Viessmann Foundation Donates EUR 1,000,000.00 to One Acre Fund to Increase Food Availability for a Growing Population
July 3, 2025 – The Viessmann Foundation, which represents the core of all philanthropic activities of the Viessmann Generations Group, announces a EUR 1,000,000.00 unrestricted donation to One Acre Fund, one of the most impactful agricultural social enterprises, disbursed over the next three years.
The donation underscores Viessmann Generations Group’s ongoing commitment to driving positive, generational impact. The Group has defined key themes for a sustainable future, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality, increasing the availability and quality of water, and strengthening food systems.
By improving agricultural productivity and resilience for millions of smallholder farmers, One Acre Fund contributes meaningfully to nearly all of these impact themes, making it a natural partner to co-create living spheres for generations to come.
Max Viessmann, CEO Viessmann Generations Group: "One Acre Fund is a bold enterprise with a strong vision, and we admire their commitment to alleviating poverty and scaling sustainable solutions where they are needed most. Supporting smallholder farmers is a direct investment in the future of food systems and climate adaptation, grounded in the belief that everyone deserves to live with dignity. Today, One Acre Fund supports more than 5.5 million smallholder farmers across 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, enabling them to grow more food, withstand climate shocks, and increase their incomes. Our donation honors their resilience and the idea that, with the right support, communities can shape their own future."
Eric Pohlman, Group CEO, One Acre Fund: “Farmers have the most important jobs in our communities. They grow the food we all depend on. They steward the land our children will inherit. Smallholder farmers can be an engine of global prosperity. When smallholders’ farms are more productive, they create enough food to feed families and whole communities. When these farms are more resilient to shocks, farmers pass down a more sustainable system to the next generation. And when farmers are connected to better markets, they create more wealth in rural economies. We are grateful to the Viessmann Foundation for partnering with us to reach more farmers over the next three years. This support gets us closer to achieving our 2030 vision of serving 10 million farmers.”
Founded in Kenya in 2006 with just 38 farmers, One Acre Fund has grown into one of the most impactful agricultural social enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa, with more than 9,000 staff members. Through an innovative model of asset-based financing, high-quality inputs, and hands-on training, the organization empowers farmers to increase their harvests by an average of 40%, enabling them to transform their lives, families, and communities. By 2030, the organization aims to serve 10 million farmers, generate over $1 billion in additional farmer income, and plant one billion trees.
About Viessmann Foundation gGmbH
Founded in 2020, the Viessmann Foundation gGmbH is the philanthropic arm of the Viessmann Generations Group, united by a shared purpose: co-creating living spheres for generations to come. Rooted in family values, the Foundation acts where market solutions fall short - deploying catalytic capital to complement the Group’s investments and drive systemic change toward resilient, equitable communities. We focus on three high-impact areas, partnering with exceptional organizations: Climate Action, Health and Education, and Poverty Alleviation. More information here.
About One Acre Fund
One Acre Fund is a nonprofit social enterprise headquartered in East Africa that equips smallholder farmers with the tools, knowledge, and innovations they need to prosper, this season and the next. We design smallholder-specific solutions in each of the 10 countries in Africa where we work. Our solutions are proven to increase productivity, build resilience, and strengthen markets for farmers. On average, the farmers we serve increase their farm income by over 40% per year on land we support and produce a surplus for the first time. We also support smallholders in building safety nets against financial shocks. Our 2030 goal is to serve 10 million farm families together with partners, and create $1 billion in impact annually. In everything we do, we put Farmers First.
Press Contact
Viessmann Generations Group
Byung-Hun Park
Vice President Corporate Communications
M: +49151-64911317
One Acre Fund
John Ohaga
Global Director, Communications
T: +254722353003
