Access to the most basic life necessities is out of reach for a staggering number of women around the world. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN reports that "if women in rural areas had the same access to land, technology, financial services, education and markets as men, agricultural production could be increased and the number of hungry people reduced by 100-150 million people." We join with women's gardening projects in the most impoverished countries worldwide including Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, The Gambia, Guatemala, and Liberia. In these countries, illiteracy is prominent, especially among women and girls.
Women farmers produce more than half the developing world's food—yet own less than 2% of land and have limited access to resources such as seeds, tools, and information. By providing top-quality vegetable seeds and locally-driven support, Seed Programs International facilitates a path to empowerment, income, and nutrition. By gaining access to these resources, women gain more power over their lives and can change the lives of their families and the entire community.
It may be hard to understand how something as small as a seed can have such a far-reaching impact, but our many years of experience working with farmers and women shows the truth of this. When women grow vegetables for food and livelihood, they can feed their families with good nutritious food. Excess vegetables can be sold at markets, providing money that was previously unavailable. That money can be used to send girls to school where they can learn to read. Once someone can read, a world of opportunity and hope is opened up.
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