Action Against Hunger / Action Contre la Faim (ACF) was founded in France in 1979 among the so-called “second generation” humanitarian organizations— those agencies whose identities were forged in response to the perceived limits of traditional humanitarianism. Seeking a less deferential role for humanitarian actors, these organizations sought a brand of humanitarian politics that could influence political actors and outcomes, not just mitigate atrocities on the ground. The resulting organizational shift revolutionized how humanitarian professionals responded to international crises and interacted with key actors, institutions, and agencies.

Action Against Hunger’s founding took this evolution even further. While hunger had been addressed in general campaigns against poverty and poor public health, Action Against Hunger was established specifically to combat hunger worldwide, leading the way in defining the terrain, developing appropriate strategies, conducting vital field research, and delivering life-saving programs.

A Common Network, An Uncommon Approach
Named for the original member of the International Network, Action contre la Faim, or ACF, the ACF International Network shares an overall vision of a world without hunger, collaborating closely and sharing human resources, logistics, and technical capacity. As a non-governmental, non-profit, non-religious organization, our International Network is committed to principled humanitarian action as outlined in our International Charter of Principles: Independence, Neutrality, Non-Discrimination, Free and Direct Access to Victims, Professionalism, and Transparency.

Today there are five organizations that make up The ACF International Network (ACF-IN), with headquarters in France (ACF-France), Spain (ACF-Spain), the United Kingdom (ACF-UK), the United States (ACF-USA), and Canada (ACF-Canada). Recognized as a world leader in the fight against hunger, the ACF International Network has pursued its vision of a world without hunger for nearly three decades, combating hunger in emergency situations of conflict, natural disaster, and chronic food insecurity. Our 6,000 field staff—seasoned professionals and technical experts in the fields of water and sanitation, food security, public health, and nutrition—work in over 40 countries to restore dignity, self-sufficiency, and independence to vulnerable populations around the world.