Archive for category: Food Security

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The Geoeconomic Confrontation of 2026: Risks and Responses

Geoeconomic Confrontation
The geoeconomic confrontation of 2026 is a leading concern in the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report. In its survey of more than 1,300 experts, 18% selected geoeconomic confrontation as the risk most likely to trigger a material global crisis in 2026, placing it first among the risks assessed. This ranking reflects expert perceptions, rather than proof that one risk will cause the greatest harm.

Cooperation on Food Trade

The G20 Trade Ministerial met in Milwaukee on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, 2026. According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, ministers reached consensus on a statement condemning the use of food trade for economic or political coercion. The statement addresses threats to livelihoods and food security; it is a commitment, rather than evidence of improved food access already achieved.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce welcomed the food-trade consensus and a separate joint statement on forced labor in supply chains. The latter did not have agreement from the whole G20: the chair identified the United States, Mexico and Argentina as its participants. These responses show areas of cooperation, while also illustrating the limits of consensus.

Protecting Humanitarian Access

According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, humanitarian access requires negotiation so that people can reach assistance and humanitarian organizations can reach them. Temporary relief corridors and other arrangements are possible tools, subject to agreement by the parties concerned. They do not automatically guarantee safe access or remove the effects of political confrontation.

ACAPS’ July 2026 assessment covered 66 crisis-affected countries between December 2025 and May 2026. It examined barriers faced by people seeking assistance, constraints on humanitarian organizations and physical, environmental and security obstacles. Access deteriorated in 26 countries and improved in only one, underlining how much remains to be done.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ March 19, 2026, report gives a specific example of worsening conditions. In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, displacement linked to settler attacks and access restrictions since the beginning of 2026 had reached about 95% of the total recorded during 2025. This is evidence of humanitarian pressure, rather than a measured result of a successful policy response.

Building Financial Resilience

Eligible countries can also draw on the International Monetary Fund’s Resilience and Sustainability Facility, introduced in 2022. It offers affordable, longer-term financing for reforms addressing risks such as climate change and pandemic preparedness. Access requires a qualifying concurrent IMF-supported program, sustainable debt and adequate repayment capacity. The facility supports longer-term resilience; it is not a general emergency fund guaranteeing stable food imports and exports.

Looking Ahead

The geoeconomic confrontation of 2026 presents significant risks, but international cooperation remains possible. Food-trade commitments, negotiated humanitarian access and longer-term resilience financing offer different ways to respond. Their value for vulnerable communities depends on implementation and continued cooperation, rather than announcements alone.

– Alexandra Eaton

Alexandra is based in Birmingham, England and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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How Private Sector Investment Could Support Sudan’s Agricultural Recovery

Sudan's Agricultural Recovery
Since the war in Sudan began in 2023, cereal production has fallen catastrophically, dropping 46% in the first year. By 2025, almost 90% of farmers and producer groups reported smaller harvests, and yields had fallen by as much as 71% in the areas most affected by fighting. UNDP reported that more than 19 million people were struggling to access enough food, while severe malnutrition was affecting the worst-hit communities. Sudan’s agricultural recovery is a crucial part of ending the country’s humanitarian crisis.

Market Islands

Sudan has impressive agricultural potential, given its 170 million acres of arable land, Nile-fed irrigation and adequate rain. However, the conflict has been detrimental to the agricultural sector.

The UNDP explains the current division of the sector, calling the disconnected industries “market islands.” Food prices have driven this division, which have risen up to 200% since the war began. Transaction costs have also contributed to higher food costs, rising by 30-40%.

Potential Growth

The UNDP analysis, in partnership with the International Trade Centre, identified a list of crops that could improve both food insecurity and income levels. These are sorghum, sesame, groundnuts, soybean, gum arabic, hibiscus and livestock.

Gum arabic is a particularly promising value chain, as Sudan produces around 80% of the world’s gum arabic, but disrupted collection and export routes have reduced export levels. Exports were approximately 40% below stable levels.

Financing Issues

Another major detriment to crop yields is the lack of appropriate financing for farmers. UNDP reports that more than 70% of farmers and small businesses cannot secure financing, hindering their efforts to maintain or increase production.

The Agricultural Bank of Sudan temporarily halted loan distribution because of inflation.

The agricultural sector is so fragile that many farmers have transitioned to subsistence plots, small pieces of land used to grow food solely for the farmer’s household. These plots protect farmers from economic downturns but also reduce crop production.

