Description
A Farmer Field School Program equips 30 farmers in remote communities with practical skills to grow food more efficiently and sustainably. Your gift supports hands-on training that strengthens food security, increases productivity, and builds long-term self-reliance at the community level. This program is delivered through the Livelihoods Improvement through Food Security and Training (LIFT) initiative.
Learning Together in the Field
The program begins with establishing a shared learning site, where farmers gather regularly to learn directly in the field. Demonstration plots are prepared to reflect local conditions, allowing farmers to practice techniques using the same soil, crops, and resources found in their own communities.
Practical Skills That Grow Food
Farmers receive step-by-step training throughout the growing season, learning how to plant, manage soil, conserve water, control pests, and improve yields using climate-smart practices. Training focuses on crops and methods best suited to the local environment, ensuring knowledge is immediately applicable and sustainable.
Strengthening Communities Through Shared Knowledge
With continued guidance, farmers learn how to plan harvests, diversify crops, and share knowledge within their community. As skills spread beyond the initial group, food production increases, local markets are strengthened, and communities move toward greater food security and independence.
Catalog Notice
Gifts to Food For The Poor help advance our mission to alleviate hunger, poverty, and suffering. Donations are understood to be allocated flexibly, allowing us to address the most urgent needs and sustain our operations. This flexibility enables us to respond quickly in times of crisis and maintain long-term support where it’s needed most. We are committed to being responsible stewards of your generosity, ensuring every gift has a meaningful impact on those we serve.
New Mercado Global Summer Collection
A Hand Up
For the Mercado Women
A Mercado Global handbag isn’t just an accessory—it’s a meaningful gift that represents hope and resilience. When you shop on our website you're making the statement that poverty isn't inevitable.
Every purchase helps create a stable economic environment within impoverished communities, which can lead to food security and reduce dependency on aid. It’s an investment in breaking the cycle of poverty through fair trade practices that uplift entire communities.
Each handbag is a unique piece of art, handcrafted by skilled artisans who draw on traditional techniques passed down through generations. This supports cultural preservation while giving artisans a source of pride and financial independence.

Zulma Weekender Candy Stripes
The Zulma Duffle Bag is your ultimate grab-and-go weekender—crafted from 100% handwoven fabric with a bold, striped design and finished with functional, thoughtful details. With a spacious cotton-lined interior, this duffle includes 2 interior slip pockets to keep small essentials organized, plus an exterior zippered pocket for quick access items.
Price: $128

Magali Tote Minty
Swirl
The Magali Tote blends structured elegance with everyday function. Handcrafted from 100% handwoven fabric and fully lined with soft cotton, this tote is designed to move seamlessly from workdays to weekends. Its defining feature—hand-embroidered leather handles—adds artisanal detail and long-wear durability.
Price: $118

Mini Lorena Backpack Minty Swirl
A Mercado Global favorite, the Mini Lorena Backpack combines playful design with everyday functionality. Handcrafted from 100% handwoven fabric and lined in soft cotton, it features adjustable leather shoulder straps for a comfortable fit and a leather zipper pull for added durability.
Price: $108
Handbags are ethically crafted, prioritizing fair labor practices and sustainable production. With each purchase, you’re helping prove that we can tackle poverty through sustainable community development.
Buying a Mercado Global handbag provides sustainable income for artisans in marginalized communities, directly helping them support their families. By working part-time, artisans can make up to $8 a day, which is enough to lift themselves out of poverty over the course of a few months of engagement.
By shopping with us, you’re supporting a test initiative designed to demonstrate that we can build a sustainable, closed-loop system between our micro-enterprise programs and an online marketplace. If the test is sucessful we'll be able to scale up our programs.







