Systems Transformation
Our global food systems account for about one-third of greenhouse gas emissions. There is growing global recognition that we need to transform these systems to lessen their impact on the environment, while still producing enough nutritious food to feed the world. We believe that this transformation must happen at every level in the system—from the small-scale food producer to the regional farmer co-ops to the multinational food conglomerates. Identifying food system solutions, innovations and technologies that allow for this transformation and then implementing enabling policies and financing schemes to bring them to small-scale farmers and producers is of the utmost importance.
The Hunger Project is committed to promoting environmental sustainability and climate adaptation and resilience in its work, and to mitigating and minimizing the environmental impact of our programs and operations. In our programs, we adopt environmentally sound and context-appropriate solutions such as crop diversification, landscape restoration, improved water and livestock management, climate modeling to inform planting and harvesting, and elevating local, traditional and Indigenous knowledge and practices.
In Africa, Hunger Project-trained leaders create community demonstration farms and centers of excellence to provide proof of model, promote adoption and facilitate knowledge sharing. Villagers learn composting, regenerative agriculture, intercropping and other methods, like drip irrigation, to improve crop yields, restore soil fertility and make the best use of scarce resources. We also launched farmer field schools to train the next generation of farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices while innovating as entrepreneurs, and demand access to agricultural extension services from their government. Through this work, in Uganda, for example, we’ve seen an increase in dietary diversity combined with increased biodiversity and increased yields and income – a win-win combination that protects our environment, feeds families, all while fostering resilience to future shocks.
