Empowering communities and tackling food insecurity in East Africa: Alabaster International’s Enset Food Security Initiative announces a Commitment to Action in partnership with Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)
LOS ANGELES (Monday, September 23, 2024) – Alabaster International announced today its Enset Food Security Initiative, an initiative focused on food security and climate resilience in East Africa, at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2024 Annual Meeting. This Commitment to Action will focus on the groundbreaking initiative of transforming food security and climate resilience in East Africa through the cultivation and promotion of Enset, a banana-like, drought-tolerant, and nutrient-rich crop, indigenous to Ethiopia, often referred to as the “Tree Against Hunger.”
“We’re thrilled to announce our Enset Initiative at the CGI 2024 Annual Meeting, said Shannon Fernando-Rubera, Founder and CEO of Alabaster International. “This partnership is a powerful validation of the sustainable and impactful work we’re doing on the ground alongside our partners, Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, Arba Minch University, Girl Child Network Kenya, and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology. Enset has the potential to change lives by providing sustainable food sources, improving soil health, and empowering female farmers. Our partnership with CGI gives us a unique platform to showcase this impact and connect with global leaders who can help us scale and sustain our efforts.”
By introducing Enset to new famine-prone communities, training Indigenous women in regenerative farming, and establishing women-led Enset cooperatives, the initiative supports nutritional needs, promotes gender inclusion, empowers climate resilience, and creates economic opportunities. Combining traditional knowledge with innovative research, the Enset Food Security Initiative aims to optimize and scale Enset to regions impacted by drought-fueled food insecurity. This initiative has already achieved historic milestones, such as the first-ever transfer of live Enset plant material outside Ethiopia, establishing unprecedented cross-border research and regional collaborations, and bringing together stakeholders in two African nations to combat hunger in the region.
CGI brings together diverse leaders and organizations working to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges through bold, innovative solutions. Since its inception in 2005, CGI has helped launch over 4,000 commitments, driving significant change across the globe. Alabaster International’s Enset Food Security Initiative perfectly aligns with CGI’s focus on fostering sustainable development, climate resilience, and community empowerment.
As part of the CGI 2024 Annual Meeting, Alabaster International’s Enset Food Security Initiative will be featured to a global audience, further amplifying its mission and fostering new partnerships. This involvement offers Alabaster a unique opportunity to engage with influential stakeholders, share best practices, and explore collaborative efforts that can drive lasting change in food security and climate adaptation in Africa.
For more information about Alabaster International, please visit www.alabasterinternational.org.
About Alabaster International
Alabaster International is committed to fostering the health and wellness of indigenous women in East Africa. Through comprehensive healthcare delivery, women-focused entrepreneurship programs, and food security initiatives, Alabaster International transforms lives and empowers communities. The organization works closely with local partners to ensure culturally sensitive and impactful interventions, championing resilience, dignity, equity, and sustainability. Founded by board-certified family nurse practitioner Shannon Fernando-Rubera, Alabaster International aims to build a world where every woman has the resources and support to thrive.
About the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)
Founded by President Bill Clinton in 2005, the Clinton Global Initiative is a community of doers representing a broad cross-section of society and dedicated to the idea that we can accomplish more together than we can apart. Through CGI’s unique model, more than 10,000 organizations have launched more than 4,000 Commitments to Action — new, specific, and measurable projects and programs – that are making a difference in the lives of more than 500 million people in 180 countries.