Heifer International is honored to be among the 40 organizations highlighted by Food Tank: The Food Think Tank for our “invaluable work to change the way we eat, grow, cook, buy, and sell food.”
Since its launch in January, Food Tank has been spreading the messages of groups around the world that are working to improve food systems. They’ve taken the information gathered and researched and chosen to highlight these 40 organizations, with the hope “that the more people know about the work that these groups are doing, the more people can be inspired to make their own change in the food system.”
The list includes organizations from the United States and abroad. Heifer is in esteemed company with the International Fund for Agricultural Development, ONE Campaign, Oxfam, U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Programme, and WinRock International, among others.
Heifer was chosen, according to the website, for offering, “a variety of resources that help impoverished farmers create sustainable sources of income, providing them with research on effective grazing methods, optimal animal well-being, and the creation of local networks that farmers can use to share resources with one another.”
At Heifer we are working hard to improve the lives of people around the world. We know that changes in the food system, including everything from backyard gardens to agriculture intended for markets, is important to this transformation.
Farmer’s Market in Hughes, Arkansas. Photo courtesy of Heifer International.
Our Seeds of Change project, which works right here in the U.S., helps to develop sustainable local farmers and food systems through wealth-creation value chains that lead to measurable impact in social capital, livelihoods, nutrition and improved environment.
A good example can be seen in our work in Appalachia with Liz Riddick, a woman who makes kale chips. She wants to expand, but there isn’t enough kale grown locally to accommodate her plans and she cannot afford to import more kale. So, with Heifer’s help through Seeds of Change, Riddick is working with farmers to plant more kale. This will help her produce more kale chips to grow her business, satisfy a growing consumer demand, and provide a new opportunity for income for farmers. Wealth and opportunity grow throughout the value chain.
Arminda Pascual de Calderón and Saturnina Torres de Rojas bagging vegetables for sale at a nearby market in Achocalla, Bolivia. Photo by Christian DeVries, courtesy of Heifer International.
Co-founded by Ellen Gustafson and Danielle Nierenberg, Food Tank: The Food Think Tank informs on domestic and global food issues and highlights how hunger, among other issues, can be solved by research and investment in agriculture.
Parsnips? Really? Well, yes. Although they’re not a particularly popular feature on American menus, this root vegetable that looks like a fat, white carrot is inexpensive and easy to prepare. Starchy enough to serve as a stand-in for potatoes, parsnips are also a fine ingredient for soups, salads and side dishes. Try peeling them, then roasting them with olive oil, salt and a drizzle of maple syrup.
