IXL Social Enterprise Case Studies Food Security January 2013 | Page 11

Food Security in Urban Slums by 2018

Innovative Partnerships to Break
the Cycle
In the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico,
Green
Mountain
Coffee,
Heifer
International and local coffee growing
communities have been working together
to survive the “thin months.” This is the
period when income from the coffee
growing harvest is drained, food reserves
have diminished, and prices of staples like
beans and corn have risen.
Heifer is using a participatory approach
with local communities in an effort to
diversify their agricultural production.
They provide communities with a
selection of animals, plants and other
resources fitted to each farm’s specific
needs. Many communities receive bees.
Bees are very valuable for these farmers;
they not only help pollinate crops, but
they also produce honey that can be sold
later. Since the beginning of the project,
farmers have made a sustainable business
out of this. This project has grown to more
than 50 families from 10 communities
who will make around 9 tons of honey
in the next “thin months” cycle. Farmer
families should earn additional income
of $4,500 to $6,000 from participation in
this project.39

Large fluctuations in food prices amplify problems for poor people living in poor regions
Market mechanisms like speculation or global trade policies can lead to large fluctuations in the price
of food. Similarly, food-aid from other countries can impact local food producers and potentially
bankrupt them.40 While these peaks and valleys are interesting features on a graph, to individual
families and poor food producers, those lines can represent the difference between life and death.
Because so many in the developing world pay upwards of 40% of income for food, even modest
increases in the prices of staple food like rice or grain can plunge families in the developing world
into food insecurity.
Industrial farming is reaching its limit
Innovation in agricultural machinery and farming methods, genetic technology, techniques for
achieving economies of scale in production, the creation of new markets for consumption, and
global trade have all created tremendous agricultural productivity in developed nations; these
methods are also becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide.
Furthermore, the entire food value chain has become more efficient. Food producers, retailers,
and other key contributors to the food value chain have found ways to pool their resources and
capabilities to be more lucrative and more efficient.41 In developed countries, agriculture has moved
from a small-scale and often family-run endeavor to an industrial function. These industrial producers
are able to make