Food and Sustainable Livelihoods
The Situation
The world produces more food today than at any time in history. Yet one in eight people go to bed hungry every night. In developing countries, the hungry are often farmers and mostly women.
Small-scale farmers often lack basic necessities such as access to fertile land, water, credit, knowledge, and extension services. Climate change and increasingly erratic weather patterns are compounding these problems, disrupting agriculture and food supplies, and making small-scale farming in many regions harder and more precarious.
Women, who grow much of the world's food, face some of the biggest hurdles of all.
Women do not receive the same support as men farmers do. They have less access to land, loans and machinery. Many women work the land or are employed in informal, casual work, so when things go wrong, they are the first to lose their jobs and go without when household budgets shrink.
Malnutrition, disease, chronic rural poverty, and stunted economic development result when small farmers cannot earn decent livelihoods.
Our development projects to fight poverty rely on two important approaches: providing emergency food assistance and establishing sustainable ways for people to earn a living.
DETAILS
LOCATION
Where needed most
DURATION
Varies between 1-4 years
OUR SUPPORTERS
The Government of Canada and generous Canadian donors.
What are we doing?
DISTRIBUTE
Distribution of seeds, de-stocking or re-stocking of livestock, provision of animal care, to help support agricultural production.
STIMULATE
Distribute cash or vouchers to stimulate the local economy, support access to long-term loan programs as well as business skills training.
CAMPAIGN
Campaign against global trade rules that keep people trapped in poverty.