Commodities Transformation Fund (ACT Fund), will be attending Climate Week New York 2024.  In July 2024, the ACT Fund announced its’ groundbreaking collaboration with the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS), an initiative launched by the Office of Global Food Security.  The collaboration is expected to accelerate private sector capital for the global expansion of regenerative agriculture among smallholder farmers and their supply chains.  

As part of Climate Week, the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), will co-host an event on Tuesday, September 24. This event will showcase the implementation of the VACS initiative and address how VACS will be incorporated into CFC and the ACT Fund.  The ACT Fund’s mission is to enhance resilience in the agricultural sector and improve smallholder farmer livelihoods through capital investments and technical assistance. 

VACS was launched in 2022 by the U.S. Department of State, Office of Global Food Security, along with the African Union, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. VACS aims to build food systems rooted in diverse, nutritious, and climate-adapted opportunity crops grown in fertile, healthy soils.

As a leading advocate for sustainable agricultural practices, Michael’s involvement in this event highlights his commitment to addressing global climate challenges and improving smallholder farmers’ lives through innovative solutions.

In his role as Director of the ACT Fund, he has played a pivotal role increasing private sector involvement in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. Together the ACT Fund and VACS are catalyzing financing for projects that promote climate resilience and improve food security in some of the world's most vulnerable regions, particularly in Africa and Central America. This work builds on the CFC's broader efforts to channel investment into agribusinesses through a series of strategic Calls for Proposals.

In addition to Climate Week, Michael will participate in several key events, including attending a high-level panel discussion hosted by the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), the Private Sector Forum, and NASDAQ’s Annual New York Climate Week Conference, among others.  Michael will emphasize the importance of agricultural models that preserve biodiversity, raise farmer incomes, and address the challenges posed by climate change.

“Climate Week is a brilliant opportunity to talk to some of the leading thinkers in sustainability, including investors who are keen to finance agricultural businesses truly making a difference in this space. Our collaboration with VACS aims to enable often overlooked smallholder farmers to benefit from the social, economic, and environmental advantages of regenerative agriculture in some of the poorest regions of the world. I’m looking forward to sharing this exciting opportunity.” said Mr. van den Berg.

The ACT Fund's blended finance model, which mitigates investment risks, will play a critical role in mobilizing private sector financing for small and medium-sized agribusinesses in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. By including crops such as sorghum, African rice, and millet, the ACT Fund is building a pipeline of VACS-aligned investment opportunities that will drive economic growth and promote regenerative agricultural practices across these regions.

We look forward to seeing you at Climate Week 2024!