Echoing green fellows: meet the next generation of food system leaders
Agriculture accounts for approximately one third of greenhouse gas emissions globally,according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization聽(FAO). And changes in temperature, amount of carbon dioxide, and the frequency of extreme weather聽. Climate change is聽聽to smallholder farmers in the developing world, because of their geographic location and greater reliance on agriculture for income.
Fortunately, many beginning farmers and emerging entrepreneurs鈥攖he next generation of food system leaders鈥攁re working to address these urgent global challenges. The聽聽ignite the power of social entrepreneurs to face the world鈥檚 most pressing challenges, including climate change and sustainable development.
Through the fellowship programs, young entrepreneurs and leaders receive up to US$90,000 during their first two years in seed funding. Furthermore, fellows participate in leadership development activities, receive mentorship from leading professionals, and learn to drive positive social change across the globe. In 2015, the fellowships will award more than US$4.6 million to 52 emerging social impact leaders.
聽harness the power of young people creating global solutions to social challenges. The Global Fellowship addresses social needs around the world, soliciting applications from community leaders and founders of new businesses that address global issues. The Climate Fellowship, launched in 2013, is specifically geared toward climate change adaptation and mitigation. The Black Male Achievement Fellowship focuses on improving outcomes for black men and boys in the United States by investing in emerging leaders. Since 1990, nearly 700 leaders have completed the Echoing Green Fellowships and created a growing network to gather ideas and spur action for positive social change.
According to Janna Oberdorf, Director of Strategic Communications for Echoing Green, 2015 fellows 鈥渁re challenging the status quo, and they are ready to test new ideas to decades-old problems. From spurring last mile communities to extending farming efficiencies to the rural poor using a sharing economy model, it is clear that dramatically improving our food systems requires an understanding of the cross-cutting effects of these new solutions.鈥�
聽is a 2015 Echoing Green Global Fellow, and founder/CEO of聽. Love Grain connects teff farmers in Ethiopia to the international market for gluten-free products to increase farmer profits and improve yields. Teff is an important indigenous crop in Africa that contributes to sustainable livelihoods for more than six million farmers in Ethiopia.
听补苍诲听, 2015 Echoing Green Climate Fellows, are on an entrepreneurial mission to convince Americans that eating insects is both delicious and sustainable. To reduce the environmental degradation caused by livestock farming, the entrepreneurs are focusing on snack foods that contain insect protein, through their startup聽. D鈥橝saro and Wang, both graduates of Harvard University, were featured on Food Tank鈥檚 list of聽.
, a 2015 Echoing Green Global Fellow, is producing affordable 鈥楽mart Tractors鈥� in sub-Saharan Africa to increase food security and farmer incomes. Through the program,聽, farmers pay via text messaging for tractor services, which connect to cloud-based software. The program aims to provide self-sufficiency for farmers and tractor owners, spurring economic growth in the African agricultural sector.
, a 2015 Echoing Green Climate Fellow and director of聽, is working to reduce the impact of climate change on Himalayan communities by developing strategies for food and energy security. Yulha Fund works with existing schools and monasteries to generate revenue through crop yields, greenhouses, and orchards. Dolma, a graduate of the Colombia School of International and Public Affairs, has advised the聽聽on natural resource management and impact on indigenous communities.
The fellowships emphasize聽聽within global funding structures to foster collaboration across organizations, countries, and issues. The program鈥檚 global focus allows fellows from diverse backgrounds to come together and share a vision for a more sustainable and just world. 鈥淭he fellows that we support are breaking boundaries and bringing together unlikely allies to make a dramatic impact,鈥� says Oberdorf. 鈥淎nd, we know that the best solutions are often found by leaders closest to the problem.鈥澛�
