General Mills CEO Kendall Powell says his company and his employees are very simply “hungry to help” people in Africa by increasing their food supply.

“We’re hungry to help the entrepreneur in Tanzania who is trying to package her products and access new markets,” Powell said during an address at the World Food Prize symposium on Thursday. “We’re hungry to help the food scientist in Zambia searching for solutions to retain food flavor and optimize nutrients. And we’re hungry to help the farmer in Malawi who, by selling her crop, will generate the money needed to support her family and pay for her children to go to school.”

Powell said General Mills is uniquely qualified to help Africa in a number of areas, such as food processing, but he believes all food companies will eventually be in Africa. “Africa’s economy grew 5.7% in the last decade and is expected to grow 5.5% this year,” he said. “The African continent is ripe with opportunity.” But, he says they are there today because they can help African processors, farmers and communities now.

Partners in Food Solutions (PFS) is a nonprofit organization that links the technical and business expertise of volunteer employees from General Mills, Cargill and Royal DSM to small and medium-sized mills and food processors in the developing world. Powell announced an expansion of that effort through a renewed public-private partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Listen to Powell’s comments here: General Mills CEO Kendall Powell

View the World Food Prize Photo Album here.