What Groundswell International does

Groundswell International, Inc. is a U.S.-incorporated nonprofit organization founded in 2009 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. It operates as a hub organization for a global network of 17 locally-rooted member NGOs working across 11 countries in West Africa, the Americas, and South Asia. The organization's mission is to advance agroecological farming and food systems that strengthen rural communities, regenerate degraded land, and build climate resilience. Its core programmatic work centers on farmer-to-farmer training in regenerative practices, women's leadership and economic empowerment (161,932 women reached), Indigenous seed sovereignty and traditional knowledge preservation, and rural youth engagement through the Youth Storyteller Program and its associated Field to Film Festival.

The organization does not sell a product or service; rather, it delivers programs through decentralized member NGO partners that work directly with smallholder farmer communities. Its primary "offerings" are capacity-building programs for local NGO partners, grantmaking and technical assistance to community-led initiatives (grain reserves, seed banks, savings and credit groups, farmer cooperatives), and a global advocacy/narrative channel via youth-produced films and policy engagement. Cumulative reported outcomes include 273,770 agroecological farmers supported, 240,926 hectares of degraded land under regeneration, and 2,148,000 lives improved across program geographies.

Groundswell is funded through donations and grants from individuals, foundations, and institutional donors; it charges no fees to program participants. Its distribution model relies on the member NGO network as the last-mile delivery layer, supplemented by direct community-led initiatives. The organization holds a Candid Platinum Seal of transparency, a Charity Navigator Four-Star Rating, and is a member of One Percent for the Planet. In 2025, Sarah Sahlaney succeeded founder Steve Brescia as Executive Director after his 17-year tenure, marking a significant leadership transition. The technology stack is non-proprietary and limited to web publishing, social media, and video hosting for advocacy content.

Name

Groundswell International

Legal name

Groundswell International, Inc.

Website

https://groundswellinternational.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Groundswell International is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that coordinates a global network of 17 member NGOs to advance agroecological farming, women's empowerment, and rural youth storytelling across 11 countries in West Africa, the Americas, and South Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Agricultural Development Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI)

Keywords

• Agroecological farming programs
• Smallholder farmer support
• Rural community development
• International NGO network
• Food system transformation

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a nonprofit organization, Groundswell International funds its programs through donations and grants from individuals, foundations, and institutional donors to support smallholder farmer communities and strengthen their capacity to build healthy farming and food systems.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Groundswell International is a nonprofit that operates a global network of 17 local NGOs working directly with smallholder farmers, Indigenous communities, women, and rural youth across 11 countries to advance agroecological farming and food systems. Its core offerings are field-based programs in regenerative farming, farmer-to-farmer knowledge sharing, seed conservation, women's savings and credit groups, climate resilience, and the Youth Storyteller Program, all funded by donations and grants rather than fees.

Product overview

Groundswell International is a nonprofit organization that operates as a global network of local NGOs rather than a software product company. Its core offerings consist of programs focused on agroecological farming and food systems, primarily the Youth Storyteller Program (empowering rural youth through film) and the annual Field to Film Festival. The organization does not offer a technology platform, software products, or API-based services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Youth Storyteller Program: A program that empowers rural and Indigenous youth (aged 15-35) to document and spread agroecological solutions through film, forming a global library of films and youth network.
• Field to Film Festival

