Foundations for Farming

What Foundations for Farming does

Foundations for Farming (FfF) International is a Christian non-profit organization founded in 1982 by Brian Oldreive in Zimbabwe, originally under the name Farming Gods Way and rebranded in 2009. The organization develops and disseminates conservation agriculture methodologies anchored on zero-tillage practices, delivered through a faith-based stewardship framework. Its core intellectual property is a methodology, training curriculum, and content library distributed through Stewardship Centres, Training Stations, and a Trainer-of-Trainers cascade model now operating across approximately 40 countries, with the international headquarters in Cape Town, South Africa.

The organization serves smallholder farmers, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, through three flagship product lines: Pfumvudza (a smallholder farming technique launched in 2011), the I Was Hungry Programme (a food security and livelihoods curriculum launched in 2015 in partnership with Crown Financial Ministries), and a library of training videos and Climate Smart Farming materials. Government partnerships are central to its go-to-market, with national-scale adoption in Zimbabwe (reaching approximately 1.8 million farmers), Rwanda, Madagascar, and Zambia. The organization also works alongside multilateral institutions including FAO, WFP, UNICEF, USAID, and the World Bank, as well as faith-based collaborators such as Crown Financial Ministries and Bridge2Rwanda.

FfF operates a donation-based revenue model with no disclosed pricing or revenue figures; donations are channeled through Crown Financial Ministries in the United States and Trust Bridge Global in Europe. Distribution is community-led through volunteer Country Coordinators and Collaboration Partners, with training delivered via Stewardship Centres and Training Stations. The organization is led by CEO Craig Deall, with founder Brian Oldreive continuing involvement and a governance board chaired by Sujit Whitin. A 2021 Presidential Commendation from Zimbabwe evidences high-level political endorsement of the methodology.

Name

Foundations for Farming

Legal name

Foundations for Farming International LLC

Website

https://foundationsforfarming.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Foundations for Farming International is a non-profit developing conservation agriculture methods and stewardship training for smallholder farmers, operating across 40+ countries through Stewardship Centres, volunteer Country Coordinators, and partnerships with governments and international organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Training Services

NAICS

Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112), Support Activities for Crop Production (1151)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Agriculture & Food Security Development (BPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regenerative Agriculture (Soil Carbon, Cover Crops, Reduced/No-Till) (AFAGAMAA), Crop Rotation & Whole-Farm Cropping Systems Design (AFACABAJ), Sustainable/Regenerative Agriculture & Conservation Practices (EDAOAOAO)

Keywords

• Conservation agriculture training
• Zero-tillage farming
• Household food security
• Stewardship farming methodology
• Agricultural training ministry

Headquarters

HQ city

Harare

HQ country

Zimbabwe

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Foundations for Farming teaches a conservation agriculture methodology (Zero-Tillage, mulch cover, crop rotations, and four High Management Principles) to small-scale and subsistence farmers, with Pfumvudza as a household food security package enabling families to produce enough maize on just 1/16th of a hectare. Training is delivered free of charge through Stewardship Centres, Training Stations, and Country Coordinators across 40+ countries, integrating biblical stewardship principles with practical farming techniques.

Product overview

Foundations for Farming International offers a unified agricultural methodology built on biblical principles of stewardship. The core product is the FfF farming methodology (which includes the Pfumvudza sub-product for small-scale farmers) combined with management principles and spiritual guidance. The offering consists of the FfF methodology as the foundational platform, with Pfumvudza as a key product module designed for household food security on minimal land. Additional offerings include training resources (Vimeo-based training videos, climate smart farming series, composting guides, pest management resources), International In-depth Trainer of Trainer events conducted at Stewardship Centres worldwide, and the I Was Hungry Programme sub-brand developed in partnership with Crown Financial Ministries that addresses faith, family, farming, and finance holistically.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pfumvudza A simplified conservation agriculture methodology designed to achieve household food security on just 1/16th of a hectare. It includes step-by-step instructions, planting station specifications (56 rows, 75cm spacing, 60cm in-row spacing, 16m row length), and a complete input pack system (lime, basal fertilizer, seeds, top-dressing). Targets small-scale and subsistence farmers and has been implemented nationally in Zimbabwe since 2020, equipping 1.8 million farmers.
• I Was Hungry Programme A holistic training model developed in partnership with Crown Financial Ministries that addresses the '4 Fs': Faith (Finding Jesus), Family (First priority), Farming (Feed the family), and Finance (Fruits of the farm). Designed for churches, ministries, NGOs, and farming families seeking biblically-grounded transformation.
• International In-depth Trainer of Trainer Events Intensive multi-day training programs conducted at various Stewardship Centres worldwide (Rehoboth SC South Africa, Goshen SC Rwanda, Clouds End SC Zimbabwe), designed to train master trainers who can in turn train others in Foundations for Farming methodology. Participants must complete minimum 5-day training and demonstrate proficiency.
• FfF Training Videos (Vimeo) A comprehensive training DVD available via the Vimeo platform covering the Foundations for Farming methodology. The training videos include composting for small-scale farmers, pest and disease home remedies, and a 7-part climate smart farming series. Some certified training content is password protected.

