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How Agroecological Farming Transformed Emmanuel’s Field in Burkina Faso
We recently met one exceptional farmer whose story speaks to the heart of our work: Wango Emmanuel, from Bonessin, Burkina Faso. After spending several years living and working in Côte d’Ivoire, Emmanuel returned to his native village amid a grave political crisis. His only means of feeding his family was a small plot of land he inherited from his father. But the soil had hardened like cement, rendered unproductive by decades of extractive farming practices common in the area. As soil fertility declined, farmers turned to expensive chemical fertilizers and inputs promoted by the government an …
Four Smallholder Women Farmers at the Forefront of Agroecological Farming
Almost half of the world’s agricultural workers are women. In the Global South, women produce 60 to 80% of the food that sustains their communities—yet they own less than 20% of the land. Despite having limited access to resources and shouldering significant family responsibilities, these women continue to feed the world. They play a crucial role in restoring ecosystems, addressing climate change, and building food security from the ground up. As they nurture land and life, there is much we can learn from their unique journeys. Today, we’re honored to share the stories of four remarkable women …
Lessons from Our Global Conference in Berlin: Farmer-Led Innovation at the Center of Agroecology
In September, over 30 people from West Africa, South Asia, the Americas, and Europe gathered in Berlin, Germany for Groundswell International’s Global Conference, hosted by the Robert Bosch Stiftung foundation. Among them were leaders from our 14 NGO partners spanning 11 countries—from Burkina Faso to Haiti and Ecuador to India—along with our staff, board members, and global allies. Together, we shared lessons from the field, learned from local farmers and activists, and strengthened plans to transform global farming and food systems from the ground up through agroecology. We tackled pressing …
Community-Led Responses to Conflict in the Sahel: Displaced Families Finding Refuge through Agroecology
Dakuyo Izoun, a 55-year-old butcher from Doumbala, Burkina Faso, was forced to rebuild his life from scratch when armed groups attacked his village. As the country grapples with one of the world’s most neglected polycrisis, thousands are fleeing their homes in search of safety in neighboring countries. But even in the Sahel, one of the harshest environments on Earth, communities are finding ways to care for each other, building powerful models of solidarity and resilience while providing refuge for displaced families. Bankouma in Mali is one of them. The Context of Displacement and …
A Taste of India in the Amaranth Fields of Guatemala
In May 2024, I visited Guatemala for the very first time. As part of my work with Groundswell International, I always relish the chance to visit our partners and communities in the field. We spent the week with our long-term partner in Rabinal, Qachuu Aloom, and our new partner in Jalapa, ACESH. They both were wonderful hosts who packed the week with a lot of learning, brainstorming, and bonding. Gaining insight into agroecological techniques and their implementation is always eye-opening, but what I cherish most on these trips is connecting with the farmers themselves, who work ti …
A Poem in Honor of Environmental Health Day, Written by Youth in Rural Honduras 🌿
“No more fires… Would you incinerate your own lungs?” This moving poem, written by youth from smallholder farming families in rural Honduras, reminds us that nature speaks—her groans echo the destruction we cause, but also the hope that we can protect her, and ourselves, by choosing a different path. “Care for the air we breathe as you would for yourself, every drop of water, every crop, every fruit, every medicinal plant.” Our well-being is tied to the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the earth that sustains us. Rural youth urge: don’t do to nature what you wouldn’t do to yourself—be …