Who we are
Bread for the World is the globally active development and relief agency of the Protestant Churches in Germany. In more than 90 countries all across the globe we empower the poor and marginalised to improve their living conditions. Key issues of our work are food security, the promotion of health and education, the access to water, the strengthening of democracy, respecting human rights, keeping peace and the integrity of creation.
Justice for the Poor
Bread for the World takes steps to make sure that there is enough food for everyone. Because fighting hunger becomes increasingly important in times of climate change and ever scarcer resources.
Our guiding principles
Our work is rooted in the faith that bears witness to the world as God’s creation, in the love that encounters the Lord precisely in our disenfranchised and poorest neighbour, and in the hope that acts in accordance with God’s will in expectation of a just world. Bread for the World considers itself part of the global Christian Community. We seek the cooperation with churches and church agencies throughout the world and assume our responsibility in ecumenical networks.
more about Cooperation and Network
Our Work
The work of Bread for the World primarily focuses on the support of projects in the countries of the Global South. An essential feature of our projects is the close and continuous cooperation with local, often church-related partner organisations. Upon request, Bread for the World provides them with specialists and volunteers. Through lobbying, public relations and education in Germany and Europe we seek to influence political decisions in favor of the poor and to raise awareness for the necessity of a sustainable way of life.
Sated Is Not Enough!
“Sated is not enough!” is Bread for the World’s motto of the 56th, 57th and 58th annual campaigns respectively. Eating enough, eating healthily and having a balanced diet are God-given promises, great pleasures and essential prerequisites for human development. Nevertheless, more than 800 million people worldwide are still starving. Around two billion are somehow able to allay their hunger, yet stay malnourished as their food does not contain sufficient nutrients.
There are many reasons for this: whereas for people living in poverty and precarious conditions the priority is to fill their stomach, the quality of food seems less important. Since the 1960s, global food production has been focused on increased yields, not on food quality. Mass-produced convenience food with high fat and carbohydrate contents but containing few nutrients is on the rise and—as a result of price wars—often replaces healthier locally grown products. Knowledge about nutrition is a prerequisite for healthy eating, even more so when old eating habits and traditions have been destroyed or replaced. To know what is good for one’s body and what is not, requires at least a basic awareness of food quality and nutrient requirements.
Malnourished people are often less able-bodied and mentally productive and also more prone to illness. This particularly affects children: the lack of proper nutrition in early childhood causes long-lasting harm. Bread for the World, therefore, supports partner organisations in numerous countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, which raise the population’s awareness of the importance of a balanced, healthy and affordable diet, of nutritional requirements and corresponding crop growing, resource-conservation and the use of natural fertilisers. As many people as possible should get a chance to learn how to grow their own healthy food—especially women as, within their families, traditionally they are mainly responsible for food and nutrition!
Still, malnutrition is on the increase, also in our part of the world. It causes illness, contributes to the waste of resources and sets a poor example in establishing unsustainable trends all over the world. Imitating western lifestyle, hugely promotes diseases of civilisation such as diabetes in the countries of the Global South. The corresponding treatments, however, are affordable only to the very few.
The brochure which you can download beneath this paragraph provides data on these issues as well as information on projects and suggestions for your own involvement. Let us join people all over the world on the road to healthy nutrition, and take better care of our wonderful world’s resources and the riches of Creation so that we can ensure there will be enough for everyone in the future.
Download
Sated is not enough
Our Future Needs A Healthy Diet — An Introduction to annual campaigns 56 to 58
Download (PDF)Projects
Through its worldwide work Bread for the World seeks to overcome poverty and achieve more justice. In almost 100 countries all across the globe we empower the poor and marginalised to improve their living conditions by themselves.
More than food
The primary objective of our work is food security. But we also advocate the promotion of health and education, access to water, the respect for human rights and gender equality as well as the integrity of creation. Because bread means much more to us than simply food: In keeping with Martin Luther, we believe that it stands for everything people need for living.
United we stand
An essential feature of our projects is the close and continuous cooperation with local, often churchrelated partner organisations. Because they are best acquainted with the needs of the local people. Together with them we develop sustainable solutions for the most urging problems.
Human Resources
In addition to its projects Bread for the World also sends experienced specialists and young volunteers to the countries of the South. They work for a fixed term in the projects of the partner organisations.
Sharing Expertise
Upon request of its partner organisations, Bread for the World provides specialists with long-standing professional experience. They share their knowledge in areas where there are no or too few native specialists. Their active cooperation is the living proof of their solidarity with the people in the countries of the Global South.
Working as a Volunteer
Likewise young committed people can contribute for the duration of twelve months to the work of Bread for the World projects within the scope of a volunteer programme. Thus they support the work of the partner organisations while simultaneously gaining valuable life experience. Seminars help prepare them for their overseas placements.
National Work
We cannot overcome the hunger and poverty in the world without changing our life styles and our economic activities. Raising awareness for this is a key objective of the work of Bread for the World in Germany.
Dialogue with Politics
In order to highlight injustices and to initiate desperately needed changes, Bread for the World seeks the continuous exchange with the decision makers in politics, economy und society. This is often done in cooperation with partner organisations and other civil society actors.
