Join rural and Indigenous youth from Latin America & the Caribbean, South Asia and West Africa in celebrating the women who feed the world.
Each year, Groundswell International holds a festival showcasing the short films produced by dozens of youth from smallholder farmer communities participating in its Youth Storyteller Program.
What began as a way to help rural and Indigenous youth tell the stories of their communities building healthy farming and food systems has grown into a global library of films and youth network challenging the myth that industrial agriculture is the only way to feed the world.
Together, youth storytellers form a diverse, collective voice demanding a shift in the global food paradigm: for systems that nourish instead of harm, uplift instead of impose, regenerate instead of extract. And they don’t just call for change: they invite us to their communities and show us how they are taking action!
Their films have reached policymakers, influenced farming practices, and inspired communities far beyond where they were made.
At the heart of these stories stand the humble heroes who feed the world: the mothers, daughters, grandmothers and sisters tending the land, feeding their families, passing on knowledge, and caring for their communities. This festival is a tribute to them, and to the youth who carry their work forward.
This edition's theme focuses on the stories of Women Farmers, aligning with the UN’s theme for 2026. These short films, born at the heart of smallholder farmer communities, will highlight the central role of women farmers in farming and food systems, offering stories and insights that are captured by the young people who live these realities daily.
These films will bring global attention to how women are organizing, leading and changing their communities, generating equity and wellbeing for themselves, their families, and their communities across the world.
This year, there will be three online events:
South Asia
February 28, 2026
⏰ 7:30PM-8:30PM NPT (8:45-9:45AM EST)
📍Online (Zoom)
💬 Nepali with English interpretation
Latin America & the Caribbean
March 6, 2026
⏰ 3PM-4:30PM EST
📍Online (Zoom)
💬 Spanish and Haitian Creole with English interpretation
West Africa
March 12, 2026
⏰ 3PM-4:30PM GMT (11AM-12:30 EST)
📍Online (Zoom)
💬 French and English interpretation