if not now, when?

Although enough food is produced globally to feed all people, there are currently over a billion people suffering from hunger and severe malnutrition.

Hunger and malnutrition have disproportionate impacts on the most vulnerable populations; in the developing world maternal and child malnutrition is the cause of over a third of all deaths of children under five, roughly 3.5 million preventable deaths each year.

Hunger is the number one contributor to
                high mortality rates around the world.

The human toll is staggering: each year more people die from hunger and related diseases than from AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Every six seconds a child dies of hunger and related causes.

The global cost of child malnutrition to national and economic development is estimated at $20 to $30 billion per year. Multiplied over the life span of today's undernourished children, malnutrition results in to up to one trillion dollars of lost productivity and income.

The "global food crisis" has sparked rising food prices on basic staples and has caused political instability and unrest in over thirty countries since 2008. The ongoing economic and financial crises only adds to the severely reduced purchasing power of the world's poorest, who spend up to 80% of their income on food.

why focus on women?

It is estimated that 60% of smallholder farmers globally are women...

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why focus on women?

It is estimated that 60% of smallholder farmers globally are women.  In sub-Saharan Africa, this number is as high as 70%.  Therefore, it is critical to ensure gender equity in programs designed to boost agricultural production, and to invest in women farmers who generally lack land rights, access to credit and incur the overwhelming responsibility of raising the children.

Our solution is simple, but radical.  Give women farmers:

  • The tools and training to farm sustainably
  • Micro-credit loans
  • Access to their own land
  • Investments in labor saving technology


We will link at well our demonstration projects to women cooperatives working in partnership with the growing success of rural village food banks (see: www.foodbanking.org) and which can create sustainable food supply growth and enhance market access.

A women-to-women approach is critical. Linking women in the developed world to women in the developing world is a powerful transformational model on both ends: it produces women-led economically sustainable communities abroad and a direct lifeline for elevating gender parity and solidarity, “one woman at a time”. Along the way, we also encourage men to join our ranks and support this amazing model.

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why sustainable, organic farming?

Nutrition and food quality begin with soil conditions and the way food is grown...

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why sustainable, organic farming?

Nutrition and food quality begin with soil conditions and the way food is grown.  Healthy food comes from healthy soil.
 
Many people are aware that food grown according to organic principles is free from exposure to harmful herbicides and pesticides, but that is only one small aspect of organic agriculture. A larger part of organic agriculture involves the health of the soil and the ecosystem in which crops and livestock are raised. Organic farmers recognize that healthy, vibrant, and live soils and ecosystems significantly benefit crops. Natural, undisturbed soil is alive with microbiotic organisms that exist in harmony with the native plant life and the inorganic minerals that provide the soil's substrate.

Organic farming is inherently sustainable.  It establishes an ecological balance to increase soil fertility and prevent pest problems. Over time, organic farmers conserve energy and increase biodiversity. Nutrient losses are minimized and soil productivity increases because organic agriculture makes use of practices such as crop rotations, inter-cropping, symbiotic associations, cover crops and minimum tillage that decrease the length of time the soil is exposed to erosive forces.

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the call to people of faith

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—all related through their connection...

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the call to people of faith

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—all related through their connection to Abraham—all share a fundamental concern for aiding those who are most in need.  Synagogues, churches, and mosques in the developed world have separately and in partnership, created food pantries, collection drives, and have contributed countless dollars to relieve hunger, yet as is tragically self-evident—so much more must be done to alleviate not simply hunger, but starvation.
 
Global Hunger Foundation’s Interfaith Advisory Council will consist of lay and religious leaders from these Abrahamic faiths, joining together to inspire those in their communities and around the world to reach out to each other in increasing opportunities not only to alleviate hunger but also to empower women who with assistance, can ensure their families will be well nourished.

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