Dialogue Between UNDP and Sudan’s Ministry of Finance

On Sept. 23, the UNDP and Sudan’s Ministry of Finance concluded a three-day dialogue to develop an agricultural roadmap for Sudan’s food production crisis and economic recovery. More than 300 participants attended, including government ministries, businesses, financial institutions, the national and international private sector, farmers’ and trade associations and other stakeholders. The dialogue centered on engaging the private sector to reduce food insecurity and poverty, especially for individuals needing more support than humanitarian assistance. Prioritizing private sector engagement is imperative because it is responsible for nearly 98% of jobs.

The forum encouraged discussion of “productivity, access to finance (including credit guarantees, takaful insurance, blended finance and diaspora investment), market systems, and aggregation, trade and export facilitation, and policy and institutional reform.”

Outcomes of Khartoum Dialogue

The forum emphasized private-sector participation and the development of a roadmap for agricultural recovery. The forum also discussed potential investments with international participants; such proposals are not confirmed funding commitments.

Potential Support for Farmers

In terms of supporting farmers and crop production, there are a variety of measures UNDP is considering, including credit guarantees and trade facilitation.

UNDP is coordinating an attempt at a warehouse receipt system with the national and international private sector. Farmers would receive receipts that would support financing in exchange for storing their produce in approved facilities.

– Pritam Khalsa

Pritam is based in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How Floating Technology In Bangladesh Is Transforming Flood Zones

Floating Technology in BangladeshBangladesh’s flood-prone geography leaves nearly 60% of the population exposed to high flood risk, disrupting livelihoods, education and food production. In response, communities are using floating technology in Bangladesh to adapt to rising waters and build long-term resilience.

Bangladesh’s Growing Flood Challenges

Bangladesh has always suffered from flooding due to its location and river systems. Severe flooding has repeatedly displaced families and heightened the risk of waterborne disease.

Experts have warned that the risks from flooding will only increase due to a forecast of increased rainfall in upcoming years.

In 2024, heavy rainfall resulted in overcrowded temporary shelters, compromising the protection of vulnerable young girls. The flooding situation is not getting easier, but the country has begun to combat this devastating common occurrence.

Floating Schools Keep Education Afloat

One example of floating technology in Bangladesh is floating schools. Due to floods causing significant disruption, the country has started to work around it.

Roads in the most flood-prone villages become submerged easily, making children’s school runs very difficult. Floating schools have been created to ensure education remains consistent and undisrupted by floods. Instead of students making the journey to school, the floating school mechanism goes to them.

Since the first floating school launched in 2002, a report published in 2025 described more than 100 floating schools, libraries and health boats together, with more than 70,000 children benefiting from the initiative.

Floating Farms and Food Security

Another example of floating technology is floating farms. These systems allow crops to be cultivated in places affected by prolonged flooding.

Floating farms are essentially “artificial islands” that rise and fall with the river’s tide. They are most popular in Barisal, Gopalganj and Pirojpur. Farmers create platforms out of water hyacinth, plant seeds on these rafts and move them into flooded areas. Nutrients are released into the crops as the raft decomposes, making this process effective in the long run.

Many villages rely on these buoyant rafts to keep their food supply stable during floods. Ultimately, the floating farms and gardens offer a hopeful solution to the food deprivation caused by extreme flooding.

More Floating Innovations

In some flood-prone regions, boats have been transformed into mobile health clinics, libraries and community centers that bring essential services directly to isolated populations.

Floating health facilities provide basic medical care to residents who might otherwise struggle to reach clinics during flood periods.

Floating libraries give children and adults access to books and learning materials, supporting literacy and educational development.

These services help reduce the barriers that flooding creates while ensuring that communities remain connected to critical resources. By bringing assistance to people rather than expecting travel through difficult conditions, floating technologies improve accessibility and strengthen community resilience.

A More Resilient Future for Bangladesh

As changing weather creates flood risks, floating technology offers a promising path forward for vulnerable communities. What began as local solutions has evolved into a broader model of climate adaptation, helping people maintain access to education, food production and essential services even when floodwaters rise.

Continued investment in floating schools, farms and community services could expand opportunities for thousands more families in flood-prone regions. These innovations not only help communities withstand environmental challenges but also support long-term goals related to poverty reduction, food security and sustainable development.

Bangladesh’s success demonstrates that effective climate solutions do not always require costly infrastructure. By combining local knowledge with practical innovation, communities are finding new ways to thrive in changing conditions. Continued support from NGOs like Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha, development organizations and government programs will play an important role in expanding these initiatives.

As other countries face increasing climate-related flooding, Bangladesh’s floating technologies may provide valuable lessons for building a more resilient future.

– Lottie Oldreive

Lottie is based in Cardiff, Wales and focuses on Technology and Solutions, and Celebs for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Fighting Poverty and Supporting Rural Livelihoods in Angola

Rural Livelihoods in Angola
The southwestern African nation of Angola is home to a population of more than 39 million and a wealth of natural resources in the form of oil and minerals. Despite this potential, Angola battles poverty and inequality. World Bank data from 2018 indicate that 39.3% of Angolans live on the equivalent of less than $3 per day, and the country’s inequality index of 51.3 from the same year is among the highest in the world. Rural communities often struggle the most, but significant efforts have emerged to support families financially and foster sustainable rural livelihoods in Angola. The government and other organizations have responded with financial support programs, loans and grants and agricultural skills training, all of which encourage agri-entrepreneurship and combat poverty in both the short and long term.

Communities Left Behind

Angola is highly urbanized compared to its neighbors, with approximately 32% of its population living outside urban areas. World Bank estimates from the 2018-19 household survey show poverty at 17.8% in urban areas and 54.7% in rural areas, demonstrating significant regional inequality. While oil contributes to almost 30% of GDP and 95% of exports, this industry is less accessible to communities whose livelihoods have historically had ties to agriculture. According to the IPC in 2022, 1.32 million people across 17 municipalities in the south are vulnerable to high acute food insecurity. As this issue persists, effective and sustainable agri-farming remains vital.

Financial Support Through Kwenda

To support households vulnerable to poverty and enhance rural livelihoods in Angola, the Institute for Local Development, in partnership with the Angolan government and World Bank, rolled out a targeted, quarterly cash transfer program known as Kwenda. By May 2025, more than 1.3 million households had benefited from Kwenda’s direct cash transfers, while approximately 53,000 households had received support through its Productive Inclusion component. This assistance helped many financially support their families, while others were able to invest in food and agricultural production, a step toward more sustainable economic futures. Increased production among Kwenda-supported households helped the Catanha Bandi cooperative purchase a mill, creating a local job and making grain processing easier for members and nearby residents. Kwenda also funded an improved seed bank for the Cusseteca cooperative, from which 1,000 loaves of bread are produced every day to feed the community.

The program also includes a Productive Inclusion element, focusing on supporting income generation and rural livelihoods in Angola. Launched in 2021, this initiative saw the creation of integrated social action centers aimed at supporting families to improve income, as well as community-based credit banks and seed multiplication initiatives. For example, FAS invested 400 kg of beans in Chiombo, where approximately 50 community members harvested close to 1.5 tons of food, reimbursing this support to thrive independently. By 2024, 25,324 people participated in IP activities, with more than 126,000 indirect beneficiaries.

Angola Commercial Agriculture Development Project (PDAC)

The Angola Commercial Agriculture Development Project (PDAC) provides further support for rural livelihoods in Angola. The project promotes agri-business development through the sharing of skills and a grant program, as well as financing infrastructure for production and further development. Rebeca Rocha, an agri-entrepreneur, received training through PDAC on skills such as crop rotation to improve her agricultural activities. She revitalized her small farming business with a $4,000 grant, using this to improve infrastructure and expand, which created six jobs and increased output. Rocha now also supplies food to a pediatric hospital. The program fosters innovation in the agricultural industry, and the World Bank reports that it has directly invested around $2.12 million into 308 business plans, 75 of which women submitted.

Local Projects and ADRA Angola

ADRA is another organization sharing skills within communities that directly support rural livelihoods in Angola. It promotes fair and sustainable development at a community level and operates across 46 municipalities to improve local agri-production and food security. The organization has helped organize workshops on valuable industry skills such as finance and tax management, setting farmers and small business owners up for success, as well as crop multiplication training, which was shared with 50 residents in the Oshauyu community. While promoting the School in the Farmer’s Field initiative, its workshop on sweet potato multiplication and seed bank development benefited 35 community members, of whom 29 were women. As of September 2026, ADRA has reached 34,902 families with its initiatives focused on sustainable development and citizenship.

Looking Forward

These projects targeting rural communities and supporting agricultural development represent a hopeful future for Angola’s poor on two accounts. While increased agricultural efficiency will improve production and increase food security, training and investment also greatly benefit rural livelihoods in Angola, encouraging entrepreneurship and better long-term financial stability for community members.

