WhyHunger was selected as one of only 50 organizations around the globe awarded as part of Citi Foundations’ first-ever Global Innovation Challenge! The grant program provided a total of $25 million to pilot or expand catalytic solutions to improve food security globally.

With funds from the Global Innovation Challenge, WhyHunger will partner with grassroots organizations in 8 countries across 4 regions to support community-led efforts to build and expand agriculture schools that provide intensive, hands-on education to help students produce nutritious food for their families and communities in ways that work in harmony with the environment.

By partnering with organizations in in Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United States, WhyHunger will develop a shared learning model, exchange curriculum and resources, and scale sustainable agriculture and agroecology to increase healthy food access through a network of schools that train people to grow food. These schools, built around effective farmer-to-farmer training models, provide intensive hands-on education that equips students to produce food for their families and to train dozens more small-scale farmers in their home communities. Representatives from these schools will come together over the course of the project to learn from each other and build a shared learning model that is scalable across nations, geographies and environmental and political contexts.

WhyHunger’s believes a world without hunger is possible, where all people have access to nutritious food. We envision a world where all communities can nourish themselves in ways that respect people and the environment. We know that agriculture led by the wisdom of those who work the land and waters, and unites science with Indigenous knowledge, is key to that vision.

This form of agriculture, called agroecology, is a way for communities to build independence from the industrial food system, protect access to land and resources, and advocate for policies that support sustainable production. Agroecology is a way of life practiced worldwide and is proven to reduce hunger, create economic stability, cool the planet, and strengthen democratic engagement. We’re building a future with more agroecology schools and farmer-to-farmer training.

To learn more about agroecology, read WhyHunger’s guide: Agroecology: Putting Food Sovereignty into Action

To learn more about the Global Innovation Challenge and a complete list of grant recipients, visit citifoundation.com/challenge