NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / October 3, 2025 / Published by Action Against Hunger.
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The Transformative Power of Sustainable Food Systems
Action Against Hunger is striving to create a world free from hunger for everyone, for good. Achieving this vision requires strong food systems that ensure access to nutritious food for all. Yet in today's world, the goal can feel out of reach. Climate change is accelerating, inequity abounds, and poverty persists. Challenges like these have left 673 million people without reliable access to the food they need.
But what if we found a way to make food systems that are not only prepared to withstand hunger-causing challenges, but to help prevent them? Action Against Hunger is doing exactly that. Our approach to building food systems focuses on nourishing people, sustaining the planet, and creating fair opportunities for farmers, all of which promote food security for present and future generations. Around the world, our teams are working closely with local communities to create food systems that tackle hunger at the root so we can create a future where no one goes hungry.
Here are three case studies of Action Against Hunger's work in building sustainable food systems.
3 Cases of Sustainable Food System-Building
1. Western Province, Zambia
Zambia is struggling to boost food security in the face of a changing El Niño weather pattern. As climate change worsens, the crop-destroying dry season becomes longer and is followed by excessive flooding that depletes soil nutrients. In 2024, Zambia experienced its worst drought in over 40 years, a national emergency that impacted over nine million people - 2.04 million of whom were already severely food insecure.
Action Against Hunger is bolstering the climate resilience of Zambia's food system with the power of one simple crop - the cowpea. The protein-packed legume is drought-resistant and able with withstand Zambia's low-fertility soil. It even enriches the soil with nitrogen, combatting the damaging effects of climate change and helping other crops flourish. So far, Action Against Hunger has provided training to 1,545 smallholder farmers who are successfully harvesting cowpeas - about 108.85 Metric tons-worth in 2025 alone.
The project is still in its infancy, but benefits are already tangible: farmers' crop yields have been boosted, the local community's diet diversity and protein intake has improved, and soil health is restoring. Additionally, farmers are using other parts of the cowpea plant as fodder [animal feed], decreasing waste and maintenance costs. With crop yields and incomes rising, farmers in Zambia are paving the way for a more resilient food system that can withstand the trials of droughts and floods.
2. Malkadaka, Kenya
In Malkadaka Village, women faced major barriers to income. Gender norms excluded them from financial decision-making, while climate shocks devastated their community's traditional pastoralist livelihood and left families without food or income. Determined to change this, a group of women turned to farming.
With Action Against Hunger's support, they learned agroecological and climate-smart techniques such as water harvesting, soil conservation, and intercropping, which helped them build a thriving, sustainable garden. Families could finally access diverse, nutritious foods. Additionally, farmers were linked to markets where they could sell surplus harvests and generate income. Savings enabled the women to make purchases for basic needs and investments in small businesses and farm improvements, and a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) was established to improve financial resilience. For women like Shinda Yussuf, who had never had her own money before, the garden and VSLA supplied her with unprecedented security and independence.
By combining climate-smart farming with financial empowerment, women in Malkadaka are transforming their community's food system. Their leadership is building resilience to climate change, nourishing their families, and creating equitable opportunities for future generations.
3. Satkhira, Bangladesh
Bangladesh's coastal regions are under siege by climate change. Cyclones are striking with greater frequency and force, salinizing soil and water, destroying crops, and pushing families into hunger. In Satkhira, where most people depend on farming, repeated disasters have left land barren, and fear of the next disaster is ever-present.
Action Against Hunger is implementing an innovative way to strengthen Satkhira's food system. Using artificial intelligence, our team monitors key indicators to predict cyclones and tidal surges. Communities receive warnings and enact Early Action Plans, so families are able to harvest and store crops, secure assets, and evacuate safely before disaster strikes.
When families return to their land, they have support in rebuilding their farms. Farmers are trained in agroecological techniques like raised garden beds, which lift crops above saline soils, and mulching, which improves water retention and replenishes nutrients. Women, who often bear the brunt of food insecurity, are also engaged in alternative livelihoods such as aquaculture, giving households more diversified and resilient incomes.
Harnessing the power of predictive technology and resilient farming practices, Satkhira demonstrates how sustainable food systems are able to withstand even the harshest climate shocks. Instead of each cyclone setting communities back further, they are able to prepare for and overcome the damage together.
Achieving a Hunger-Free Future Through Sustainable Food Systems
Ending hunger is not just an aspiration: it is achievable. The incredibly resilient communities in Zambia, Keyna, and Bangladesh show that, even in dire circumstances, sustainable food systems can still be built. Through innovative thinking and collective effort, we can create food systems that nourish everyone today, while contributing to a better tomorrow.
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Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 26.5 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across over 55 countries, our 8,500+ dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.
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SOURCE: Action Against Hunger
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/3-inspiring-ways-action-against-hunger-is-building-sustainable-f-1081388
