Foods Resource Bank
Millions of people around the world struggle to provide basic food staples for their families. Many of the regions have been affected by drought, flooding, or other disasters, and in some regions of the world, the situation is critical.
One of the ways PDA addresses the food crises is through the Foods Resource Bank (FRB).
Bev Abma took a trip to an FRB project in Malawi in early 2009, returning with photos of hope on the faces of community members finding hope out of chaos. Photo courtesy Bev Abma. FRB — modeled after the successful Canadian Foodgrains Bank — was established with the commitment that food is a basic right and that God intends for all to have enough to eat.
FRB is focused on farmers and farming communities who set aside acreage as growing projects in order to sell the crop and give the proceeds to promote programs of hunger relief and sustainable agriculture in countries of need.
In the United States
Crops are harvested in an Illinois growing project. Photo by Debbie Dennis.
Presbyterians in the United States are invited to partner with faith-based, civic, farming, urban or business communities and participate in a growing project. These growing projects generate funds to support overseas programs of hunger relief, sustainable agriculture and food security.
Example
An urban-based congregation might offer its financial gift to purchase seeds, while a farmer dedicates a field for the growing project and members of other congregations participate in harvesting the produce. All proceeds are donated towards an international FRB project. The funds can be designated by the U.S. participants to be used in a specific country or to be used where most needed.
Internationally
A Malawi community member works hard toward self-sustainance. Photo by Bev Abma. The overseas programs support families in countries where disaster, whether natural or human-caused, has impacted food security. FRB projects “help people help themselves” through creating sustainable smallholder food production systems. These might include training, locally acquired or constructed seed, tools, water wells and reservoirs, drip irrigation, or animals — whatever is most helpful to the communities working toward producing their own food.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has projects in the following countries which are supported through Foods Resource Bank growing projects:
Democratic Republic of Congo
Malawi one | two
Kenya
Tanzania
PC(USA) partners are working in these countries to strengthen local capacity and build resilience to disasters.
Malawi: from Famine to Food Security, a DVD to help share the story of hope in Malawi, can be ordered by emailing us. You can also view segments of the DVD online.
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