This document describes the Learn ♦ Grow project, a Rotary initiative that helps communities in developing countries learn about and grow nutritious local foods. The project addresses malnutrition by teaching people to cultivate indigenous plants scientifically shown to be highly nutritious alternatives to Western crops. Learn ♦ Grow provides information from a database of over 18,000 edible species to identify appropriate local foods for different regions. The goal is to sustainably reduce malnutrition, illness, disease, and mortality from nutritional deficiencies by empowering communities to feed themselves.

1. Learn ♦ Grow
A project that helps people in developing countries
learn about and grow the best local foods to meet
their nutritional needs.

2. This Rotary year our International President, D K
Lee, challenged all Rotarians to
“Keep the service emphasis on water, health
and hunger and literacy….but to focus your
efforts in each of these areas on children and
reducing the terrible rate of child mortality in
our world.”
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3. A tangible response to one of his challenges
has emerged from within District 9830.

4. A project that shows hungry
developing world communities
how to feed themselves with
locally grown foods.
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5.  A project of Rotary District 9830
 Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Devonport North
 In partnership with Food Plants International

6. Food Plants International
 A not-for-profit organisation lead
by founder, Bruce French, who has created the Food Plants
International database
 This unique database which includes 18,000 species
represents the most comprehensive scientific information
available on edible plants for all countries of the world.

7.  A Vital Tool
The database developed over 30 years
by Food Plants International provides:
 Scientific and common names of edible plants
 Photos and drawings of the plants
 Information on how to grow them
 Nutritional information
 How each plant can be prepared and eaten
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8.  Aim
To sustainably reduce malnutrition in developing
countries and reduce
 illness
 disease
 and mortality
…caused by nutritional deficiencies.
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9. Objective
To assist developing world
communities LEARN about
and GROW, in their own
‘backyard’, the best local food
plants that match their
nutritional needs.
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10. Why
 Many local plants are nutritionally far
superior than ‘Western’ food crops.
 Local plants thrive because they are
naturally adapted to local conditions.
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11. Wrong plant Wrong place
An “aid” poster!
Wrong methods Wrong food

12. Cabbage: Wrong Plant - Wrong Place
Many plants have 10 to
100 times the amount of
iron when compared to
cabbage.
But how would you know?
The iron content of just some of the leafy green
vegetables found in tropical regions of the world.

13. Learn ♦ Grow
Green leafy vegetables – protein content
Protein deficiency is a major problem in the tropical
world, especially amongst women, children and the
sick. Protein is needed for growth, health and
overcoming sickness.

14. Protein 4 times Momienh
Vitamin A 8 times
Vitamin C 20 times
Iron 8 times
Zinc 4 times
And it suits the tropics! OR
Cabbage 14

15. An example Vitamin C content tree fruits
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16. How are we going to do something with
this?
• Solomon Islands
• Papua New Guinea
• The Philippines
• Other
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17. Measuring success
 Adoption of local plant production
 Increased levels of critical
nutrients in the population
 A direct reduction in nutritional
deficiencies and disorders
 A reduction in infant mortality at age 1
age 1 and 5
…these benchmarks will be monitored over time
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18. The next step - $100,000+
 Deliver the Solomons’ program
 Engage a partner
 Bring external funding providers on board
 Extend this program through Rotary International
 Provide an information support base
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19. Act Directly
 It is simple for any club or district to
incorporate LEARN ♦ GROW into existing
or new aid projects – identify the local
nutritional deficiencies in the population
and LEARN ♦ GROW can provide the
information!

20. Learn ♦ Grow Support Group
 $10,000 = ‘Learn ♦ Grow Champion’
 $1,0000 = ‘Learn ♦ Grow Ally’
 Donation = ‘Learn ♦ Grow Mate’
 ‘Learn ♦ Grow Team’
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21. Your help will mean….
“Not only will nutritional food be more
available... but those most at risk will have the
DIGNITY of managing their own needs.”
Dr Eileen Gentilcore, RI
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22. Learn ♦ Grow
Rotary CAN make
a difference.
Ask today how you can help!
www.learngrow.org