If you’ve read about sustainable food systems, you’ve likely seen the terms agroecology, regenerative agriculture, organic farming, and permaculture. These approaches often overlap, using practices like composting, intercropping, cover cropping, and limiting synthetic chemicals. They all emerged as alternatives to industrial agriculture, striving to grow food in ways that respect both people and nature. However, each one has its own focus, values, and limitations. Understanding those differences … [Read more...] about Agroecology vs Regenerative Agriculture, Permaculture & Organic Farming: A Comparative Guide
In Nepal’s Terai Region, Women Farmers are Taking Back Control of their Seeds
In Sarlahi, a district in Nepal’s Terai region, women farmers are rebuilding control over their food supply by taking back ownership of their seeds. Their work is helping to protect generations of agricultural knowledge at risk of being lost forever. Until the 1990s, Nepal was a seed-exporting country. Today, it imports 90% of its vegetable seeds, and of the 4,300 rice varieties its farmers cultivated over decades, only around 150 remain. The shift began in the 1980s, when hybrid seeds … [Read more...] about In Nepal’s Terai Region, Women Farmers are Taking Back Control of their Seeds
Practical Lessons from Pacho Gangotena’s Agroecological Farm in Ecuador
As part of our regional conference in Latin America, we visited Pacho Gangotena’s agroecological farm, a short drive from Ecuador’s capital, Quito. Finca Chaupi Molina is not just any agroecological farm. Over 32,000 Indigenous farmers and technicians have crossed its grounds to learn from Pacho and transform their own farms and chakras into healthy, regenerative systems. Harmony is the first word that comes to mind when crossing its humble gates. Striking simplicity and care were applied to … [Read more...] about Practical Lessons from Pacho Gangotena’s Agroecological Farm in Ecuador
Agroecology Works Even Under Climate Pressure: What Our Partners Showed Us in 2025
Five in the morning. Don Juan wakes to the sound of roosters in Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca—the same routine he's followed since he was six years old. Sixty-eight years ago, he would walk with his father to the foot of El Picacho mountain, through fields thick with alfalfa, corn, beans, and squash. The morning dew would fall on his head. The air smelled like earth. "I remember it used to rain very well," he says. "My father planted twice a year. Back … [Read more...] about Agroecology Works Even Under Climate Pressure: What Our Partners Showed Us in 2025
Bridging the Gap: Appropriate Farming Technology for Scaling Agroecology in West Africa
In West Africa, around 80% of the population relies on agriculture, with smallholder farmers producing most of the food consumed locally. Many are turning to agroecology to improve resilience and food security, but the heavy labor demands of agroecological farming limit its adoption. One critical solution lies in what development practitioners call "appropriate technology"—not expensive electronics or AI, but simple, affordable tools designed for local … [Read more...] about Bridging the Gap: Appropriate Farming Technology for Scaling Agroecology in West Africa
Agroecology Pays Off in Burkina Faso: New Study Shows 77% Yield Gains and Strong Financial Returns Despite Extremely Dry Conditions
A new study from Groundswell International, Altus Impact, and the Burkinabè NGO Association Nourrir Sans Détruire (ANSD) offers compelling evidence that agroecology works and is ready to scale. The study analyzes data from more than 400 farming households in Burkina Faso’s eastern region, collected between June 2023 and June 2024. The results show a clear progression: as farmers adopt more agroecological practices, their incomes, yields and wellbeing improve. Indeed, farmers using several … [Read more...] about Agroecology Pays Off in Burkina Faso: New Study Shows 77% Yield Gains and Strong Financial Returns Despite Extremely Dry Conditions