Our Approach
We envision a world free from hunger and poverty, where every person can achieve their full potential thanks to equitable systems that establish financial freedom and full access to nutritious, affordable, and culturally appropriate foods.
The Problem
Every morning, hundreds of millions of people around the world wake up not knowing where their next meal will come from.
In the United States, tens of millions of people are in the same situation. Through malnutrition, chronic illness, and diminished educational outcomes, hunger robs each passing generation of enormous potential.
Hunger is not an inevitable fact of nature or an inescapable outcome of our society. Hunger is an enormous problem, but it is solvable. We have all the knowledge, resources, and talent we need—what we lack is leadership to build the public and political will to make sure it happens in our lifetime.
THE Solution
We need bold leaders who understand the systems that contribute to food insecurity and hunger and are capable of developing solutions and leading change in our organizations, programs, and policies.
Our Mission
Our mission is to develop, inspire, and connect leaders in the movement to end hunger, and to advocate for public policies that create a food-secure world.
Leaders of All Kinds
Hunger is a multifaceted and far-reaching problem—and the movement to end it should be, too. We believe that governments, nonprofits and NGOs, corporations, educational institutions, and individuals all have a role to play, and a variety of approaches and strategies are required to solve the problem at local, regional, national, and global levels.
What is the connection between hunger and transportation policy in Chicago?
María Cristina Chicuén (Emerson Fellow, '17-'18), placed with the Illinois Hunger Coalition, investigated how transit can be a barrier to employment faced by certain recipients of public benefits in Chicago.
Leaders with Experience
Any lasting solution to hunger must be led by people with first-hand expertise. That’s why we invest in the leadership of people who have experienced hunger and poverty, and people of color—who are disproportionately affected by hunger—as designers, implementers, and evaluators of solutions to hunger.
“When I think empowerment, I’m thinking about the idea that aid could provide power to people, and that power would enable them to act on their own authority and take charge of their lives.”
Sarah King (Leland Fellow '17-19) was placed with Action Against Hunger in South Sudan. In this interview, she describes her vision for a humanitarian sector that recognizes the agency of the people it assists.
From Direct Service to Public Policy
Breakdowns in understanding and differences in perspective on the root causes of hunger stand in the way of scalable solutions. We focus on bridging the gap between community-based work and public policy, highlighting the ways that each sphere can inform and strengthen the other.
“There’s not a one-size-fits-all strategy for addressing food insecurity, nutrition, or sustainable agriculture across all of Indian Country. It’s important that each Tribe has the opportunity to design these approaches for themselves.”
Alekya Prathivadi and Shelli Grogg (Emerson Fellows, '18-'19) were placed with the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative in Fayetteville, Arkansas, to support traditional foodways and research legal pathways to adapting Federal programs to local needs.
Ways to get Involved
When any community experiences hunger, we all suffer. We’re committed to ending hunger by 2030. If you want to be part of the solution, join us to lead the way to a world free from hunger once and for all.
Learn About Our Programs
Find out how you can connect with our leadership development programs.