Resource
This storytelling series features six case studies of fisher communities organizing for justice and food sovereignty across land and water. These stories surface strategies of resistance, resilience, and survival in the face of systemic injustice and extractive economies. We begin with two stories from Uganda and South Africa.
This report provides investors with a roadmap of creative finance strategies that support entrepreneurs, farmers, activists, and social movements to transform local food economies. Conducted by the Global Alliance for the Future of Food and Transformational Investing in Food Systems Initiative (TIFS), this report showcases six food-focused initiatives that have incorporated unique investment strategies that blend a spectrum of financial capital to both stimulate social enterprise and achieve sustainable, equitable, and secure food systems.
Local market CIAT Manon Koningstein
Private, public, and commercial investments have historically prioritized efficiency and profit maximization in food production. However, this narrow focus has led to market failures, social inequalities, and environmental damage. Extractive agricultural practices have diminished soil health, water quality, and biodiversity while undermining the rights and well-being of farmers and food producers.
As awareness grows around these systemic failures, investors are recognizing the material risks of maintaining the status quo. Business-as-usual is no longer viable. Instead, innovative financial models that blend capital sources and align with social and environmental objectives are paving the way for a more just and sustainable food economy.
Mobilizing Money and Movements highlights six initiatives that have successfully leveraged diverse funding mechanisms to drive meaningful change. From Denmark, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United States, and Zambia, these stories of transformation demonstrate how investments can be strategically structured to balance financial returns with social impact.
Key Financial Strategies Identified:
