Opinion: Localization — a seed that bears fruit even when we’re not there

Imagine that your neighbors have made you the butt of their jokes. They laugh and point as they walk past your house and sing made-up songs to mock you. All this because you broke with tradition. What would give you the courage to stay the course?

If you’re Chan, a farmer in Warrap, South Sudan, that conviction came from several sources: strong character, to be sure, and a determination to improve his family’s circumstances in the face of increasing climate shocks, notably cycles of droughts and floods. It also helped that Chan had a trusting relationship with local Action Against Hunger staff members, who offered insight into alternative crops that could grow well in Warrap, as well as seeds and support to pilot new agricultural practices — the very thing his neighbors scorned.

Chan’s pioneering spirit exemplifies a sea change that is underway, one that recognizes the power of local solutions to global challenges. For most forward-thinking organizations, the rationale for this shift has long been clear.

From ‘why’ to ‘how’

By investing in local institutions and leadership, localization strengthens the capacity of communities to advance their own vision for development. Localization taps into contextual understanding, ensures cultural relevance, and encourages community engagement and ownership of decisions, which can deliver more sustainable results. The “why” is clear, and now we must accelerate the “what” and “how.”

How you define localization may depend on who and where you are. For international development agencies in Washington, D.C., or London, for example, it can involve giving not through multilateral organizations, but directly to NGOs for greater flexibility and accountability. For nonprofits, it can mean moving away from top-down approaches and putting programmatic leadership closer to program participants.

A successful localized approach requires a shift in mindset, one that positions donors and development workers not as heroic change-makers, but as coaches and collaborators, not just as leaders but as learners on a path of shared discovery. To be candid, that power shift isn’t always easy. It also can take time to build on local strengths by enhancing technical, financial, and operational capacity. Yet, if we truly care about equitable development, that time cannot be spent any other way.

On climate and cowpeas

We’ve seen localization deliver powerful results across issues ranging from strengthening health systems to addressing gender inequality to building and managing water infrastructure. A local lens is essential when addressing what has been called the “biggest threat modern humans have ever faced”: the climate crisis.

More frequent and severe heatwaves, droughts and floods, changes in soil alkalinity, and other factors mean that traditional farming practices aren’t as effective as they once were. Since many smallholder farmers rarely rose above subsistence production levels, decreased yields mean growing malnutrition. In other words, the climate crisis is a hunger crisis.

When it comes to solutions, one size does not fit most. For example, when planning climate-smart agriculture programs in Zambia, our field staff reported that roughly 80% of maize crops were failing. As someone who has studied natural resource management, I realized that maize has a fibrous but shallow root system that is unlikely to withstand current climate conditions without consuming unsustainable levels of water. For alternatives, we looked to local wisdom balanced with a data-driven approach.

With local leaders, we built a map of farms in the western province, which is hard-hit by climate change, adding information about soil types, variations in climate, and local ecosystems. We identified the need for a nitrogen-fixing crop to improve soil quality, one with a long taproot system to withstand drought with minimal irrigation and which could grow on otherwise unusable land. We discussed the benefits of supplementary plant-based protein to fortify family diets and analyzed market data to pinpoint a cash crop that could command a strong price in local markets.

From more than 100 alternatives, we selected the cowpea, a heritage food that was familiar in Zambia but had fallen out of favor. We established a demonstration plot to test how well cowpeas performed relative to other crops, learning alongside local farmers.

This year, the drought became so severe the government declared it a national disaster. As of March, one million hectares of maize have failed and only 11% of traders report having maize grain available. Even under this extreme stress, cowpeas fared far better than any other crop. Nonetheless, farmers in our program are harvesting three to four times less than originally hoped for. Yet, even that diminished harvest can make a meaningful difference.

Last year, cowpeas commanded a price of about $120 per 110-pound bag. Farmers who sell just 10 bags, which seems likely for many, should earn around $1,200 — roughly double the annual income of most program participants.

This project started last year with more than 1,280 farmers. After this harvest, we expect it to grow, since word of mouth is powerful. So is success.

Singing a different tune

We’re seeing a similar story in South Sudan, where our team is reporting that four years of climate shocks have reversed nutritional gains. There, we’re piloting projects to increase resilience, from introducing rice as an alternative crop in chronically flooded fields to kitchen gardens that diversify diets and allow locals to sell extra produce for much-needed cash.

Onions are proving particularly valuable, but they were traditionally seen as a “woman’s crop” so few, if any, men would grow them. Our men-to-men support group helped to break down gender stereotypes and build relationships between Action Against Hunger staffers and other villagers — such as Chan. Encouraged with seeds, supplies, and support from our team, Chan planted onions, which grew as his neighbors laughed. His first harvest earned him approximately $20,000, making him a wealthy man in a country where roughly 80% of people live on well under $1,000 a year, as per 2019 data. Nobody is laughing now.

Chan is not alone. Many women also are realizing equally impressive results from onions and other crops. Since the project began, not one participating family has needed malnutrition treatment for their children. Conversations that once centered on ways to quiet a hungry child with no food at home now focus on irrigation, marketing strategies, and plans for a village savings and loan association.

With support, communities from western Zambia to South Sudan and beyond can craft solutions as unique as the landscapes they inhabit. Together, we can unlock the potential for communities to drive their own growth trajectories and create a more just, sustainable, and prosperous world for all.

To learn more about these programs and other localization efforts, please visit www.ActionAgainstHunger.org

Action Against Hunger is a nonprofit leader in the global movement to end hunger, innovating solutions, advocating for change, and reaching 28 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs spanning 55 countries. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.

Dig into Roots for Change, a series examining the push towards locally led development.

This piece is sponsored by Action Against Hunger as part of our Roots for Change series. Click here to learn more.