– Hannah Rix

Hannah is based in London, United Kingdom and focuses on Global Health and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Organizations Helping Nigeria

Organizations Helping Nigeria
Nigeria is known for its beautiful plants and animals; however, it is currently better known for tackling severe poverty. In 2022, 41.8% of Nigerians reportedly lived below the $3-a-day international extreme-poverty line, and 28.91% used safely managed drinking water services. In 2018, 28% of primary-school-age children were out of school.

Poverty is a difficult problem for any country to solve. Many nonprofit organizations and government-funded foundations have stepped in to aid Nigeria while the country’s clean water is limited and the number of Nigerians living under the international extreme-poverty line remains high. These organizations address different parts of Nigeria’s poverty crisis. Here is some information about the organizations helping Nigeria address issues pertaining to poverty.

International Rescue Committee (IRC)

The International Rescue Committee is a humanitarian organization located in 40 countries, focusing on providing safety, education and power to countries that struggle to have it. Currently, the organization helps Nigeria by:

  • Providing support and aid to Nigerians who fled from the states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe due to conflict
  • Distributing mosquito nets to homes to reduce malaria, which caused 84 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021
  • Establishing IRC offices in poverty-stricken states to work more closely with health facilities to make water and sanitation stations more accessible

World Food Programme (WFP)

The second initiative in this list of organizations helping Nigeria is the World Food Programme (WFP). The World Food Programme is a nonprofit organization that works to bring food to about 120 countries and territories, specifically those that are victims of weather extremes, wars and natural disasters. In August 2025, the WFP reopened 150 nutrition clinics after they were suspended due to funding shortages, providing Nigerians locally sourced nutritional meals called Tom Brown to fight the country’s malnutrition. Tom Brown is blended flour made with millet, sorghum, soybeans and groundnuts. Currently, the organization helps Nigeria by:

  • Strengthening nutritional social safety nets, ensuring people will have enough to eat in case of a sudden catastrophic event
  • Working with the Nigerian government on climate-smart agriculture and solar boreholes
  • Aiming to sustain at least 700,000 people with food and nutrition assistance each month, prioritizing children and pregnant or breastfeeding women and girls

Helpers Social Development Foundation (HSDF)

The Helpers Social Development Foundation is a nonprofit organization located in Enugu, Nigeria, focusing on eradicating one of the most crucial causes of poverty in Nigeria and other African countries: lack of education and childcare. In 2021, the foundation opened a nursery and free education school in Enugu. Currently, the organization helps Nigeria by:

  • Distributing school supplies to underprivileged children for free
  • Operating a free nursery and primary school for underprivileged children
  • Empowering youth and women through skills training

Concluding Thoughts

These organizations that are helping Nigeria address different parts of Nigeria’s poverty crisis through health, nutrition, water, sanitation and education support. No single organization can solve poverty alone, but their work shows how targeted programs can help vulnerable communities access essential services and opportunities.

– Ares Bryant

Ares is based in Portland, OR, United States and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Getting Dinner on the Table: Hunger in Yemen

Hunger in YemenSince the outbreak of the Israel-Palestine war in 2023, many people have become familiar with Hamas, a condemned militant wing that launched the Oct. 7 cross-border attack. However, fewer people are familiar with another allied political force making waves just 1,500 miles away in Yemen.

Houthi Influence in Yemen

An Iran-backed armed movement known as the Houthis utilizes military force, coercion and propaganda to win support and gain governmental control. They seized Yemen’s capital city of Sanaa with Iranian support, and today, Yemen’s national government remains in contention with Houthi-controlled regions of the country.

Beyond lingering political tension, a severe humanitarian crisis has unfolded for ordinary Yemenis. Nearly three-quarters of Yemen’s population lives below the poverty line. Houthi militia are positioned near Yemen’s Red Sea Bab el-Mandeb Strait, causing blockages, trade and import delays, maritime attacks and embargoes that mirror the Strait of Hormuz situation in Iran. Separately, flooding and changing weather patterns have endangered home-grown crops and exacerbated waterborne illnesses. These economic pressures have led more than 60% of Yemeni families to report insufficient food consumption.

NGO Efforts

While economic reform efforts progress slowly, a few notable nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) lead hunger relief on the ground. UMMA Foundation, an American-based nonprofit aiding 23 countries, plays the long game by distributing food baskets packed with nutritional basics. With staples including lentils, rice, oil and seasoning, these baskets can sustain a family for one month, providing continued nourishment during a precarious time, according to the UMMA Foundation. Save the Children, which has worked in Yemen since 1963, operates similar food basket distributions and also supports 200 health clinics, providing life-saving care to 5 million children across the country.

