The Mosaic Company Foundation
for Sustainable Food Systems

Food Systems for a Sustainable Future

SOIL HEALTH, WATER QUALITY, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

The world’s interconnected food systems are increasingly vulnerable to disruptions, yet accelerated action and collaboration can bring our global goals for sustainable agriculture and food security within reach.

The Mosaic Company Foundation for Sustainable Food Systems responds to this challenge by advancing scientific initiatives and agricultural practices that support farmer-led efforts to produce more food and ensure the health and resilience of the critical land and water resources upon which agriculture – and all of society – depends.

For two decades, the Foundation has partnered with local organizations, farmers, and communities in the U.S., Brazil, and India to identify and maximize their potential, emphasizing sustainability, resilience and entrepreneurship.

Our approach creates

Sustainable Food Systems

by working alongside

Farmers & Communities

to build resilient agricultural practices that benefit society and the environment.

Making an Impact

Our programs deliver measurable results

We build long-term partnerships that create lasting, transformational change. Through our holistic approach, we help farmers, their families, and their communities to reach their full potential. Our dedicated research and commitment to soil health and water quality have produced remarkable results across multiple regions, as demonstrated by these key achievements:

Infographic: More than 760,000 people in rural India benefiting from agriculture, water and education programs.

Infographic: 35% increase in yields of key crops by smallholder family farmers participating.

Infographic: 10 M acres of U.S. farmland using science-based practices for nutrient stewardship.

Infographic: 47% of the households in Instituto Mosaic’s Brazil Villages Project are led by women.

Infographic: 1M liters of water saved in Brazil through construction of cisterns and sustainable practices.

These achievements reflect the priorities of The Mosaic Company Foundation for Sustainable Food Systems: Empowering Farmers, Improving Soil Health, and Protecting Water.

Strengthening Our Food Systems

SMALLHOLDER FARMING FAMILIES ARE THE KEY

We cannot feed a population of more than 9 billion people without the world’s 450 million smallholder farming families. While they cultivate just 24% of the world's agricultural land, they produce 30% of the world's crops.

Yet these farming families often are the most vulnerable to the multiple burdens of poverty, malnutrition, economic uncertainty, and shifting weather patterns.

The Foundation is tackling this challenge through programs that equip farmers to identify and make full use of their productive capacity. These programs equip smallholder farmers with agricultural practices and expertise that increase yields and maintain healthy soil and water. Learn about the Krishi Jyoti Project working with smallholder farming families in India.

Global Challenges, Local Solutions

INSTITUTO MOSAIC OF BRAZIL TRANSFORMS LIVES ONE FAMILY AT A TIME

Brazil is considered one of the top food-producing countries in South America. Nevertheless, more than 40% of the population experiences some type of food insecurity every year and 117 million people live in extreme poverty.

The Foundation’s counterpart, Instituto Mosaic, oversees the Brazil Villages program to strengthen agricultural skills through the growth of family farmers’ autonomy and quality of life to ensure long-term impact. Family farmers and local non-profit organizations participate in a tailored three-year journey focused on three pillars:

Agriculture: Boosting productivity through low-impact practices, farm planning, and market access.
Water: Improving water access and efficiency with irrigation technologies.
Integral Education: Offering workshops for farmers and communities.

Learn more about the Brazil Villages and Instituto Mosaic

Nourishing the Foundation of Food Systems

HEALTHY SOILS ARE CRITICAL TO FOOD SECURITY

We can only sustain our food system as long as soil can nourish crops. We must improve soil health to increase yield from the arable land we have and minimize the need to convert more land to agriculture.

The Mosaic Company Foundation for Sustainable Food Systems has been a long-time supporter of The Nature Conservancy helping farmers implement conservation agriculture practices. This collaboration has advanced edge of field practices and better nutrient management on 10 million acres in the Mississippi River Basin, improving water quality, enhancing wildlife habitat, and reducing flood risk.

Protecting Water

Everything hinges on the availability and quality of water

Clean water is essential to both the production of food and the health of the communities and ecosystems where food is grown. We are advancing practices to improve nutrient use efficiency in agriculture to keep more nutrients in the ground and lessen runoff into waterways.

Our partnership with American Farmland Trust in Illinois’ Upper Macoupin Creek watershed improved farm productivity and water quality. Following the implementation of on- and off-field practices nitrate levels were reduced by 54%, total phosphorus was reduced by 21%, and 18,163 tons of sediment were eliminated. And in our global work, we’ve provided 70,000 Indian farmers access to 149 million gallons of water through check dams and micro-irrigation.

See how The Mosaic Company and The Mosaic Company Foundation for Sustainable Food Systems are helping farmers do more with less.

Mosaic Foundation Protecting Water Reclaimed Zone

Our Commitment to Doing More

Building on two decades of progress

We are sharpening our focus on this critical work by leveraging our expertise, partnerships, and resources to accelerate and scale our impact in sustainable food systems. By expanding our signature programs and deepening our impact, we will help equip the next generation of farmers to lead the way in sustainable agriculture.

Mosaics foundation commitment to doing more - Tractor farmer pasture

The Mosaic Company Foundation for Sustainable Food Systems supports well-defined, transformational investments in food and nutrition security, sustainable agricultural productivity growth, and community development located in India, Brazil, and the United States. The Foundation is a tax-exempt private foundation described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Foundation is funded through contributions from The Mosaic Company.