Quantifiable outcome

• Household food security achieved on 1/16th of a hectare
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Crown Financial MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partnership formed in 2015 with Crown Financial Ministries led by Chuck Bentley, bringing influence and passion to forge an authentic partnership. The 'I was Hungry' programme was born from this collaboration - a training model envisioning farmers biblically in Faith, Family, Farming and Finance to wholistcally transform the heart of man.
• Bridge2RwandacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed by Dale Dawson, founder & CEO, who serves on Rwandan President Paul Kagame's Presidential Advisory Council since 2008. Partnership supports Rwanda operations and B2R Farms training centre.
• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership began in 2009 to teach agricultural methods allowing self-sustainability to thousands of farmers in Zimbabwe. Implemented numerous projects working together with FAO.
• World Food Programme (WFP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplemented projects in Zimbabwe alongside WFP to support food security initiatives.
• UNICEFmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplemented projects in Zimbabwe working together with UNICEF for community development.
• USAIDmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplemented projects in Zimbabwe in partnership with USAID to support agricultural development.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Farm Africa: UK-based charity reducing poverty by helping African farmers grow themselves out of poverty sustainably. Comparable in delivering sustainable agriculture training and market access programs across East Africa with similar donor-funded model.
• TechnoServe: International nonprofit working with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries. Comparable as a training-and-capacity-building NGO targeting smallholder agriculture in Africa with similar donor base.
• One Acre Fund: Africa-focused nonprofit providing smallholder farmers with inputs, financing, and training on land as small as one acre. Directly comparable in serving sub-acre smallholders in East and Southern Africa with a bundled training-plus-input service.
• Self Help Africa: International development NGO working with smallholder farmers across sub-Saharan Africa to improve livelihoods through sustainable agriculture. Comparable in targeting smallholder farmer training, particularly in maize-based systems in countries where FfF also operates (Malawi, Zambia, Uganda).
• Heifer International: US-based nonprofit that alleviates poverty by equipping smallholder farmers with livestock, training, and values-based development. Highly comparable as a faith-rooted, donor-funded NGO focused on agricultural training for subsistence farmers in Africa and beyond.
• Conservation Farming Unit (Zambia): Zambia-based organization promoting conservation farming techniques including minimum tillage among smallholder farmers. Directly comparable as a conservation-agriculture training organization operating in the same Zambian context where FfF was first nationally adopted.

Regional players

• Total LandCare: Malawi- and Southern Africa-based NGO promoting conservation agriculture and sustainable land management among smallholder farmers. Directly comparable as a regionally focused conservation-agriculture training organization operating in the same geographies and serving similar smallholder farmer populations.

Broad incumbents

• CGIAR: Global agricultural research partnership integrating international centers focused on food-system research. Adjacent as a research-and-knowledge institution shaping conservation-agriculture best practices that FfF adapts and disseminates at the smallholder level.
• World Vision International: Large global Christian humanitarian organization running agricultural livelihoods programs across Africa. Comparable as a faith-rooted donor-funded NGO with significant smallholder agriculture programming in the same geographies, though operating as a much broader child-welfare and emergency-response organization.

Emerging players

• ECHO (Educational Concerns for Haiti Organization): Christian nonprofit that equips development workers and smallholder farmers worldwide with agricultural knowledge and resources. Comparable as a faith-rooted organization delivering conservation-agriculture and regenerative-farming training to subsistence farmers, with overlapping global footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCkYmAaKnv8jmqsQ_sFQJ7QQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/foundationsforfarming
• Instagraminstagram.com/foundations.international
• Xx.com/FfFarming
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foundations-for-farming-zimbabwe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Foundations for Farming