News
How a cashew processing company is growing opportunity in Côte d’Ivoire
August 3, 2026
This piece is part of a series, #WinrockResilienceStories, aimed at amplifying community voices and spotlighting innovative partnerships and approaches that strengthen resilience, expand economic opportunity and support both people and the systems they rely on to thrive. This month, we feature work that is helping entrepreneurs, workers and local communities capture more value from West […]
The Director’s Take: Colin Quinn on investable resilience
July 20, 2026
How is Winrock’s 2026-2028 strategic plan changing the way we work? In our new series, The Director’s Take, we ask leaders across the organization to share their thoughts on what’s shifted, how we’re working differently, and what comes next. In this latest installment, Colin Quinn, director of Winrock’s Environment portfolio, offers insights on aligning private-sector […]
Mary Fales named Winrock International’s Director of U.S. Agriculture
July 13, 2026
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. − July 13, 2026 − Winrock International has named Mary Fales as its new director of U.S. Agriculture, reflecting Winrock’s commitment to advancing resilient food systems, supporting agricultural innovation and expanding opportunity for farmers and rural communities across the U.S. Fales joins Winrock with more than two decades of experience in sustainable […]
Keeping food close to home: How local purchasing power strengthens rural U.S. communities
July 6, 2026
Our #WinrockResilienceStories series amplifies community voices and spotlights partnerships and approaches that strengthen rural resilience, expand economic opportunity, and support both people and the systems they rely on to thrive. This month, we feature work that is helping to build sustainable regional food economies in the U.S. South and Midwest — and proving what’s possible. […]
The Director’s Take: Stephanie Lillegard on centering human rights within systems change
June 8, 2026
How is Winrock’s 2026-2028 strategic plan changing the way we work? In “The Director’s Take,” we ask leaders across the organization to share their thoughts on what’s shifting, how we’re working, and what comes next. Stephanie Lillegard, director of Winrock’s Human Rights portfolio, kicks off the series with insights on integrating human rights across supply […]
Five takeaways from Winrock International’s ethical supply chain leadership
December 1, 2025
In an age of converging global crises — climate instability, supply chain shocks, human trafficking and other forms of exploitation — building resilient communities means more than economic growth: it requires deeply rooted respect for human rights. Winrock’s Human Rights & Empowerment team is playing a central role in shaping what resilience looks like for […]
“Small Farms, Big Community:” The future of sustainable agriculture in the South
April 29, 2025
Representatives from the Wallace Center at Winrock International attended the inaugural SOWTH 2025 Conference, focused on the importance of collective impact. In February, Wallace Center’s Juan Quinonez Zepeda and Susan Lightfoot Schempf attended the inaugural SOWTH conference in Atlanta, Georgia. The event was billed as a “three-day gathering of more than 1,000 farmers and leaders […]
Strengthening networks and leadership for local food systems change
January 31, 2025
The Wallace Center launched the inaugural Arkansas Food Systems Fellowship in 2024. The fellowship is hosted through the Wallace Center’s Food Systems Leadership Network, which connects and accelerates sustainable food systems leaders across the U.S. Its design resulted from a multi-year participatory process to identify strategies to strengthen the food systems change ecosystem in Arkansas. […]
Riva Brown is Winrock International’s Farmer-to-Farmer Volunteer of the Year
January 3, 2025
Riva Brown, a university professor and volunteer who conducted a highly successful assignment with a women-owned enterprise in Senegal, has been named Winrock International’s 2024 Farmer-to-Farmer Volunteer of the Year. Brown is an associate professor of public relations at the University of Central Arkansas and a global learning specialist with UCA’s Center for Global Learning […]
#thaiRAIN helps Southeast Asian farmers say no to burning
December 23, 2024
Between the end of the year and the first quarter of each year, Thailand and neighboring countries rise to the top of the world’s rankings for the poorest air quality, with high levels of PM2.5 haze. PM2.5 stands for particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or smaller; so small, they’re 30 times finer […]