“up2you”
At the request of the UN chief: German initiative wants to fight world hunger with Elon Musk
A German initiative wants to end world hunger with the help of Tesla boss Elon Musk
© Patrick Pleul // Picture Alliance
About a month ago, Tesla boss Elon Musk promised a billion donation at the request of the UN World Food Program. This should fight world hunger. Now a German initiative wants to implement exactly that and is hoping for Elon Musk’s approval.
Six billion dollars – according to the head of the UN World Food Program, that’s how much money it takes to end hunger in the world. That money should come from the currently richest person in the world, Elon Musk. However, the organization didn’t say how it would actually fight world hunger with the help of Musk’s billion dollar donation. The Federal Association of Machine Rings, on the other hand, is certain that it has the solution to the global problem. The managing director Erwin Ballis says that only sustainable agriculture can save mankind from hunger in the long term – and he also hopes for the billion-dollar donation from the Tesla boss.
“With a sum of six billion US dollars, we can found 400,000 machine rings in Africa and we could solve the problem of world food where it arises,” said Ballis understands agricultural machinery and equipment, 15,000 euros would be needed as start-up funding. That is why he founded the hashtag “up2you” and calls on Elon Musk, whose fortune is estimated at almost 283 billion US dollars, to act. “An end to hunger on the World is possible. You are asked and we and the farmers of the world have the answer, ”writes Ballis on Twitter.
Hashtag calls on Elon Musk to donate
The proposal is based on an offer from the Tesla boss to donate the money to the fight against world hunger. The head of the UN World Food Program WFP, David Beasley, had previously called on Musk in a CNN interview to donate six billion dollars to the fight against world hunger. Musk then wrote on Twitter: “If WFP can describe exactly how six billion dollars can kill hunger in the world on this Twitter thread, I will immediately sell Tesla stock and do it.”
Musk first asked Beasley for information about the WFP budget and full transparency of where the money was going. The UN chief replied: “We can meet anywhere – on earth or in space.” He would bring the plan with him and open books. Musk did not react to that.
The Federal Association of Machine Rings now wants to use the Tesla boss’s basic donation offer. Managing Director Ballis writes on a homepage called “up2you.maschinenring.de”: “It is always better to tackle the cause than just alleviate the effects.” The machine rings are the first sharing economy organization in agriculture. Their idea of a community in which people, workers, knowledge and machines serve the good of all has been established in 17 countries since the machine rings were founded around 60 years ago. “We solve problems where they arise,” explains Ballis.
Initiative is already leading projects in Africa
The Federal Association of Machine Rings has been active in West Africa since 2019. In Senegal, he supports farmers in the mechanization of their farm structures – a project that is financially supported by the development organization Sequa and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. According to a current press release, it helps people in rural areas to increase productivity and make work easier.
In the meantime, a value chain with three regional and 21 local machine rings and almost 3,000 agricultural members has developed in Senegal. “In the meantime 400 devices have been purchased there,” reports Ballis. These are mainly simple threshing machines and grain mills, but also tractors with which the fields can be tilled more efficiently. The project work takes place in the three regions of Thiès, Kolda and Ziguinchor. The political situation there is stable and they hope to be able to increase the number of local machine rings to 40 by the end of the year. The federal association is also currently building machine rings in Kenya. Within several weeks, the project managers on site succeeded in forming 16 machine rings with well over 1,600 members.
Federal Association of Machine Rings “ready”
In order to eliminate world hunger, one does not need short-term programs, but a sustainable idea. Ballis’ proposal to Elon Musk is therefore to use simple means to help farmers in Africa to feed themselves and others. The concept of the machine rings stands for help for self-help as an organization by farmers for farmers. Great effects can be achieved with simple mechanization. “And now you’re coming,” the Maschinenringe boss addresses Elon Musk. “If (he) hears about our idea and thinks it is worth supporting, we are ready!”
Sources: CNN, Twitter, Press release Federal Association of Machine Rings,