To date, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at EARTH University has supported over 300 young people from Africa and Latin America, 60 percent of whom are women. African Alumni represent more than 20 African countries, and 73 percent successfully transitioned to their first professional activity within six months of graduation. In addition, 86 percent of African Alumni report contributing to agriculture, food systems, and sustainable development in Africa through a range of activities, including creating farms and agribusinesses that equip young people in their communities with practical skills in sustainable agriculture while expanding market access and solutions for smallholder farmers. By the end of 2030, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars, Fellowship and e-Learning programs at EARTH University will together have impacted over 21,000 learners and young leaders across Africa and Latin America.
The Mastercard Foundation Endowment for Food Systems Leadership will support strategic initiatives and programs in perpetuity and aims to advance the following goals:
- Expand access to transformative leadership education for young African leaders by offering 250 undergraduate scholarships and 200 master’s scholarships each decade through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
- Accelerate transitions to employment and entrepreneurship by offering at least 500 post-graduate fellowships and investing in at least 200 student-run business ventures each decade.
- Enhance South–South collaboration through the expansion of programming to transform agricultural education and develop resilient community food systems in Africa, helping improve the lives of thousands of Africans each decade.
This reflects a shared commitment to advancing education and financial inclusion for youth to relieve poverty. It builds on the strength of this long-standing collaboration and establishes a permanent platform to deepen and expand impact for generations to come.
With Africa’s population projected to exceed two billion by the end of the century, the need to strengthen food systems, improve agricultural productivity, and build climate-resilient communities has never been more urgent.
Through the Mastercard Foundation Endowment for Food Systems Leadership, the Mastercard Foundation and EARTH University Canada Foundation are investing in a new generation of leaders equipped to address these challenges—combining education, practical training, and entrepreneurship to drive innovation in agriculture, strengthen food security, and create economic opportunities across the continent.
Reflecting on the significance of this new endowment and the partnership that has shaped these results, Sewit Ahderom, President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation, noted: “Eighty-six percent of Mastercard Foundation Scholars from Africa who studied at EARTH are creating new opportunities in communities, whether that is a farm, an agribusiness, or training young people. That is not an accident. EARTH puts Mastercard Foundation Scholars on the land from the first year, so they graduate having already run something and arrive home ready to build. That kind of dignified and fulfilling work is what the Foundation exists for. It is also why we wanted a commitment that does not end when a program does. An endowment holds this open for the next generation of Mastercard Foundation Scholars, so they can count on it. Food systems are not transformed in a few short years. They are transformed by a generation of leaders and we will be backing them the whole way.”
“This endowment enables us to move forward in advancing the aspiration we have for 2050: to prepare and empower a global movement of ethical leaders who transform food production and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and producers around the world,” said Arturo Condo, President and Chair of the EARTH University Canada Foundation Board. “We are grateful to the Mastercard Foundation for their continuous trust in our institution. This endowment will allow us to deepen our connections with African partners, increase our presence in Africa, and grow our impact in sustainable food systems across the continent.”
The Mastercard Foundation Endowment for Food Systems Leadership reaffirms a crucial and shared mission: to build a future where higher education is inclusive, transformative, and purpose-driven in preparing and empowering the next generation of leaders for our food systems.
About The Mastercard Foundation
The Mastercard Foundation is a registered Canadian charity and one of the largest foundations in the world. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, it works with visionary organizations to advance education and financial inclusion to enable young people in Africa and Indigenous youth in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. Its Young Africa Works strategy aims to enable 30 million young people to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030, while its EleV strategy will support 100,000 Indigenous youth in Canada to complete their education and transition to meaningful work aligned with their traditions, values, and aspirations. Established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company, the Foundation is an independent organization. Its policies, operations, and program decisions are determined by its Board of Directors and Leadership team. For more information on the Foundation, please visit: https://mastercardfdn.org
About EARTH University Canada Foundation
The EARTH University Canada Foundation is a private foundation established in 2023 in Toronto, with a mission centered on education, economic development, and environmental protection. It provides scholarships and financial assistance to students for post-secondary education, delivers on-the-job training and workshops to post-secondary students and recent graduates in agriculture, the environment, and agribusiness, and works to relieve poverty in developing countries by providing training and support on sustainable agriculture, entrepreneurship, and related topics to individuals in need. For more information, visit: https://www.earth-can.org/
About EARTH University
EARTH is a global university based in Costa Rica that prepares and empowers young leaders to ethically and sustainably transform food systems, protect and enhance the livelihoods of food producers, and regenerate the planet. Its unique program offers students the opportunity to learn about agricultural sciences, food systems, ethical entrepreneurship, and social and environmental challenges through experiential student-centered learning, and by living together with peers from all over the world. Given its extensive track record in experiential and community-based education and programming, EARTH University Canada Foundation is engaging EARTH University to implement some of its programs and initiatives, leveraging the University’s expertise to deliver meaningful impact. For more information, visit: https://www.earth.ac.cr/home/
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