By: Edwin Escoto During my recent trip to some of Guatemala’s villages, I had the opportunity to witness how passionate the indigenous people (Maya Achi) are about preserving their native seeds, symbols of their identity, culture, and resistance. I spent one week with my colleagues, Tim and Judelon Lasalle, trying to learn and understand how essential and strategic it is for the Mayan people to control their own seeds – essential because they can decide what type of seed they want to … [Read more...] about Mayan Seeds of Hope
An Overview of Our Strategic Framework for the Next Five Years
Traditional agricultural and food systems are not working for people or for our planet. The long-term, systemic flaws have been further revealed and exacerbated by recent crises, like the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences; ongoing and increasing conflict; climate shocks; disparity in women’s access to capital and funding; and high prices for food, fossil fuels, and other goods. Agricultural systems have always been foundational to human survival and the social, cultural, … [Read more...] about An Overview of Our Strategic Framework for the Next Five Years
Cantave Jean-Baptiste at United Nations
H.E. Csaba Kőrösi, President of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, has stated it is critical for the UN to engage with civil society organizations, youth representatives, and academia to define transformative solutions for our global challenges. The April 2023 meeting of the United Nations Civil Society Townhall focused on the need for accelerated progress toward the achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The moderated event consisted … [Read more...] about Cantave Jean-Baptiste at United Nations
We stand with AFSA’s Statement on AfDB’s Dakar 2 Food Summit
What are the solutions to "feed Africa?" Please read this important statement from the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA). Groundswell International, through our West Africa network, is an active member of AFSA, the largest civil society network on the continent. Diversity, not false solutions, is key to achieving food sovereignty and resilience in Africa As 34 heads of state and 70 ministers return home after three days of ‘food and agriculture delivery compact’ … [Read more...] about We stand with AFSA’s Statement on AfDB’s Dakar 2 Food Summit
New Evidence of Impact: Agroecology as a Poverty Solution in Haiti
Since 2009, Groundswell International has been collaborating with Partenariat pour le Développement Local (PDL) in Haiti to strengthen farmers’ associations in the north of Haiti’s Central Plateau basin to regenerate their farmland and improve their lives. PDL has strengthened 14 peasant organizations, with over 9,900 farmers adapting agroecological farming strategies and spreading them farmer-to-farmer. These organizations also manage community savings & credit coops, seed banks, grain … [Read more...] about New Evidence of Impact: Agroecology as a Poverty Solution in Haiti
Groundswell International’s 2022 Year in Review
As another year comes to an end, we’re taking the opportunity to reflect on the progress we’ve made this year. 2022 was a big year for Groundswell International, our partner organizations, and our program communities, as we saw continued successes and instances of resiliency throughout the communities we serve. The year also saw our message of how agroecology is central to building healthy farming and food systems from the ground up spread further than ever before. Take a moment to reflect … [Read more...] about Groundswell International’s 2022 Year in Review