She Feeds the World

A woman smiles broadly while holding a large bunch of bananas.

Molly Birungi, a participant in the women's leadership program of She Feeds the World, used her new skills and confidence to run for public office for the first time. She was elected to represent her community on the District Council.

Nutrition

She Feeds the World’s goal is to improve the food security and nutrition of poor rural households, with a strong emphasis on women small-scale producers.

What does She Feeds the World do?

She Feeds the World (SFtW) builds on our 80+ years of experience to include a stronger focus on nutrition, women’s empowerment, market systems, and access to critical inputs like water and land. It works directly with women to build their skills and confidence in sustainable agriculture practices, market engagement, equality for women and girls, and food and nutrition security. These approaches link women to markets, improve family nutrition, and break down barriers that trap small-scale women producers and their families in poverty.

She Feeds the World is structured in eight areas of change:

  1. Encouraging smart water use and restoring natural ecosystems
  2. Making sure women can access and control what they need to earn an income
  3. Connecting farmers to markets
  4. Improving water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)
  5. Supporting better nutrition for families
  6. Reducing food loss and waste
  7. Creating more job opportunities
  8. Helping families during hard times
In Egypt, over 1 billion liters of water were replenished in SFtW communities.

In Egypt, over 1 billion liters of water were replenished in SFtW communities.

In Peru, the average monthly income for SFtW households increased by 34.5%.

In Peru, the average monthly income for SFtW households increased by 34.5%.

Why is She Feeds the World needed?

Women account for nearly half of all agricultural labor in developing countries and work as much as 13 hours more per week than men, often without training, proper tools (including seeds and fertilizers), and rights to their land. Research shows that if female farmers had the same access to resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20-30%, potentially reducing up to 150 million hungry people in the world.

One of the key pillars of She Feeds the World is its focus on women’s empowerment, building on CARE’s existing women’s empowerment framework. CARE defines women’s empowerment as the sum total of changes needed for a woman to realize her full human rights – the interplay of changes in:

  • Agency: A woman’s own aspirations and capabilities
  • Structure: The environment that surrounds and conditions a woman’s choices
  • Relations: The power relations through which a woman negotiates her path
In Guatemala, moderate food insecurity decreased from 55% to 29%.

In Guatemala, moderate food insecurity decreased from 55% to 29%.

of SFtW participants in Uganda reported being food secure at the project's end.

Partnerships

PepsiCo Foundation logo

The PepsiCo Foundation

Since 2018, The PepsiCo Foundation and CARE have been implementing SFtW with the goal to provide resources and training to five million farmers and members of their communities worldwide to help them increase crop yields and income. With PepsiCo Foundation’s initial investment of $18.2 million, they became CARE’s largest private-sector partner for SFtW.

Together, we co-designed the SFtW program for communities in Uganda, Peru, Egypt, Vietnam, Thailand, Pakistan, Colombia, and Türkiye. As of September 2025, the program has reached over four million small-scale producers, their families, and communities by providing education, resources, and economic support to improve crop yields, incomes, and family nutrition. SFtW has helped producers gain access to land rights, financing, and markets; acquire quality inputs and equipment; and implement regenerative agriculture practices.

Citi Foundation

Through its 2023 Global Innovation Challenge, Citi Foundation awarded CARE $500,000 to implement SFtW in Guatemala (from November 2023 to October 2025). This project was designed to improve food production and quality for 600 small-scale women producers and promote household food security and nutrition in their communities through CARE’s Farmer Field and Business School (FFBS) approach. SFtW contributed to strengthening rural livelihoods, boosting food security and leadership for rural and indigenous women in Guatemala, and ensured a decisive step towards a sustainable model of rural development.

The impact of She Feeds the World

She Feeds the World: Uganda

Through the program, Molly Birungi has learned new agricultural and marketing practices to enhance her life.

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She Feeds the World: Egypt

A program participant who works with CARE Egypt talks about how joining She Feeds the World has allowed her to save.

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She Feeds the World: Egypt – Helping Farmers with Water

She Feeds the World has substantial impacts on smallholder farmers' lives, agriculture practices, and income.

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