2008 Economic Development Award Laureate
The Full Belly Project
| Laureate Country: United States |
| Project Countries: Malawi, Mali, the Philippines, Uganda, Haiti |
| Website: http://www.thefullbellyproject.org |
| Video: 2008videos/Full_Belly_Project.mov |
The Full Belly Project develops technologies to help subsistence farmers increase their incomes and relieve hunger.
In developing countries, crops such as peanuts and coffee are sold unprocessed for little money, or laboriously hand-processed. The slow work limits profits and restricts the amount of food farmers can provide.
The Full Belly Project designs laborsaving agricultural devices that can be made locally. Their Universal Nut Sheller is constructed for less than $50, and runs without costly fuel or electricity. Farmers can quickly process peanuts and other crops, providing more nutrition for their communities. And shelled crops are sold for up to ten times the price of unprocessed ones, transforming mere subsistence farming into profitable business.
