Our advocacy program emerges from a unique nexus: as international grantmakers we see the human consequences of US policies from the perspective of our partners in the Global South – hunger, water shortages, environmental degradation and climate disruption. At the same time we see how organized communities can offer effective solutions to these challenges. As a US-based social justice organization, we seek to influence US citizens and policy negotiators who have the power to create policies that uphold rather than undermine basic human rights. Our education, advocacy and communications tools and grants seek to motivate informed advocacy by affected communities and their allies in the US.
Grassroots International’s advocacy work in the US reflects the on-the-ground realities and priorities of our partners. Our advocacy goals are clear: family farmers’ rights to market access in their own country, a fair price for rural producers and international cooperation to ensure nations’ protection from cheap food imports.
Our global partners asked Grassroots International to challenge US-based transnational corporations and US policies that too often destroy small farmers and local food systems around the world. As a result, Grassroots engages in several advocacy initiatives all designed to secure the human right to land, water and food; and to create a more just and sustainable world. These include:
- Climate Justice Alliance
- Grassroots Global Justice Alliance (GGJ)/World March of Women – US Chapter (WMW US)
- Haiti Advocacy Working Group (HAWG)
- US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
- US Food Sovereignty Alliance (USFSA)
In addition to these initiatives, we also advocate to:
- Protect the human rights of activists who struggle to build a just world.
Promote biodiversity and ecologically sound agricultural practices, including seed sovereignty. - Defend the land and water rights of peasants, small farmers, women and Indigenous Peoples.
- Stand up for real solutions to the climate crisis, rather than false solutions crafted to increase corporate profit.
- Ensure that philanthropists can safely contribute to progressive, community-led development without onerous restrictions.
Want more information about these critical issues? Visit our Educational Resources section.
Want to get involved? Visit our Take Action page.