Smallholder farmers in the Global South experience the most severe impacts of climate change and the greatest food insecurity.
Global food insecurity is rising, due in large part to climate phenomena. Global warming is influencing weather patterns causing heat waves, heavy rainfall, and droughts. Unsustainable commercial agricultural methods rely on high-carbon energy and are depleting soils and concentrating crops.
Climate change disproportionately affects the poorest people and poorest countries in the world – those who contribute least to the problem. Global conflict further disrupts food exports from the world’s major producers, contributing to displacement and inflation, and driving an ever-worsening global food crisis.
There are approaches to mitigating and adapting to climate change, boosting agricultural productivity, and increasing the availability of food to more equitably feed the world. These approaches will require large-scale food systems transformation built on gender-responsive, climate-smart principles with a focus on sustainability to ensure a food-producing, life-supporting planet for all.
You are helping advance climate-resilience agriculture by:
training 4,047 people to grow food in climate-challenged places
providing 1,082 people with agricultural inputs
supporting 8,374 students and more than 1,610 families with produce grown using traditional &/or climate-adaptive techniques
Over the past decade, 1.7 billion people have been affected by extreme weather and climate-related disasters. Communities who contribute the least to the climate crisis are bearing the brunt of its impacts, with limited means to cope. With the vast majority of the world’s hungry exposed to climate shocks and stresses, eradicating hunger requires bold efforts to improve people’s ability to adapt.
WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME
The Climate Crisis and Hunger in Weather, Climate and Catastrophe Insight, 2022.
The Challenges
CONFLICT & CLIMATE MIGRATION
Regional conflict and climate impacts cause intra- and inter-country migration which places further stress on already fragile land and resources. Over one billion people are at risk of being displaced by 2050 due to environmental change, conflict and civil unrest. Institute for Economics & Peace, 2023
Current Initiatives
CLIMATE-ADAPTIVE AGRONOMIC TRAINING & AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES
Hover or tap to find out moreYou can help smallholder farmers increase their use of climate-adaptive agricultural practices by:
- Fostering the use of climate-resilient agricultural training and techniques, and providing greater access to community / agricultural extension services
- Increasing women’s access to land, credit, markets, inputs that enable women to fully and fairly contribute to agricultural productivity and share in its profits
- Supporting dry season farming, climate-friendly pesticide and fertilizer use, irrigation systems, ploughing and planting strategies, weather forecasting, indigenous seed preservation and use to better adapt to changing weather, maximize growing seasons, and increase yields
GOOD LIVELIHOODS FOR YOUTH & WOMEN
Hover or tap to find out moreYou can help women and youth gain business skills and establish new business ventures (agricultural and non-agricultural) by:
- Providing seed capital
- Offering business skills training
- Supporting mentorship, apprenticeship and occupational skills training
- Linking people to markets and value-addition opportunities, including through business incubation hubs
GENDER EQUALITY TRAINING FOR SMALLHOLDER FARMERS
Hover or tap to find out moreYou can help promote gender equality among smallholder farmers and in farming communities by:
- Engaging women and men in community conversations, raising awareness and inspiring action
- Working with opinion leaders to disseminate and promote key messages related to gender equality, gender bias/traditional gender roles, SRHR and harmful traditional practices
- Encouraging women to take leadership roles in farm-based organizations, as community/agricultural extension agents, and in demonstration farms
- Incorporating gender equality and SRHR training in livelihoods programs targeted to youth
Learn more
Watch
The SHINE (Sustainability, Human Rights, Inclusion, and Equality) project empowers women in Ghana and Ethiopia to increase their harvests, boost their incomes, and improve food security for their families using climate-smart agricultural techniques and new business practices.
Listen
Read
A GROWING PROBLEM: Climate-smart food production for a future that feeds us all
As we confront the dual crises of climate change and food insecurity, we must support smallholders to build resilience and boost production while advocating for systemic mitigation and adaptation measures.Download
Read
ALTERED STATES: THE SOCIAL, POLITICAL, AND ECONOMIC FORCES RESHAPING PHILANTHROPY
Philanthropy is at a crossroads. Learn how global shifts are reshaping aid, equity, and support for vulnerable communities.Download
Read
LET’S GET GROWING: DECOLONIZING CANADA’S NORTHERN FOOD SYSTEMS
Learn how Indigenous communities in Canada are leading solutions to food insecurity, sovereignty, and climate challenges.Download
Partner with us
Join a growing community committed to making long-term changeMembers of the leadership
giving circle
giving circle
Food Production
450
people (~62% women) were trained in climate-smart agriculture
4,047
people were supported to grow food in climate-challenged places
8,374
students and more than 1,610 families are supported by home, school, &/or community gardens
Income & Livelihoods
885
business ventures are benefitting 1,772 people
1,161
people received business skills training
2,742
people participate in 165 credit/savings groups
Farm Inputs
1,082
people received agricultural inputs (seeds, tools, plants, etc.)
Hearing from smallholder farmers
About the progress they're making
I can feed my family well and support them in their education. I get surplus to sell for additional income. The knowledge I gained from the training and extension services will continue to help me improve my farming activities even when the program ends.
With the agribusiness incubation program, I started doing purposeful farming which has made me good money from the farming in a short time.
With the weather information, I am now able to make better decisions on the type of crops to plant and the planting time. I am sure of a good harvest and food security for my household this year.
Where your support is needed
To boost resilience to climate change impacts102 high-need communities in 4 countries