Funding Challenges

Yet hunger in Yemen often persists due to funding gaps. While several organizations have launched coordinated response plans to scale relief efforts, the 2026 United Nations (U.N.) Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan reveals a tough reality. The plan seeks $2.16 billion to reach 12 million people across Yemen. According to United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), as of May 2026, only about 13% of that funding had been committed by donor governments — one of the lowest funding levels the response has seen in more than a decade — posing a continued hindrance to food, hygiene, water, medical and basic goods for those 12 million people.

Although hunger in Yemen may no longer dominate major media stories, the country’s struggle remains one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. Whether millions of families receive the attention needed will depend on sustained international funding toward organizations already working around the clock. The work already underway shows that food baskets, nutritional support and sustained aid investment can put dinner back on the table when families need it the most.

– Natasha Agarwal

Natasha is based in Philadelphia, PA, USA and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Fighting Food Insecurity in Somalia: New Hope for Technology

Food Insecurity in SomaliaThe recent drought is a prominent cause of food insecurity in Somalia, leading to mass displacement as citizens leave their homes in search of new water sources. Early 2026 has proven difficult as the country faces below-average rain seasons, which are depleting water sources and grazing conditions for livestock and reducing agricultural production. The World Food Program is using new technological advancements to predict a crisis, allowing organizations to prepare assistance to curtail its impact in remote regions.

The Drought

Without the means to sustain livestock or crops, farmers take a financial hit, while the remaining portion of the country suffers from insufficient food supply. Mass displacement is not the only concern; malnutrition is another major consequence of the drought as it contributes to the issue of food insecurity in Somalia. The International Organization for Migration claims that this recent drought now accounts for three out of every four new displacements, a 22% increase from last year, resulting in a total of 62,000 people displaced.

Somalia’s geography and topography make the country susceptible to natural disasters. This unfortunately means that little can be done to reduce or prevent droughts.

The long-lasting drought has forced families to travel to find water sources, worsening a poverty crisis. The informal settlements that have subsequently emerged bring their own challenges, including overcrowding with limited water or sanitation and inadequate shelter.

Current Initiatives

The World Food Program (WFP) is a major organization working to combat food insecurity in Somalia and the rest of the world. Children, unable to work or grow food, are forced to rely entirely on their parents or guardians. This increases their vulnerability to food insecurity, which the WFP focuses on.

With the help of the WFP, schools provide more than 100,000 meals to their primary school students. This not only helps immediately feed children, it also injects more than $750,000 into the economy. Local farmers or markets supply portions of these meals, even as the conflict in the Middle East has driven food prices up drastically. The WFP addresses two major areas in this program, supporting a struggling economy and its most vulnerable citizens.

Introducing AI

One of the most recent strategies the WFP has implemented is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the hardest-hit region of Burhakaba. This technology previously existed in HungerMap Live as a platform that displays data on food insecurity to the general public. It tracks what areas of the world are in need as an estimate, but its ability to predict future hunger crises was limited.

As of April 2026, the program received an update that addressed these limitations, introducing new predictive AI features that allow governments and WFP field offices around the world to mobilize resources and act before a crisis worsens.

This new technology can help organizations identify where food assistance may be needed in the future, giving the WFP a chance to prepare and respond before a crisis worsens. By allowing provisions and other assistance to be prepared and deployed earlier, predictive technology could help reduce the severity of hunger and malnutrition during a crisis.

New Hope

While organizations like the WFP are dedicated to helping the world’s most vulnerable communities, sometimes their technology and infrastructure can only do so much. This new introduction of AI in Somalia provides hope for the future of technology to battle global poverty, assisting remote areas while allowing governments and organizations to act preventatively rather than in response.

– Angelica Ciaravino

Angelica is based in Toronto, Canada and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Being Poor in Madagascar: The Poverty Paradox of a Nation

Being Poor in MadagascarThe mention of Madagascar may cue images of DreamWorks Pictures’ 2005 animated comedy for many. However, far removed from this fictional imagery is the fourth largest island in the world, Madagascar, a country with one of the world’s highest poverty rates, at about 80%. For the majority of its more than 30 million people, being poor in Madagascar means surviving on less than $2.15 per day. The United Nations often describes the country’s poverty crisis as the result of a convergence of shocks.

