News

Goat Bridges the Cultural Divide
March 28, 2019
The mission of Winrock International’s agriculture unit is to develop partnerships, pilot new ideas and advance solutions to strengthen communities through resilient farming and food systems. While our impact is global, sometimes we get to enjoy the benefits ourselves. This February, two important events for Winrock converged in Washington, D.C. Winrock’s international agriculture programs […]
Feeding a Thirsty World
March 26, 2019
“It goes without saying that there’s no food without water,” said Winrock President and CEO Rodney Ferguson opening the Wilson Center event “Feeding a Thirsty World: Harnessing the Connections Between Food and Water Security” in Washington, D.C., on March 25. “Seventy percent of global water use goes to agriculture. … Water insecurity affects food security […]
Measuring Bugs and Avoiding Crocs
March 21, 2019
Everything about the man in green fatigues suggests he’s alert. His posture (erect), his lips (slightly parted), his forefinger (poised over the trigger of an AK-47 assault rifle). The man, a Serengeti National Park ranger, watches closely under the hot Tanzanian sun as ecologist Frank Masese sloshes around in brown river water with a net. […]
SWP Boosts Stalled Effort to Protect Mara Waterways
March 18, 2019
In 2013, the Kenyan government’s Water Resources Authority met with farmers, pastoralists and other people who use water along the Talek and Nyangores rivers, important tributaries to the Mara River Basin. A crucial source of water to both Kenya and Tanzania, the Mara River faces accelerating pressure from population growth, increased farming, soil degradation and […]
Arkansas Innovation Council Takes Flight at Inaugural Summit
March 14, 2019
On February 19, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and Winrock’s Innovate Arkansas took an important step to expand Arkansas’ knowledge-based economy with the launch of the Arkansas Innovation Council. This new initiative will tap into the combined insights and innovation of the state’s established industry leaders and its burgeoning startup community. Comprised of key leaders from […]
North Little Rock Mini Maker Faire Set For May 11
March 13, 2019
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — March 13, 2019 — Glimpse the future and get inspired with the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub at the fifth annual North Little Rock Mini Maker Faire at the North Shore Riverwalk on Saturday, May 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is FREE for all attendees. Modeled after the original San Francisco Bay […]
What You May Not Know About Vietnam
March 11, 2019
As Asia’s newest tiger economy and host of the Trump-Kim Nuclear Summit on February 27-28, Vietnam has been the subject of amplified international attention recently. Yet the roar of press coverage about the country’s impressive post-war transformation has failed to highlight the example Vietnam has set for balancing economic development with climate goals. Since 2012, […]
Reading, Writing — and Empowering
March 8, 2019
The women of Chimbalu, Chioza, Malawi, live and work side-by-side. A year and a half ago, they also began learning side-by-side. Since August 2017, they have attended literacy classes introduced by the Achieving Reduction of Child Labor in Support of Education (ARISE) program. Through the classes (which encourage a team spirit along with the literacy […]
Women Helping Women in Ghana
March 7, 2019
Named in honor of Winrock’s former president, Robert Havener, and his wife Elizabeth, the Havener Endowment Fund provides agricultural education and training for African women. The fund is piloting an internship program for recent female graduates and providing additional resources to women farmers living in cocoa communities engaged in the U.S. Department of Labor-funded Mobilizing […]
“Gamechangers Laboratory” Established for Cutting-Edge Food Leaders to Accelerate New Solutions
March 6, 2019
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – March 6, 2019 – An extraordinary gift from philanthropist-entrepreneur Ryan D. “Jume” Jumonville of United Networks of America has established the “Gamechangers Laboratory,” a groundbreaking initiative from the Wallace Center at Winrock International. Through collaborations and convenings, the Gamechangers Laboratory will catalyze breakthrough ideas, strategies and innovations in community-based food systems as […]