Shell Foundation and Good Machine Launch $4m Initiative to Reduce Post-Harvest Losses, Boost Farmer Incomes and Drive Gender-Inclusive Innovation Across Africa and India

London, 10 November 2025: Shell Foundation, a UK-registered charity, and Good Machine, a leading climate venture studio, have announced a landmark $4 million partnership to enhance existing post-harvest loss (PHL) solutions for smallholder farmers (SHFs) in sub-Saharan Africa and India. Supported with funding from UKAid via the CASEE programme, the initiative aims to reduce the cost of PHL technologies by 20–30%, directly improving the livelihoods of over 2.2 million farmers and catalysing a new wave of gender-inclusive, climate-smart innovation.

Transforming Agriculture, Empowering Farmers

Post-harvest losses cost the global economy over $1 trillion annually, with SHFs and women disproportionately affected. By making PHL solutions affordable and accessible, the partnership will enable farmers to preserve more crops, sell at premium prices, and increase incomes by at least 20%. The project will deploy 22,000 additional units over 10 years, with a special focus on solutions that benefit women farmers and drive gender equity.

Innovation at Scale

Good Machine will provide technical advisory to up to eight companies, leveraging design optimisation, supply chain efficiencies, and human-centred design. The programme will prioritise technologies with proven impact, rapid scalability and minimal behavioural change for farmers. Cohorts will be selected based on rigorous criteria, including technology readiness and business viability.

Meera Shah, Shell Foundation’s Portfolio Lead for Smallholder Farmers: “Shell Foundation is committed to backing bold solutions that raise incomes and lower emissions for those who need it most. This partnership with Good Machine benefits smallholder farmers, particularly women, and advances climate-smart, inclusive agricultural innovation.”

David Solomon, CEO Good Machine: “At Good Machine, our mission is to make breakthrough technologies widely accessible. Partnering with Shell Foundation, we aim to cut costs and develop sustainable, inclusive solutions that reduce post-harvest loss and improve farm profitability.”

About Good Machine

Good Machine is a climate venture studio based in California, specialising in hardware innovation for new or underserved markets. With a track record of cost reduction and product scaling, Good Machine has supported over 50 companies and delivered solutions in 40+ countries.

About Shell Foundation

Shell Foundation is a UK-registered charity catalysing clean energy innovation and inclusive investment in Africa and India. Its mission is to empower millions of underserved customers to raise incomes and lower emissions through early-stage innovation and strategic partnerships.