To have enough to eat

Today almost a billion people in the world are under nourished: one in seven people are not fed enough to lead a healthy and active life. Hunger and malnutrition are, on a world scale, the number one risk to human health, their impact exceeds that of AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.

In developing countries, about three quarters of under nourished people live in rural areas with low levels of income, principally in vulnerable agricultural areas. The paradox is that those who live in the country, close to arable land, are the most numerous to suffer from hunger. Amongst these peasant families, it is usually the women and children who suffer the most.

FH helps rural communities to produce more and better. Because of new varieties of cassava, beans, soya, sunflowers and other plants, farmers can reap harvests of better quality and in greater quantities. Due to the training they receive, members of farming groups supported by FH can also learn how to better cultivate their land and store their products. Groups often start off informally and then become cooperatives. In this way they integrate into the local economic network and can obtain bank loans that allow them to invest and develop their production.

Our agricultural projects are also environmental projects: in hilly areas, like Rwanda, Burundi and RDC Congo, trees are planted, terraces are built or anti erosion dykes are dug. All of these measures lead to diminished erosion, as a means of maintaining the precious humus on the surface and to build up an environment that lends itself to cultivation. Other agricultural projects are being run in Uganda and in Cambodia. They deal with rice growing. Often, these agricultural projects include cattle farming, or chickens, goats or pigs farming.

Agricultural development also seeks to reinforce community life and favour life together. With income being released, families can pay for school fees for their children and for their health care. This greatly helps reduce child mortality and malnutrition.