Government Instability and Infrastructure

Since gaining independence in 1960, Madagascar has remained an impoverished nation despite a wealth of natural resources. A consistently fragile governmental system has resulted in little investment in developing the nation’s infrastructure. Accusations of corruption have been a constant issue surrounding the country’s governance, with Madagascar ranking 148th out of 180 countries on the Corruption Perceptions Index in 2025.

Frustration over failures to provide basic amenities like water led to nationwide protests in 2025, when the youth movement Gen Z Madagascar demanded the removal of President Andry Rajoelina. Rajoelina fled the country and was impeached, and the military then seized power. Despite this, Madagascar remains one of the poorest countries in the world. With a gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of about $550 and inflation rates of more than 8%, the sluggish economy is reflected in the nation’s underdeveloped infrastructure.

Madagascar’s poor quality of road networks is an area where this underdevelopment is stark. Both national and local roads are mainly dirt tracks, with more than 17 million rural residents not living within two kilometers of an all-season road. This creates issues for those in rural communities accessing essentials such as water, as well as reducing Madagascar’s agricultural productivity. National electrification also remains low, with only 36% of the population connected to electricity, and those connected facing consistent issues. The consequences of this electrical instability have seen production costs rise, as well as businesses unable to expand.

Food Insecurity

In Madagascar, about three-quarters of households rely on agriculture to survive. However, recurrent climate shocks have drastically reduced agricultural production, with rural communities in the southern region experiencing the worst effects. Scarred landscapes have been further damaged by drought, destroying rain-dependent crops.

Frequent cyclones and flooding in the southeastern regions have had similarly devastating consequences. Frezina Iarina, a 30-year-old mother from a remote village in Madagascar, has felt these consequences firsthand, as the European Commission documented her struggles in 2024. Iarina had to work 10 hours a day as a laborer, being paid four cups of rice, after losing her small plot of land to Cyclone Freddy in 2023. She told of how a diet of only rice and cassava had led to three of her youngest children showing signs of malnutrition. This resulted in them having to be fed fortified peanut paste by members of Action Contre la Faim, one of the European Union’s humanitarian partners.

These events, combined with limited market access, mean that roughly 1.7 million people in Madagascar are facing high levels of food insecurity. With nearly 40% of children under five affected by malnutrition, many of them are also being denied an education, as they are required to work in fields alongside their parents.

Aid and Being Poor in Madagascar

A handful of organizations are providing humanitarian assistance to try to relieve some of the suffering that being poor in Madagascar creates.

  • The World Food Programme’s (WFP) Mission – WFP is adopting an integrated approach, identifying women and children as two vulnerable groups it feels are in critical need of nutritional support.
  • Feedback Madagascar Meets Mary’s Meals – After working with more than 500,000 people in the region for more than 30 years, Feedback Madagascar has identified the need for holistic support. By collaborating with Mary’s Meals, a school feeding program, the schoolchildren of Madagascar are able to receive one nutritious meal a day.
  • Female Focused Farming – Women-led solidarity networks are empowering women by giving them access to land and teaching them sustainable farming techniques. One of these is agro-ecology, a technique that aims to reduce dependence on chemical fertilizer and costly foreign seeds. These programs have helped to create a more climate-proof agricultural environment and enabled more than 37,000 families to grow their own food locally.

Future Outlook

Despite the current situation in Madagascar remaining bleak, with nearly 1.9 million people assisted by WFP in 2025, there is hope that the future does not have to be. Rural development, through improving both the country’s road systems and farming methods, can ease the pressure on urban labor markets. However, both internal systemic change and help from outside governments and organizations are needed.

There is evidence that these changes are already taking place, with the government promoting agro-ecology through drought-resistant seeds. Continuation of these practices can help to finally reduce poverty and potentially free Madagascar from this decades-long paradox.

– William Snow

William is based in Chepstow, Wales and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Women-led Community Kitchens in Peru Fight Hunger

Community Kitchens in PeruFood insecurity remains a serious challenge in Peru. In 2025, moderate or severe food insecurity affected 30.5% of the population, meaning about three in 10 people had difficulty accessing enough food in quantity or quality, according to Peru’s National Institute of Statistics and Informatics and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (U.N.). Against this backdrop, women-led community kitchens in Peru known as ollas comunes have become an important safety net for families facing hunger.

How Ollas Comunes Work

Women-led community kitchens in Peru, or ollas comunes, operate as neighborhood food spaces where volunteers organize, cook and distribute low-cost meals. In many cases, women lead this work, turning limited resources into daily meals for families, children, older adults, migrants and other vulnerable groups.

