At COP30 Rockefeller Foundation Supports Brazil-Led Food Solutions to Nourish People

Foundation invests $5.4 million across 12 organizations to support regenerative agriculture connected to the school meal program in Brazil, supporting family farmers while improving soil health and nourishing children

BELÉM, Brazil, Nov. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- During the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), The Rockefeller Foundation announced more than $5.4 million to help strengthen the resilience of food systems across Brazil and globally, while providing nourishing and locally-sourced food to children through school meals. The philanthropic organization, which has been investing in the region for nearly 100 years, will support 12 organizations, including Instituto Comida do Amanhã, Instituto Clima e Sociedade (ICS), and Fundacion Ambition Loop, to advance regenerative agriculture solutions that serve people in Brazil and beyond.

"Supporting farmers and unlocking finance is foundational to our big bet on regenerative school meals – one of the world's most powerful tools for improving children's lives, building local economies, and sustaining the planet," said Elizabeth Yee, Executive Vice President, The Rockefeller Foundation. "Brazil has led the way in designing a school meal program that feeds children, increases demand for locally farmed and regeneratively grown crops, and fosters economic growth. With these investments, our partners can enable more farmers to adopt regenerative practices--bolstering long-term economic stability for their families while contributing to stronger food systems." 

The Rockefeller Foundation is also supporting the World Food Program's Brazil Center of Excellence to share examples from these pilots with other countries looking to develop locally, and regeneratively-sourced, school meal programs.

"The Rockefeller Foundation is proud to support some of the most effective organizations in the region as they advance sustainable farming techniques while nourishing children through Brazil's national and world-renowned school feeding program," said Lyana Latorre, Vice President and Latin American and the Caribbean Region. 

This new $5.4 million investment in Brazil and globally is part of the more than US$220 million that The Rockefeller Foundation has committed to food systems transformation initiatives. Building upon initial work in Brazil and Kenya, this includes US$100 million to reach 100 million children worldwide with more nutritious, locally grown, and regeneratively-sourced foods by supporting more than a dozen countries' efforts to expand and further develop their school meal programs. The Rockefeller Foundation is also investing US$100 million to advance Food is Medicine solutions in the United States and over US$20 million for the Periodic Table of Food Initiative.