Dear Friends,
I continue being inspired by how the transformative power of collaboration, generosity, and innovation is helping shape the future of our university and the communities we serve.
In 2024, we developed new exciting initiatives that are at the core of our 2050 strategic vision of preparing the next generation of leaders for our food systems. We convened partners from UC Davis, McGill University, University of Pretoria, and University of Sao Paulo to initiate the design process for a new collaborative master’s program on food systems leadership. We also expanded the Mastercard Foundation – EARTH University Fellowship program to four partner universities in Africa to support effective transition pathways for more young people across the continent.
The third phase of the Resilient Agrifood Systems (RAS) Project aims to benefit over 2,200 smallholder farmers in Costa Rica and Guatemala with a focus on empowering women producers, fostering economic inclusion, and promoting climate change adaptation.
This phase, approved in 2024, is made possible through financial support from the Walmart Foundation. Building on its two previous phases since 2020, the project has focused on strengthening the capacities of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), promoting sustainable practices, improving market access, and developing community leadership.
Priority will be given to actions aimed at enhancing the technical and financial skills of women producers, as well as developing their leadership roles in their communities. All interventions will continue to adapt to the realities of the communities, incorporating cultural and linguistic strategies, and technical support will be optimized to maximize producers’ results in their own endeavors.
With the launch of this phase, the Developing Solutions pillar of EARTH Futures reaffirms its commitment to transforming food systems. The implementation of this model seeks to lay the foundation for its replication and expansion into new horizons, contributing to the development of rural communities.
The Mastercard Foundation – EARTH University Fellowship Program supports young African leaders focused on agriculture and rural development. The program offers one-year fellowships with host organizations to accelerate professional transitions and enhance their impact on sustainable agricultural development. Over its first three years, over 30 EARTH University graduates from 12 African countries completed the program, gaining valuable professional growth and networks, while host organizations benefited from having skilled professionals contribute to their work.
In 2024, the program expanded to include Mastercard Foundation Scholars from four partner institutions: University of Abomey Calavi (Benin), CAMFED Ghana, Makerere University (Uganda), and African Leadership University (Rwanda). This expansion aims to empower a new wave of leaders to transform Africa’s food systems. With 20 Fellows from six countries in 2024, the program plans to grow to 40 Fellows per cohort by 2026.
“The Program is having an important impact: 83% of Fellows who have completed the Program have secured employment, continued with their entrepreneurial endeavors, and/or commenced graduate studies focused on positively transforming agriculture and food systems in Africa. The Fellowship Program not only gives them a platform of engagement with host organizations that provide meaningful employment opportunities, it also helps Fellows get more grounded in their area of focus. For the ones moving on to graduate school, they are doing so with a more focused intent” , says Naboth Bwambale, Director of the Fellowship Program.
At EARTH University we remain committed to supporting young agricultural leaders to reach their full potential. These Fellows are poised to lead the transformation of food systems, creating innovative solutions and generating employment within their communities.
The year 2024 marked 25 years since Allan Acosta (Class of 1999) graduated from EARTH. Allan grew up in a rural area of Guatemala. From an early age, he saw education as a tool to break the cycle of poverty surrounding his community. Thanks to the financial support of donors who believed in his potential, he was able to pursue higher education, propelling him toward a successful career.
Over the years, Allan has gained a deeper understanding of the impact that the support of others had on his life, and he has embraced the principle of “paying it forward”: giving back what was once received. This commitment led him to support EARTH’s mission of changing the world through educating leaders who transform food systems and build a better future. As part of this effort, he awarded a partial scholarship to Desirée Chang (Class of 2025), a young Guatemalan whose journey reminded him of his own.
“You can’t change the whole world, but you can change the course of one person’s life”, says Allan, who understands that his commitment to Desirée goes beyond financial support—it is an investment in the future of agriculture and proof that supporting others can transform the world.
Collaboration among our graduates is crucial for EARTH to achieve its mission: to impact millions of lives around the world while protecting natural resources. We take great pride in Allan and Desirée’s story, because it powerfully demonstrates that when one graduate supports another, a multiplier effect of opportunities is created.
We thank the following organizations around the world who hosted our third-year students as interns in 2024. The Internship helps our students build critical leadership skills and networks while deepening their knowledge and giving them the opportunity to apply the skills developed at EARTH in a professional setting.
Careful stewardship of resources, together with growth in charitable gifts and commercial activities, are contributing to a healthy financial picture that enables us to fulfill our mission.
| Expenses | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Salaries and benefits for personnel | $14,218,676 | ||
| Operating expenses | $7,499,523 | ||
| Equipment | $643,356 | ||
| Contingencies | $21,538 | ||
| Total $22,383,092 | Total | $22,383,092 |
| Sources of Revenue | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Grants | $10,669,048 | ||
| Tuition paid by students | $3,115,675 | ||
| Other income (commercial activities and other) | $1,240,913 | ||
| Endowment | $7,357,455 | ||
| Total $22,383,092 | Total | $22,383,092 |
From its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, the EARTH University Foundation – a registered 501 (c)(3) public charity – provides vital funding for EARTH’s educational mission, programs and projects thanks to generous gifts from a global community of supporters.
| Assets | |
|---|---|
| Cash and cash equivalents | $3,927,889 |
| Pledge receivables, net | $2,771,219 |
| Endowment and other investments | $80,149,063 |
| Other assets | $789,267 |
| Total Assets | $87,637,438 |
| Liabilities and Net assets | |
|---|---|
| Liabilities | $390,374 |
| Net assets | $87,247,064 |
| Total Liabilities and Net assets | $87,637,438 |
| Programs | Fundraising | Administrative | Total expenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scholarships | $6,094,642 | $0 | $0 | $6,094,642 |
| Project and program expenses | $2,097,861 | $0 | $0 | $2,097,861 |
| Foundation Operations | $272,464 | $672,284 | $571,311 | $1,516,059 |
| Total | $8,464,967 | $672,284 | $571,311 | $9,708,562 |
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“Meeting students from diverse regions and walks of lifeand watching them grow into true leaders in food systems and agriculture is beyond inspiring. As a board member, I am deeply humbled and honored to be part of the EARTH movement—a movement for the Earth itself. I embrace my leadership role not from the top down, but by learning from the bottom up—listening, understanding, and contributing in ways that empower the next generation of changemakers. It is a privilege to help shape a future where these students drive sustainable solutions for agriculture, food security, and our planet’s well-being”.
The work to fulfill our mission would not be possible without the support of many individuals, businesses, foundations, governments, and organizations. We recognize and appreciate the generous support of the following donors whose gifts were received in 2024, with special thanks to those whose lifetime giving exceeds US$1 million.
Alumni Gifts
† Deceased
“Five Together Foundation is proud to fund scholarships for EARTH students. We know that investing in education can change the life trajectory of young people with financial need, and we appreciate that at EARTH that is only the start of our impact. Our first EARTH scholar just graduated, and we look forward to what he and the incredible young leaders we support in the four classes after him do after graduation – for smallholder farmer livelihoods in their communities, and sustainable agriculture and food security in their regions and our world”.
“EARTH University, for me, is the future of education in food systems. In challenging times, when we need more than ever leaders who understand food production from a holistic point of view— including not only agronomy, but also ecology, processing, business, and entrepreneurship— EARTH is providing the holistic education needed, with the especially impactful mission of allowing the sons and daughters of smallholder farmers from the Global South to step into this leadership role. We need thousands of EARTH Universities around the world. It’s a showcase of what education in food systems should be”.
Thank you for believing in EARTH’s mission!
