Groundswell International

Groundswell International was founded in 2009 by a network of individuals and organizations that have been working at the forefront of people-centered, rural development for decades. Since the 1970s, our founders have worked with thousands of impoverished villages to pioneer farmer-led agroecology, enabling people to work with nature instead of against it to feed themselves, rise above poverty, and build resilience.

Groundswell International strengthens rural communities to build healthy farming and food systems from the ground up. Groundswell works by:

• Galvanizing widespread farmer-led innovation and adoption of agroecological methods that produce more food and income and regenerate the environment.
• Strengthening farmer-to-farmer teaching and learning networks that multiply successful practices across villages.
• Building strong local markets by re-connecting family farmers' organizations and consumers through the sale of healthy, local food.
• Empowering women's groups to participate in decision-making and gain access to resources.
• Partnering with cutting edge local organizations around the world to strengthen grassroots groups and build wider alliances for social change and policy reform.
• Amplifying our voices globally by documenting and sharing what works.

The collective impact of these actions is tipping the scales towards lasting solutions to hunger for thousands of farm families in Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mali, Nepal, Senegal, and Western North Carolina.