Finding Hope in a Hungry World

40 Chances to Create a Better Food System

Just one of Food Tank's 40 stories of hope in food and nutrition security, food sovereignty, and food justice, the Self-Employed Women's Association in Ahmedabad, India is empowering women farmers. (Bernard Pollack)

Philanthropist farmer Howard G. Buffett recently released his new book, 40 Chances: Finding Hope in a Hungry World, which traces his journey to learn about the challenges and successes of farmers around the world as they battle global food insecurity.

In an article in the Huffington Post, Buffett explains the “40 Chances mindset:” “We must get outside of our comfort zones, we have to break down barriers set up by others, and we cannot always accept the status quo when it's simply not working.”

Buffett will be travelling to more than 10 cities in the U.S. to promote the book. On Monday, October 28th, he’ll be speaking at an event in Chicago, Illinois presented by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. The discussion is being co-hosted by Food Tank, among other groups. 

Food Tank has compiled a list of 40 stories of hope in food and nutrition security, food sovereignty, food justice, and other stories of hope and success from across the globe. These organizations and individuals are working to make the food system more environmentally, economically, and socially just.

1. 47 Japanese Farms – This project in Japan is working to share the experiences of small-scale organic farmers in Japan after the March 2011 earthquake and subsequent nuclear crisis. The project documents the challenges they have faced and the innovations they have developed to overcome them.
2. Abooman Women’s Group – In Ghana, a group of women farmers have organized themselves into a cooperative to raise dairy cows to make yogurt. At first, their husbands were furious that their wives dared to create the co-op, but the more they saw their family incomes grow, the more they had money for health care, for better homes, and for clothing and schoolbooks for their children, the more their husband’s opposition turned to grudging and then enthusiastic support./.../