We are ‘global citizens’ who are interested in addressing economic, health, and social inequalities at the household, community, and national levels within the agri-food system. This long-term project of solidarity supports the non-profit farmer-led organization Soils, Food and Healthy Communities Malawi (SFHC) to build sustainable, healthy, equitable, resilient communities and food systems in Malawi through awareness raising, fundraising, knowledge exchange, and visits between North Americans and Malawian collaborators.
The problem
Malawi, located in southeastern Africa, has a current population of 16.4 million, over 80% of whom live in rural areas and rely on agriculture for their food and livelihoods. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, with an estimated per capita income of $US270, over 70% of the population living below the poverty line, and higher poverty rates in rural areas. An estimated one-third of Malawian households experience chronic food insecurity and calorie deficiencies. High rates of gender inequality in Malawi has contributed to these high rates of food insecurity and malnutrition, as women have little control over agricultural decisions, experience high levels of physical violence, and have lower education and training opportunities.
Our approach
SFHC works to empower smallholder farmers in Malawi to build sustainable, healthy, equitable, resilient communities. SFHC uses farmer-led, participatory research, ecological approaches to farming, local indigenous knowledge and democratic processes, while addressing economic, health and social inequalities at the household, community and national levels in Malawi.
Friends of SFHC are academics, farmers, students, journalists, nutritionists and community members in North America who believe that the participatory, democratic, ecological, farmer-led approaches spearheaded by SFHC are critical in building a resilient food system. We aim to provide opportunities for engaged citizens in North America to learn about the work being done by SFHC, and the issues they are fighting more broadly, and to contribute to this work through fundraising, and information sharing. Some of the advocacy efforts are focused on increasing government and non-profit support for agroecological, community-led efforts to address food security and nutrition in the Global South, and for not supporting policies and programs that work directly against such an approach. We also plan to arrange for training and speaking opportunities in North America for partners at SFHC. These opportunities would further build and strengthen these relationships while continuing to grow the international profile of this work and further develop expertise within SFHC.
Our team
- Rachel Bezner Kerr –Advisory Board Chair, Friends of SFHC; Board Member, SFHC
- Isaac Luginaah – Advisory Board Member, Friends of SFHC
- Catherine Hickey – Advisory Board Member, Friends of SFHC
- Laifolo Dakishoni – Chairperson, SFHC
Esther Lupafya – Co-Chairperson, SFHC
Contact information
Dr. Rachel Bezner Kerr
rbeznerkerr@cornell.edu
(607) 255-3213
