In the Beginning
By: Curtis Bomgaars, CEO & Founder
A culmination of events has led to Feed Adam. After witnessing both physical and spiritual poverty firsthand while volunteering in Ecuador and Moldova over the past few years, I realize things can be done better. Simply feeding the poor is not enough, because tomorrow they will again be hungry. While holistic development agencies already exist, it seems like an overwhelming amount of time and energy has to go into raising financial support, rather than investing in the very lives of the individuals they are trying to help. On the other hand, as a volunteer I know that not everyone has the freedom to donate as much of their time as they would like in supporting these causes. Then, one afternoon, while shopping at a supermarket in Quito, Ecuador, it dawns on me. There, before my eyes stands a solution to so many of these pressing issues, quinoa.
Feed Adam does not claim to have come up with a new concept to fight world hunger; rather, we are connecting those concepts that we know already work. Quinoa was first cultivated over 5,000 years ago. Micro-finance and community development have been around for about as long. The one difference is, they haven't teamed up like this before. $1 per pound of Feed Adam food sold and 50% of the profits from bulk sales will be donated to help eat away at poverty.
Where does Feed Adam quinoa come from?Randimpak is an Ecuadorian women's non-profit foundation that works to empower rural, indigenous women of this diverse Andean country in South America. Through the model of lending a hand, the women organize themselves into small groups, each helping another plant and harvest their crops organically. The crops, in this case quinoa, are then further processed and marketed both nationally and internationally. They are USDA Organic and Kosher certified.
Each plot of land is small, measuring only an acre or two, but through their cooperation, the women are able to combine their harvests into larger quantities. They receive a $.25 premium per pound, resulting in a sales price that far surpasses market value in their home country. In addition to receiving technical support, such as how to best utilize natural, organic fertilizers, the members receive health care, education, and have created an investment fund from their earnings from which members can take out micro-loans. The project has been a great success since its humble beginnings and now it benefits over 5,800 families in over 151 rural communities. Before the project began, 6 out of 10 members' children suffered from below average weight, while today that number is 2.
These women and their families have been cultivating quinoa for thousands of years. The end product is delicious and extremely nutritious, while knowing who farmed it helps make whatever meal it's used in taste even better.
Where do the $1 and 50% donations go?New Vision Renewable Energy's mission is to optimize renewable energy as a tool for economic, human, and community transformation. New Vision equips individuals and families, through education, skill training, sustainable micro and small scale loans, and cooperative enterprise, to transform their community by repowering their homes and community facilities with member-built, renewable energy products and systems. The organization started as a small project on the back roads of rural West Virginia. They now work all over the United States, as well as in Kenya. We believe in their work, and look forward to witnessing the fruit of their labor in the future.
Hope International has changed a lot since its founding in 1997. Their team bas grown, and so too has the number of countries they serve, more than 15 now. But their core beliefs have remained consistent. This is why we believe in Hope's cause.
Hope International's core beliefs as stated by president and CEO Peter Greer:
Charity is broken. Necessary for short-term relief, charity is like putting a Band-Aid on a broken bone. It doesn’t address the underlying issues of poverty—hopelessness, helplessness, and voicelessness. Instead it reinforces these mindsets long term. Our help can actually hurt those we’re attempting to serve.
Job creation is a proven way out of financial poverty. Poverty was cut in half—from 52 to 26 percent—between 1981 and 2005. What happened? Economic opportunity in China, Brazil, and India have revolutionized poverty reduction. But it’s also common sense. A job is simply superior to a handout. Consistently, we hear this when we listen to the families we serve. They don’t want to be thrown another fish, but rather given the opportunity to start a fishing business.
You can gain the whole world, yet lose your soul. Poverty is more than financial. At its heart, poverty is about relational brokenness: our separation from God and from each other. Jesus Christ calls us to restore relationships and has given us the message and the model through his life, death, and resurrection. We are fully committed to addressing not only physical poverty, but also spiritual poverty in all we do.
Do one thing – and do it well. HOPE’s model works because it’s simple. We focus on one thing: excellent Christ-centered microenterprise development. Our model includes teaching biblically based business training, sharing the Word of God, providing access to small loans and savings services to those excluded from the formal financial sector.
Our goal is to provide you with the most holistically nutritious food possible. Your purchases make a difference for so many, including yourself. You'll support the indigenous women of Ecuador, fund empowering, holistic development in the U.S. and all over the world, and you'll be eating one of the most nutritious foods available.
So join the cause today, and eat!
For information and updates on the giving side of Feed Adam, please visit our blog
I asked Chris (HOPE International) if I was going to be the lone outsider. I had never gone on a HOPE trip to see their work first hand and meet their clients. Although I had signed up for a trip for a later date, Chris proposed that I travel with a group in February that [...]
Select Feed Adam products are naturally gluten-free
Feed Adam products are all USDA organic and approved
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