Local management brings relief to Madhesh farmers during fertilizer season

In the face of climate change, the nonprofit SABALA is working with nearly 2,000 women farmers in India to participate in millet farming, which can also strengthen community food security and empower women. Using traditional farming techniques, farmers can cultivate 15 to 20 of the climate-resistant crops on a 1-acre plot. Due to the success with millet farming, nearly 300 of the women came together to start a cooperative to process surplus millets and sell the grain to the local community.

Boutique chocolate makers like Taza Chocolate and Uncommon Cacao have developed a direct-trade "bean-to-bar" model that bypasses exploitative cocoa supply chains by purchasing directly from farmers at transparent, above-market prices.

The Raíces Cooperative Farm in Hood River, Oregon provides Spanish-speaking community members "a place to grow food," learn from one another about farming practices and develop leadership skills. “Through Raíces, I began to learn better cultivation techniques. [We are shown] how to care for the soil, plants, and seeds, and the program provides economic support" one member explained. During the coronavirus pandemic, the cooperative has also been integral to supplying food for mobile markets.

A grassroots organization in Tamil Nadu, India has helped women farmers throughout the region to create "small informal farming groups" so that they can collectively lease land for their agriculture businesses. This collective farming venture, which has culminated in 89 collective farms with nearly 700 members, ensures "nutrition and food security for landless women at the household level."

Cows will produce the same amount of milk no matter the demand for the product, and with supply staying steady and demand decreasing, a surplus of milk is thrown out routinely. Through a collaborative effort by farmers and a local non-profit in Pennsylvania, however, a solution has emerged that not only turns the extra milk into cheese and yogurt, but supplies the products to those in need.

In Brazil, 45% of agriculturally viable land is owned by 1% of tenants. To combat this inequitable ratio, the Landless Workers’ Movement formed and took a stand for seizing lands that are "not fulfilling a productive or social use." The group successfully reclaimed an area known as Mario Lago and has since begun a reforestation process alongside agroforestry which has allowed for an increase in diversity of food produced. The farmers haven't stopped there, however. To sell their produce, they have implemented a system of turning the consumer into a co-producer thus ensuring economic stability.

Getting food from farm to table isn't as easy as one may think. This is especially true for smaller farms that have to transport their produce to larger distribution sites to see any sort of profit. One local farmer in the Catksills Mountains of upper New York, recognized this problem and ultimately built an "ad-hoc operation acting as both the marketing and distribution agent" for a multitude of farmers in the region. Despite the many challenges he's faced, he's even been able to charge the wholesale buyer the delivery and administrative costs versus the traditional method of charging the farmer.

Dubbed an agro-ecology center, Tahoe is embracing a different approach to food stability through teaching local residents how to grow food in alpine climates. By picking up food from local farmers and transporting their food to market in a fair and equitable way, the Tahoe Food Hub was born to create and grow a local food system.

In Dandabazar, a community-wide shift to commercial cauliflower farming was supported by local government seed distribution and subsidies for modern tools. This transformed a food-insecure hill village into a recognized vegetable-producing hub, enabling individual farmers to grow their businesses.

Women crab farmers in coastal Maharashtra are earning substantial incomes by raising crabs in mangrove forests, creating a financial incentive that protects these critical ecosystems while building climate resilience and women's economic independence.