Empowering Women in the Field: Radha’s Story
by Jacob Brescia-Weiler On a hot morning in early June, seated in front of her home surrounded by family and neighbors, Radha Purkoti of Ratmata, Mandan Deupur Municipality, Kavre, shared with me her progress in improving her and her family’s lives. Radha is a livestock and vegetable farmer in the Kavrepalanchok District of Nepal. She has been a member of the Jaruwa Sustainable Farming Group since its founding in 2016. Comprised of 28 members, the group is one of 27 women’s savings and credit and farming collectives supported by Groundswell International and its partner organization, BBP Pari …
Empowering Women in the Field: Binda’s Story
by Jacob Brescia-Weiler Binda Ayu is a tomato farmer in the Sindhuli district of Nepal. As a member of the Creative Women’s Group, the first savings and credit cooperative of its kind in the area, she is supported by Groundswell International and its local partner organization, Sindhuli Integrated Development Services (SIDS/Nepal). Groundswell Programs Empower Women Binda joined the savings and credit group 18 months ago, motivated to access high-yielding variety seeds and support with raising livestock. Given the quickly growing productivity of her farm since then, she is confident she made …
Mayan Seeds of Hope
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 save and strategic because, through the native seeds, they can grow sustainable and healthy food. How closely …
Gathering Voices from the Field: 2022 Global Conference
In September of 2022, we held our annual global conference in India, generously hosted by the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming Program (APCNF). While there, we were able to learn from one of the largest agroecology programs in the world, as well as from women’s groups, farmers, and rural communities. Together with our staff, board of directors, allies, and partners, we spent the week shaping our Strategic Framework for the next five years. Gathering Voices from the Field Through mutual support (and sheer tenacity), 28 people from 14 countries gathered together in India de …
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, economic, political, and ecological systems we depend upon. The current food system crises underlie and …
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 of an opening statement by the President of the General Assembly followed by three short keynote statements fro …