Public Relations
However, shaping sustainable development is not exclusively a task for experts. Hence Bread for the World also engages in public relations and promotes the development educational work of parishes, schools, one world shops, partnership projects and political initiatives.
Annual Report 2017
The three financial pillars of the agency, Bread for the World, are donations and church collections (61.8 million euros), church funding (54.7 million euros) and, within the scope of its collaboration with the Protestant Association for Co-operation in Development (EZE) and Service Overseas (DÜ), state funding from the German Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ; 147.3 million euros). Overall in 2017, around 282 million euros (2016: 274 million euros) were made available for the development work of Bread for the World.
Downloads
Annual Report 2017
Facts and figures about the work of Brot für die Welt (Bread for the World) in 2017, displayed concisely in the annual report.
Download (PDF)Who we are
By founding the Protestant Agency for Diakonie and Development the Protestant churches in Germany accepted the challenges of a globalised world.
The new agency located in Berlin merges the competences of the Social Service Agency of the Protestant Church in Germany, including its agencies Bread for the World and Diakonie Emergency Aid, with those of the Church Development Service. In doing so international development cooperation and national diakonia work are more closely interlinked with each other, yet maintain individual areas of responsibility in the divisions Bread for the World and Diakonie Germany.
The merger generates valuable synergies and new impulses. It allows the Protestant regional and free churches as well as the regional and specialist associations of Diakonie to speak with one voice on behalf of the people who suffer from poverty and injustice – in our own country and all over the world.
Download
Organisation Chart
This diagram shows the structure of the Protestant Agency for Diakonie and Development. Brot für die Welt is part of this agency.
Download (PDF)How to Contact Us
Do you have any questions regarding the work of Bread for the World? Or do you need more information? Please do not hesitate to contact the respective departments!
How to Contact Us
via e-mail
- Africa
afrika@brot-fuer-die-welt.de - Near East, Caucasus and Asia-Pacific Region
asien@brot-fuer-die-welt.de - Latin America and the Caribbean
lateinamerika@brot-fuer-die-welt.de - Europe and Worldwide Programmes
weltweit-europa@brot-fuer-die-welt.de - Politics
politik@brot-fuer-die-welt.de - Public Relations and Cooperation
info@brot-fuer-die-welt.de - All other subjects
kontakt@brot-fuer-die-welt.de
via mail
- Bread for the World
Caroline-Michaelis-Str. 1
10115 Berlin
Germany
via phone
- +49 30 65211-1189
How to find us
Bread for the World
Caroline-Michaelis-Str. 1
10115 Berlin Germany
Directions
Arriving via public transport from Airport Tegel
- Take bus 128 in the direction U Osloer Straße. The bus operates in 10 minutes intervals. Transfer to U6 (direction Alt-Mariendorf) at U-Kurt-Schumacher-Platz. Exit at the stop U Naturkundemuseum. (approx. 30 minutes)
Arriving via public transport from Airport Schönefeld
- Take the train RE 7 direction Dessau or RB 14 direction S+U Friedrichstraße/Nauen. Transfer at S+U Friedrichstraße to S1 (direction Oranienburg/Frohnau), S2 (direction Bernau/Buch) or S25 (direction Hennigsdorf). Exit at Nordbahnhof in direction Invalidenstraße. (approx. 50 minutes)
or - Take bus 171 in the direction U Hermannplatz or bus X7. Transfer to U7 (direction S+U Rathaus Spandau) at U Rudow. Then, transfer again at stop U Mehringdamm and change to U6 (direction U Alt-Tegel). Exit at U Naturkundemuseum. (approx. 56 minutes)
Arriving via public transport from Central Station (Hauptbahnhof)
- Tram:Take tram M5 (direction Hohenschönhausen, Zingster Straße), M8 (direction Ahrensfelde/Stadtgrenze/Landsberger Allee) or M10 (direction Warschauer Straße). Exit at Naturkundemuseum (M5) or Nordbahnhof (M8/M10). (approx. 13 minutes)
- S-Bahn: Take S5 or S7 in the direction of Alexanderplatz/Ostkreuz. Transfer to S1 (direction Oranienburg/Frohnau) or S2 (direction Bernau/Buch) or S25 (direction Hennigsdorf) at Friedrichstraße. All located at the basement. Exit at Nordbahnhof.
Other lines include
- U-Bahn: Take the U6 (direction Alt-Tegel - Alt-Mariendorf) and exit at U Naturkundemuseum.
- Tram: Take M10 or M8. Exit at the last stop Nordbahnhof. Take M6 and exit Naturkundemuseum.
From Nordbahnhof on foot
- Exit Nordbahnhof toward Invalidenstrasse.
- Take left on Invalidenstrasse and follow it for approximately 100 m. Then you reach our building. The main entrance is located near the three flags.
- Due to contraction please inform yourself before your trip. For more information about public transportation, please visit the Berlin Transport Association; http://www.bvg.de/en
By car
- Destination address for route guidance systems:
Caroline-Michaelis-Str. 1
10115 Berlin