Agriculture & Food
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Photo: Erin Gray/Mercy Corps
Most of the world doesn't have the benefit of picking up food from the corner store — they grow it themselves. A family's plot of land has to provide for their nutritional and economic needs.
When food shortages occur due to drought and conflict, Mercy Corps helps prevent hunger and treat malnutrition in the most vulnerable — children, pregnant women, the elderly and the displaced.
Distributing food is necessary in times of crisis, and we always try to procure food from local suppliers to save money, ensure faster delivery and support of the local economy. Learn more about the success of this model in Niger (PDF) ▸
In addition to emergency responses, we quickly focus on long-term solutions that strengthen harvests and livestock for the long-term. Mercy Corps works with families to ensure quality inputs, smart land use, good crop yields and a fair price at local markets.
All stories about Agriculture & Food
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Ethiopia: A view of water poverty October 15, 2010
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Kyrgyzstan: The absence of a smile ≠ the absence of warmth October 8, 2010
As Kyrgyzstan's October 10 elections approach, I think about my friends and colleagues over there and hope for their safety. Without a doubt, Kyrgyzstan and its people made an imprint on me, and taught me to challenge my assumptions.
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Afghanistan: Afghan farmers get noticed by NY Times October 8, 2010
I'm a big consumer of news, and sometimes I get tired of reading about the same old cadre of high-profile folks: politicians, celebrities, big business types — the "news makers." It's rare to hear about how current events impact normal people; even rarer to hear about the impoverished and voicele
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Uganda: Nineteen reasons to come home October 8, 2010
Even while she still lived in a displacement camp, Lalam Sande had 19 reminders of where she’d come from.
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Tajikistan: Through a Caring Lens September 24, 2010
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Uganda: Seeing and speaking it all September 23, 2010
He may be just 24 years old, but his experience with traumatic events would put him within the same levels of an individual in his late 40s. That’s Olanya Morris for you.
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Uganda: Comfort and peace reach across generations September 22, 2010
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Uganda: Joining their efforts and growing together September 21, 2010
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Ethiopia: Standing her ground and springing back September 10, 2010
In many places around the world, drought withers lawns. In Ethiopia, drought withers lives. "When I was young, I was beautiful," says 50-year-old Zesino Mohamed Shiro. "But years of drought and not having enough to eat makes you old."
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North Korea: Demystifying our work in North Korea August 20, 2010
In North Korea, Mercy Corps programs focus on alleviating hunger by expanding agricultural production. We also invite North Korean officials to the U.S. as part of building a humanitarian bridge between our country and theirs.