The model expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many Peruvians lost income and struggled to access food. Although many kitchens began as an emergency response, they continue to operate because food insecurity remains high. Their ability to adapt from a short-term crisis response into a lasting source of community support highlights the resilience of local volunteers and the important role ollas comunes continue to play in improving food access. By 2021, there were at least 2,000 operating in Lima.

Food Rescue and WFP Support

Following the rapid expansion of ollas comunes during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the World Food Program (WFP) launched a dedicated support project to strengthen the kitchens and improve food security. In Peru, WFP worked with partners such as Caritas, Banco de Alimentos Peru and local farmers to transport food that otherwise might have gone to waste, including potatoes, celery, strawberries, onions and grapes.

WFP and its partners distributed rescued fresh food to 2,000 ollas comunes in Lima alone, reaching hundreds of thousands of people. Through its ollas comunes project, WFP also distributed more than 8,000 metric tons of food and nonfood items, including kitchen kits, to nearly a quarter of a million people between July 2021 and July 2022.

This support addresses more than hunger. WFP also provided nutrition guidance, kitchen equipment, refrigerators, food containers and training in food safety and hygiene. These investments helped kitchens remain operational after the immediate pandemic emergency, allowing volunteers to continue serving vulnerable families while reducing food waste and improving nutrition.

Challenges Facing Community Kitchens

Peru’s Defensoría del Pueblo, or ombudsman’s office, supervised 991 ollas comunes and 2,616 comedores populares across the country. Together, these two types of food spaces served more than 200,000 users nationally — a separate, more targeted count than WFP’s broader Lima-area distribution figures above, since the two organizations tracked different programs and regions. Within that oversight sample, the supervised ollas comunes alone served 65,284 people, most of them older adults, while the comedores populares served 140,350 people, most of them women.

Although significant gaps remain, these findings have prompted renewed calls for stronger municipal investment and oversight, reflecting growing recognition of the kitchens’ importance in Peru’s food security system. The Defensoría del Pueblo found that many kitchens need stronger support from local governments, better food distribution and more oversight of public resources. About 72.5% of kitchens reported receiving no municipal support to improve equipment. The report called for action to improve the conditions of ollas comunes and comedores populares, noting their role in protecting the right to food and addressing hunger, anemia, malnutrition and other poverty-related challenges.

These findings show that community kitchens do not offer a complete solution on their own. They rely on volunteers, municipal support, equipment and steady access to food. Without these resources, women-led kitchens may struggle to meet the needs of the communities they serve.

A New Direct Purchasing Model

Peru’s Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion has introduced a pilot program that could give community kitchen members more control over food access. The ministry announced that more than 125,000 members of ollas comunes and comedores populares in metropolitan Lima will be able to purchase food directly, without intermediaries, to avoid overpricing.

The ministry said women members requested the initiative because they wanted a system that would allow them to better manage food purchases. This direct purchasing model could help kitchens stretch limited funds while reducing the risk that inflated prices will cut into meal supplies.

Looking Ahead

Women-led community kitchens in Peru show how local action can help reduce hunger during periods of crisis and economic hardship. By combining volunteer leadership, food rescue, government support and direct purchasing, ollas comunes offer one approach to improving food access in vulnerable communities.

However, their long-term success depends on continued investment. Stronger municipal support, reliable food distribution, better infrastructure and more accountability can help these kitchens remain a sustainable tool in Peru’s fight against hunger. As food insecurity continues to affect millions of Peruvians, ollas comunes show how women-led community organizing can help protect families and strengthen local resilience.

– Ben Jordan

Ben is based in Saint Louis, MO, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Rebuilding the Table: Fighting Food Insecurity in Peru

Food Insecurity in PeruThe COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted food security in Peru, leaving many without reliable access to nutrition. Peru ranked as one of the countries hit hardest by the pandemic. By July 2022, the country saw nearly 6,500 deaths per million people, surpassing every other country, according to the World Bank. Food insecurity following the pandemic remains a significant concern, and efforts are underway to address it.

Efforts to Combat Hunger

Initially, Peru addressed hunger through Action Against Hunger. In May 2023, 16.6 million people faced food insecurity, meaning more than half of the population could not access a healthy diet, based on the State of Food Security and Nutrition (SOFI) 2022 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). In Metropolitan Lima, around 80% of families experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, as reported by Action Against Hunger. Refugees and migrants are particularly vulnerable, with nearly 894,000 individuals affected, according to a 2026 ReliefWeb situation report.

