This post originally appeared on the Outrage and Inspire blog.
We’re excited to announce the launch of a new multi-part film series on Roger Thurow’s The Last Hunger Season. Now through October 16—coinciding with World Food Day 2014—we will be releasing two episodes from the series per week. Part 3 is now available below. See all episodes.
While struggling through the hunger season, Leonida noticed that some other farmers in western Kenya were doubling or tripling their maize harvest. Curious, she asked for their secret.
They had become members of One Acre Fund, she was told. One Acre was a new social enterprise organization determined to conquer the hunger season by ending the decades-long neglect of smallholder farmers. It hoped to unleash the potential of those farmers by providing access to the essential elements of farming: better quality seeds, soil nutrients, technical training, and the crucial financing to pay for it all.
One Acre Fund farmers come together in groups of eight to 12; friends and neighbors who help each other during the busy times of planting, weeding, harvesting. They give their groups inspirational names like Hope or Faith or Mercy or Grace or Happiness or Success. Leonida and several neighbors formed a One Acre group and called it Amua. In their local language, Amua means “decide.”
What had they decided? Their inspiration came from the Bible, Exodus 3:17.
In this episode of The Last Hunger Season film series, Leonida explains their decision to embark on a modern-day exodus.
Roger Thurow - Amua: Leonida Decides
About
The Global Food and Agriculture Program aims to inform the development of US policy on global agricultural development and food security by raising awareness and providing resources, information, and policy analysis to the US Administration, Congress, and interested experts and organizations.
The Global Food and Agriculture Program is housed within the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, an independent, nonpartisan organization that provides insight – and influences the public discourse – on critical global issues. The Council on Global Affairs convenes leading global voices and conducts independent research to bring clarity and offer solutions to challenges and opportunities across the globe. The Council is committed to engaging the public and raising global awareness of issues that transcend borders and transform how people, business, and governments engage the world.
Support for the Global Food and Agriculture Program is generously provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Blogroll
1,000 Days Blog, 1,000 Days
Africa Can End Poverty, World Bank
Agrilinks Blog
Bread Blog, Bread for the World
Can We Feed the World Blog, Agriculture for Impact
Concern Blogs, Concern Worldwide
Institute Insights, Bread for the World Institute
End Poverty in South Asia, World Bank
Global Development Blog, Center for Global Development
The Global Food Banking Network
Harvest 2050, Global Harvest Initiative
The Hunger and Undernutrition Blog, Humanitas Global Development
International Food Policy Research Institute News, IFPRI
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center Blog, CIMMYT
ONE Blog, ONE Campaign
One Acre Fund Blog, One Acre Fund
Overseas Development Institute Blog, Overseas Development Institute
Oxfam America Blog, Oxfam America
Preventing Postharvest Loss, ADM Institute
Sense & Sustainability Blog, Sense & Sustainability
WFP USA Blog, World Food Program USA
Archive
Big Ideas and Emerging Innovations
Highlighting approaches, technologies, and ideas that have the potential to radically advance global food security.
Guest Commentary – Open Data’s Potential for Agriculture
Elisabeth Fischer of Syngenta on maximizing the impact of data for farmers around the world.
Guest Commentary – Supply and Demand for Something Different: How Open Data Can Help End Hunger
Reid Porter and David Duffeck of InterAction on the value of open data for agriculture and food security.
Guest Commentary – Precision Agriculture: Potential and Limits
David Cleary of The Nature Conservancy on getting precision agriculture technologies to the places that need them most.
Guest Commentary – Data to Amplify Agricultural Development
Rikin Gandhi, CEO of Digital Green and speaker at the Global Food Security Symposium 2017, on how data can improve outcomes for smallholder farmers around the world.
Guest Commentary – Growing Markets by Focusing on Borders
The latest post in the Agri-Pulse and Council column series discusses how streamlined border procedures around the world benefit US agriculture.
A Food-Secure Future: Capitalizing on Technological Innovation
The last post in our Food-Secure Future series discusses how mobile phones and satellites are transforming agriculture in low- and middle-income countries.
Guest Commentary – Food Crisis and Famine: A Compelling Call to Create Strategic Food Reserve Systems
Samrat Singh of Imperial College London comments on the current food crises in South Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia, and Yemen.
Guest Commentary – Confronting our Biggest Challenges: Innovation and Collaboration Will Drive Food Security
Krysta Harden of DuPont on the importance of public-private partnerships in assuring global food security.
Guest Commentary – When Simple Is Difficult: Agriculture Technology in the Age of Innovation
Renee Vuillaume of GKI on getting incremental innovations to the smallholder farmers who need them.
Guest Commentary – Climate Change and Occupational Health
Julie Potyraj of George Washington University on the relationship between climate change, agriculture, and occupational health.
Ending Hunger Is Within Our Grasp
Ahead of the Global Food Security Symposium 2017, Catherine Bertini reflects on progress achieved in global food security, and the challenges yet to come.
Big Ideas and Emerging Innovations
Highlighting approaches, technologies, and ideas that have the potential to radically advance global food security.
Guest Commentary – Integrating Urban Planners in the Fight against Malnutrition
Sunniva Bloem of GAIN on cross-sectoral partnerships to address urban nutrition and food security.
Guest Commentary – Transformational Change Requires a Coordinated Effort
Shang Hui Chia from Grow Asia on the multisectoral approaches that are helping to advance global food security.
