THE CHALLENGE
OUR FARMING & FOOD SYSTEMS ARE NOT WORKING FOR THE PEOPLE AND THE PLANET
In 2023, the number of people facing hunger climbed to 735 million, with rural women and youth among the most affected. This crisis is driven by the expansion of industrialized agriculture, growing conflicts, environmental degradation, and harmful policies.
How we produce our food is also driving climate change. Agriculture and food systems account for about a third of global greenhouse gases, and while smallholder farmers contribute little to the problem, they’re extremely vulnerable to worsening weather patterns.
Our conventional, extractive agricultural systems cause soil degradation, deplete natural resources, and reduce biodiversity, while concentrating power and resources in the hands of a few at the expense of many. These practices threaten the livelihoods of rural communities and, to a further extent, everyone on Earth.
THE SOLUTION
AGROECOLOGY AND COMMUNITY-DRIVEN SYSTEMS CHANGE
Fortunately, solutions exist. Together, we can grow them from the ground up.
Agroecology is “the science of applying ecological concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable food systems” (Gliessman, 2007). At Groundswell International, we center the practice of farmers innovating and working with nature instead of against it, spreading solutions farmer-to-farmer to regenerate landscapes. And because food connects us all, agroecology is also a movement, uniting people to create a just transition to food sovereignty, from farms to cities to governments.
With decades of experience and evidence, we’ve seen proof that agroecology leads to thriving ecosystems, with healthier soil, food, people, environments, and societies.
Farmers are the agents of change
About 2.5 billion people, nearly a third of the world’s population, are involved in smallholder farming and food production. Smallholder farmers help feed the world, producing roughly 70% of our food while using only around 30% of agricultural resources.
Small-scale family farmers, indigenous communities, rural women, and youth are the people who work the land and nurture life from the soil. Agroecology empowers them to innovate and create better food systems, for today and tomorrow. Their creative capacity to farm in harmony with nature is perhaps the most powerful force we can unleash to overcome hunger, poverty and climate change.
How we work with rural communities
Experimenting with agroecology
Championing women farmers
Connecting farmers to local markets
Improving diets and nutrition
Driving supportive policies
OUR APPROACH
A global action learning network organized for collective impact
Founded in 2009, Groundswell International is a network of NGO partners working in the Global South. We connect smallholder farmers and organizations across 11 countries in West Africa, the Americas and South Asia to generate and scale ecological farming solutions.
Our mission: to strengthen communities to build healthy farming and food systems from the ground up—systems driven by the people and for the people who feed the world.
With our partner NGOs and regional staff, we elevate smallholder farmers’ capacity, agency, opportunities, and rights by supporting community-led processes to scale agroecology. We value their knowledge, culture, and innate ability to innovate, empowering them to improve their lives on their own terms.
Our programs follow a bottom-up approach that prioritizes farmer leadership and gender equity at every stage, ensuring a sustainable transition to healthy farming and food systems:
Learning by doing
Local partner NGOs leverage farmers’ existing strengths and support them to test and adopt agroecology principles and practices that work best for their farms.
Spreading knowledge among farmers
Successful farmers become advocates for agroecology, sharing their knowledge with other communities through farmer-to-farmer networks. These networks help spread practices in each region, creating a ripple effect across villages.
Improving nutrition
Diversified production from farms and household gardens, along with community learning on balanced diets of healthy local food, improve nutrition for children and families.
Supporting women and youth leadership
Our partners strengthen women’s solidarity and savings groups and increase their access to land, tools, and small livestock. Youth get opportunities for schooling, learn from and carry forward the knowledge of their elders, and through our Youth Storyteller Program, spread lessons among communities.
Strengthening local economies
As farmers increase their production, our local partners and regional staff support the development of small enterprises to strengthen local markets, boosting farmers’ incomes.
Driving systemic change
Lasting, positive change in farming and food systems requires supportive policies and governments. We join forces with allies to amplify citizen engagement, build enabling policies, and scale solutions from villages to continents.
This approach catalyzes a farmer-driven virtuous cycle of regeneration and growth, reversing the downward spiral of poverty that traps many communities. And it works: in 2023, we strengthened over 1,440 community-based organizations in 11 countries, improving the lives of over a million people.
HOW THE NETWORK FUNCTIONS
The Groundswell International network in action
Join the farmer-led movement to build healthy farming and food systems
How we grow our food in the coming decades will determine the future of people and the planet. The task is urgent. Join us in empowering farmers as they lead the charge for regenerative and equitable farming and food systems.