The foundation

About

Why the Agri Relief Foundation exists, our mission, how we are funded and how we are governed.

Supporting South African farmers when they need it most

See Where We Provide Support

To be a farmer in South Africa takes immense grit and courage; it being one of the least secure ventures to embark on. There are numerous risks, ranging from natural disasters and unfavourable market conditions to crime and political instability. There are risks that can wreak havoc within a few hours or debilitate a farm overnight.

The Agri Relief Foundation (ARF) was established as a non-profit organisation with this in mind.

From points in pockets to a helping hand, with the AgriBonus points system we're giving farmers a monetary reward for supporting our business partners. But, together with Zoetis our first partner on the ARF journey, a fund was created to give back to farmers with focused help for when tragedy strikes.

We knew that by being connected to farmers through our business partners who have boots on the ground on the farms, every day, we have an advantage to know what the immediate needs are on farms across our country – today, not yesterday.

If there's a fire right now in a remote area of the country, one or more of our partners will know about it. If a devastating farm murder took place during the night, our partners who rub shoulders with the community will know of it. This gives us invaluable information to be able to act quickly. To help farmers in those crucial first hours and days before it might be too late to prevent an entire commercial entity having to grind to a halt due to unforeseen and tragic circumstances.

Our Mission

We strive to provide essential relief to farmers in times of emergency. We provide preventative aid; as well as rapid, targeted, and restorative relief after disaster has struck.

Relief is not provided where help can come from the government by declaring a national disaster. Where a specific risk could have been insured for, relief is also not given.

Who you're helping by supporting us

Watch here how you can make a difference in the lives of South African farmers.

Building resilience through support

In this video the damage that can be done to farms and farm animals can be seen, highlighting the importance of supporting our farmers during challenging times.

Funding & Partnerships

We are flanked by a team of extraordinary partners who make it possible to provide this crucial aid to our farming community.

Funding Sources

The ARF facilitates institutional, farming unit, individual, or other stakeholders to donate funds based on sales of products, other performance-based methodologies, or direct donations.

  • Corporate Partners Companies can pledge monetary donations based on sales, or provide physical products including transport, fuel, feed, veterinary medicine, and firefighting equipment.
  • Pioneer Partner Animal health company Zoetis was the first to support us by pledging the monetary value for each unit of Terramycin (500 ml), Cydectin (500 ml), and Dectomax (500 ml) sold.

Governance

When the fund was started, great care was taken to elect directors who will act autonomously when deciding on relief. We chose four men who have all had a constructive impact on the agricultural landscape of our country. Our directors serve as independent individuals with no bias or personal motivations.

  • Decision-making The majority vote principle prevails when deciding where and how assistance is needed and given.
  • Applications We began accepting applications for assistance on January 1, 2022.