By 2025, nearly 30.5% of the population experienced moderate or severe food insecurity. They lacked reliable access to enough food, facing reduced diet quality or sometimes going without eating. Rising prices have exacerbated the situation, forcing vulnerable families to alter their consumption and eating habits, making a nutrient-adequate diet unaffordable for many. Food prices have pushed the basic food basket, a fixed list of items needed to meet a household’s nutritional requirements, to 378 soles, equivalent to about $110.

Another impact of the food crisis is that 12.1% of children under 5 experience chronic malnutrition. These children have a height substantially below what is expected for their age, caused by ongoing poor nutrition, low-quality diets or recurring illness early in life.

Community Support Initiatives

Action Against Hunger addresses urgent needs and food insecurity among both the Peruvian national and migrant populations through support for community kitchens. Food insecurity affects multiple vulnerable groups, sometimes at even higher rates.

Carmen Elizabeth Castillo began running the canteen at Casa de la Esperanza shelter during the COVID-19 emergency, when Action Against Hunger became the first organization to support her and her staff. Although the shelter had dining space, it lacked staff. Castillo, with Action Against Hunger’s support, coordinated efforts with sheltered families, expanding operations from feeding 30 people to nearly 100. Action Against Hunger also trained her in kitchen management, food handling, storage, meal planning and identifying malnutrition as well as anemia in children.

Sustainable Solutions

Peru also addressed hunger through the Arequipa Nexus Institute for Food, Energy, Water and the Environment (ANIFEWE), a multiphase initiative launched in 2018 by the National University of San Agustín de Arequipa (UNSA) and Purdue University. Now in its third phase, the initiative is funded by UNSA to address key sustainability challenges for the region. As part of the project, the joint team has evaluated community greenhouses across the High Andes of Arequipa in collaboration with partners including AgroRural, local mayors’ offices, schools and civil organizations. This work aims to strengthen household nutrition, local markets and climate-resilient food production.

Julia Bello-Bravo, an assistant professor of agricultural sciences education and communication at Purdue and a co-principal investigator on the project, found through focus groups in Madrigal, Yanque and Sibayo that smallholder farmers often view organic agriculture as an extension of traditional practices rather than modern, market-driven farming — a source of pride tied to family and community well-being. The team also visited greenhouses across urban, school and rural settings to learn what was thriving, what challenges owners faced, and how residents used extra produce, while surveying households without greenhouses to understand barriers to adoption.

Gary Burniske, assistant director for program development in International Programs in Agriculture at Purdue, said the team found everything from “flourishing spaces full of leafy greens to half-abandoned frames.” Many participants received little technical advice after construction, he said, leaving them to face water shortages, high indoor temperatures, pests and labor shortages without guidance.

The greenhouses’ impact extends beyond food. Families can eat what they grow, sell surplus at markets and improve their nutrition. The project also strengthens Purdue’s global partnerships and its leadership in sustainable agriculture, with insights from the Arequipa collaboration feeding back into campus research, teaching and extension work.

Community-Level Support

The Owen Hart Foundation (OHF), established by Martha Hart in memory of her husband, the late professional wrestler Owen Hart, is another initiative that has helped Peru address hunger during and after the pandemic. OHF partners with For The Love of Children Society (FTLOCS) to deliver COVID-19 relief food supplies to villagers in Peru, providing resources such as protective gear, food and medical supplies to help vulnerable children and families. Separately, OHF has also supported committee member Ashid Bahl’s own initiative sending aid to Afghanistan, where a COVID-19-driven hunger crisis has caused severe food shortages, through his organization, For The Love of Children Society.

These efforts in Peru have already made a significant difference in food insecurity. In 2022, Peru saw food insecurity soar to 55% of the population. According to the official joint assessment by Peru’s National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI) and the United Nations (U.N.) Food and Agriculture Organization, the rate of moderate or severe food insecurity dropped to 30.5% in 2025. Action Against Hunger has helped address food insecurity to prevent anemia and malnutrition in Peru. The Arequipa Nexus Institute has focused on market-driven farming, food and nutrition research and the sustainability challenges farmers face. The Owen Hart Foundation has emphasized community-level, hands-on work and programs, including housing, scholarships and partnerships, that have helped people across Peru.

– Debra Pierre

Debra is based in Miami, FL, USA and focuses on Good News and Celebs for The Borgen Project.

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