Products and services

• Youth Storyteller Program A core program that empowers rural and Indigenous youth aged 15-35 to document and spread agroecological solutions through documentary filmmaking, developing leadership, media skills, and a collective voice for food system transformation. Films produced through the program have reached 25,000+ viewers.
• Field to Film Festival An annual festival showcasing short films produced by youth from smallholder farmer communities participating in the Youth Storyteller Program, celebrating women who feed the world. The 4th edition is held as a three-region festival in 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• 273,770 agroecological farmers regenerating over 240,926 hectares of degraded land
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Agrecol AfriquecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember NGO in Senegal committed to promoting agroecological farming practices, increasing organic vegetable production through home gardens and women's market gardening groups, and connecting organic producers to local markets. Active in regions of Diourbel, Kaffrine, Tambacounda, Thiès, and Ziguinchor.
• Association Nourrir Sans Détruire (ANSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember NGO in Burkina Faso that strengthens capacity of local communities, especially women farmers, to lead and manage agroecology programs. Also strengthens local markets and incentivizes adoption of agroecological practices. ANSD is a founding member of the Groundswell International West Africa Regional Network.
• Sahel EcocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 2004, works with rural communities in Mopti and Segou regions of Mali to improve living standards through better environmental management. Has greatly influenced policies and practices to promote farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR) within the regional re-greening movement.
• Center for Indigenous Knowledge and Organizational Development (CIKOD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 2003 in Ghana, strengthens traditional authorities and civil society organizations to facilitate sustainable grassroots organizational development supporting vulnerable rural families. Leading voice for agroecology and food sovereignty in Ghana.
• UrbanetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial impact organization in Northern Ghana committed to social justice and human rights of the poor and vulnerable segments of society, focusing on addressing socio-economic vulnerabilities of marginalized groups including women smallholder farmers, unemployed youth, and persons with disabilities.
• The Center for Ecological Agriculture and Livelihoods (CEAL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNGO in Northern Ghana dedicated to helping vulnerable communities break the cycle of poverty, disease, and hunger. Founded by smallholder farmers, CEAL supports 88 farmer-based organizations across three districts with eco-friendly farming techniques, climate-smart innovations, and sustainable livelihood strategies.
• Vecinos HondurascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBased in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, has facilitated holistic, equitable and participatory programs in rural Honduras for over ten years. Promotes sustainable use of local resources, food sovereignty and community health in 35 communities primarily in Valle and Choluteca departments.
• Qachuu AloomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports communities in Guatemala's Dry Corridor to improve food sovereignty and living standards for Maya Achí families by promoting gender equity, agroecology, and conservation of native and creole seeds while respecting Mother Earth.
• Partenariat Pour le Développement Local (PDL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommitted to rebuilding rural Haiti as the foundation for revitalization of the entire country. PDL has played a central role in creating a network of local leaders and organizations across the north of Haiti's Central Plateau basin. PDL is a founding member of Groundswell International.
• El Centro de Desarrollo Comunitario CentéotlcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPromotes fair and sustainable socioeconomic processes preserving communities' cultural identity in Valles Centrales and Sierra Sur areas of Oaxaca in Mexico. Works in sustainable agriculture, livestock, women's savings and credit groups, and cultural identity protection.
• EkoRuralcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorks with high Andean communities in Ecuador to forge sustainable futures by strengthening local leadership, community agency and organizational capacity of women, men, and children.
• Asociación de Comités Ecológicos del Sur de Honduras (ACESH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBased in Concepción de María, Choluteca, Honduras, supports smallholder farmers to promote agroecological production and conservation of natural resources as a strategy to mitigate climate change effects. Currently supports 428 families in 43 villages.
• Asociación de Agricultores las Ilusiones del Divisadero (AGRIDIVI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated in Indigenous Maya Pocoman and Xincas communities in Guatemala, strengthens agroecological production practices with emphasis on active participation of women through savings and credit group methodologies. Currently supports 670 families in 13 villages.
• Boudha Bahanupati Project – Pariwar (BBP-Pariwar)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded to improve wellbeing of marginalized populations, especially women from the socially excluded Dalit class in Central Nepal. Supports women and individuals to restore and regenerate their land and communities through agroecology and creation of savings and credit groups.
• Preservation and Proliferation of Rural Resources and Nature (PRAN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRural development organisation in India working on socioeconomic development of disenfranchised communities such as Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women. Began collaborating with Groundswell International in 2023 to support women farmers' transition to agroecology.
• Rural Women Uploutment Association (RWUA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFocused on social mobilization of women and men in the Southeastern Terai region of Nepal. Creates socio-economically inclusive communities involving rural women, disabled people, ethnic minorities, and Dalits. Expert in community development and women's empowerment.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Heifer International: Large, well-established nonprofit working globally with smallholder farmers on sustainable agriculture, livestock, and rural livelihoods. More resourced and broadly focused than Groundswell, but shares the smallholder-agroecology remit and global footprint.
• ACDI/VOCA: International development nonprofit implementing large-scale agriculture, market systems, and food security programs globally. Comparable to Groundswell in addressing smallholder livelihoods and farm productivity, though with a much larger operational and budget scale and different delivery model.
• Fairtrade International / Fairtrade Foundation: International fair-trade certification and advocacy system linking smallholder producers in the Global South to consumers via better prices and sustainable practices. Shares the smallholder-empowerment and sustainable agriculture focus, though via a market-based certification model.

Direct peers

• GRAIN: International nonprofit supporting small farmers and social movements in their fight for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Comparable in supporting food sovereignty and grassroots agroecology advocacy globally.
• Ecoagriculture Partners: Nonprofit working at the nexus of agriculture, biodiversity, and rural livelihoods through landscape-level partnerships. Shares Groundswell's focus on integrating smallholder farming with ecosystem health and rural community empowerment.
• Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA): Network of African civil society organizations promoting agroecology and food sovereignty across the continent. Closely comparable to Groundswell as a federated NGO model working on smallholder agroecology, though geographically focused on Africa.
• Food First / Institute for Food and Development Policy: Think-and-do tank advancing food sovereignty and agroecology through research, advocacy, and movement-building. Comparable to Groundswell in mission around shifting food systems from extractive to regenerative models.
• Slow Food International: Global grassroots movement promoting good, clean, and fair food rooted in local cultures and agroecology. Operates a decentralized network of regional chapters like Groundswell's NGO federation, with shared emphasis on traditional knowledge and smallholder communities.
• Rodale Institute: US-based nonprofit driving regenerative organic agriculture research, training, and advocacy. Highly comparable to Groundswell on regenerative agriculture focus and farmer training, though primarily US-based and research-oriented.
• PELUM Association: Network of civil society organizations across Eastern, Southern, and Central Africa promoting agroecology and participatory ecological land-use management with smallholder farmers. Highly comparable as a federated NGO model with overlapping partnerships in West Africa.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/GroundswellInternational
• Facebookfacebook.com/GroundswellInternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/groundswell-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/groundswellint
• Xx.com/GroundswellInt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Groundswell International