We strengthen rural communities to build healthy farming and food systems from the ground up
Groundswell International is a global network of local NGOs working together to transform farming and food systems from the ground up. Operating in 11 countries across West Africa, the Americas, and South Asia, we leverage our collective resources and expertise to achieve a shared vision: regenerative, just farming and local food systems that allow people and nature to thrive.
Change begins at the source, from seed to fork—starting with farmers. We support those who feed the world: smallholder farmers nurturing the soil and Indigenous communities with deep-rooted knowledge of the land, prioritizing women and the next generation of young farmers.
Real solutions to real problems
Our programs drive the shift from extractive agricultural models to agroecological farming and food systems. Our local NGO partners work hand-in-hand with smallholder farmer organizations to improve their well-being, grow abundant food rooted in local cultures, build climate resilience, and strengthen local economies.
At Groundswell International, we believe rural communities can lead the charge in creating resilient and regenerative farming and food systems, helping overcome the linked challenges of hunger, poverty and climate change. Here’s how we support communities in driving this change with our partners in the field:
Experimenting with agroecology
We support family farmers to continuously innovate and spread agriculture that works with nature instead of against it.
Farmers’ groups test and develop the most effective agroecological techniques for their local environment and context. They then spread successful practices through farmer-to-farmer networks to benefit more communities.
Championing women farmers
Women make up 43% of the global agricultural workforce, yet they are often marginalized. Our programs promote women’s leadership and gender equity: rural women access resources to develop mutual support groups, gain access to land, tools, and savings, learn ecological farming techniques, and increase their incomes.
With this support, they can improve their families’ well-being, build self-confidence, and take on growing leadership roles.
Lifting up rural youth
Rural youth are the farmers and leaders of tomorrow, often shouldering heavy responsibilities today. Many are migrating due to the lack of opportunities in their communities. Through Groundswell International’s Youth Storyteller Program, we empower young people to document and spread agroecological solutions in their local areas to create thriving futures. Their voices also play a pivotal role in shaping the narrative of how to feed the world.
Improving nutrition
Healthier soil leads to healthier food and families. Our programs help farmers increase their production and access to nutritious, local food. They learn to diversify their plots and household garden production, and revive knowledge about the nutritional value of local, traditional food and balanced diets.
Connecting farmers to local markets
Groundswell International’s partners and allies strengthen local markets by supporting direct farmer-to-consumer relationships and diverse community-led initiatives such as grain reserves, seed banks, youth groups, and farmer cooperative enterprises of men, women and youth. These initiatives increase farmers’ income and promote local food sovereignty.
Driving supportive policies
Bottom-up efforts to create healthy farming and food systems require government support to succeed. Too often policies undermine, rather than support, citizen-led efforts.
With our partners and allies, we strengthen dialogue and collaboration between communities and decision makers to build supportive policies. At a global and regional level, we scale agroecoloy by documenting and spreading lessons, results and recommendations that are grounded in local practice.
THE LATEST
Voices from the field
Register for the 2024 Field to Film Youth Storyteller Festival!
Each year, we host a virtual film festival showcasing short films from rural and Indigenous youth documenting alternative farming systems in the Global South. This year’s edition features stories from Haiti, Burkina Faso, Nepal, Mexico, Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mali and Senegal.
Each month, we highlight stories from the field to scale agroecology and amplify the voices of rural communities.
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our field to fork series, once a month in your inbox.
Invest in rural communities to spread real solutions
Your gift will directly impact smallholder farmers in the Global South and strengthen their capacity to build healthy farming and food systems, safeguarding future generations’ rights to a fulfilling life.