Bringing Food Security to Rural Liberia

In 2010, Sustainable Liberia began its first food security initiative. With the help of partner churches, we began promoting family and community gardens within rural villages, providing the fertilizer, seeds, basic tools, and training required for those gardens to flourish.

Even 13 years ago, the warning signs were present. Before the civil war (1989-2003) and continuing to the present, corrupt politicians and warlords have sold access to Liberia’s vast natural resources for personal gain with little regard for the well-being of the country’s people. Consequently, Liberia, who was once a net exporter of many items, including palm oil and rice, has become a net importer of those (and other) staples. Now, for imported food to reach the mouths of rural Liberians, it must cross the ocean before being trucked 100 miles from the port in Monrovia to the rural villages.

The ongoing war in Ukraine only compounds the challenges as interruptions of the Ukrainian economy and sanctions on Russian exports have driven the prices of fertilizer and food even higher.

Today, the lowest income Liberians (both urban and rural) are struggling to find a reliable and affordable source of basic nutritional food…