Strengthening rural communities to build healthy farming and food systems from the ground up
We support those who feed the world
Change in agriculture begins at the source, from seed to fork—starting with farmers. Since 2009, our global network of local NGOs has been working hand-in-hand with the people 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.
Spread across 11 countries in West Africa, the Americas, and South Asia, our programs drive the shift from extractive agricultural models to agroecological farming and food systems. These systems help communities improve their well-being, grow abundant food rooted in local cultures, build climate resilience, and strengthen local economies.
2023 in action
15 YEARS OF IMPACT
2024 in action
104,636 farmer leaders have been regenerating over 228,377 hectares of degraded land.
57,000 women farmers have enhanced their family’s well-being and led transformational change in their communities.
OUR PROGRAMS
Real solutions to real problems
Rural communities can lead the charge in creating regenerative, just farming and local food systems that help 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
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.
Meet 4 women transforming their communities through agroecology →
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
Explore diverse stories of smallholder farmers driving change from the ground up
From dumping ground to agroecological urban farm
Penda’s urban farm thrives amid the concrete sprawl of Thiès. See how she’s nurturing an urban food system that benefits the land, women, consumers, and youth.
Reflecting on the 2024 Field to Film 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.
New guide: PDL’s approach to Model Farming in Haiti
This essential methodology guide, beautifully illustrated, explains our partner PDL’s approach to creating agroecological farms in Haiti, and strategies for sharing solutions among farmers.
Invest in smallholder farmer 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.