Since its founding over 13 years ago, Sustainable Harvest International (SHI) has been working to provide farming families in Central America with the training and tools to preserve our planet’s tropical forests while overcoming poverty. Using a hands-on grassroots approach, the organization has focused its efforts on a broad range of activities, most of which concentrate on sustainable farming practices. Working towards this goal, the organization has done much to improve the livelihoods of farming families in Central America, while preserving and restoring natural ecosystems. The data that we have collected to track these changes has been limited, however, to anecdotal evidence and numbers such as how many trees have been planted and how many acres of been converted to sustainable farming. This “soft data” has been insufficient to track all of the broad impacts that SHI is working to achieve.

In order to measure the organization’s broader impacts, the Field Program is implementing a new integrated system to measure the short, medium and long-term impacts of the program. This data will be used to build on the most successful part of our program and strengthen those that do not meet our goals. The results of one of our first steps in implementing this new system are documented in the full Graduate Report, which demonstrates SHI’s and its Honduras Affiliate (FUCOHSO)’s long-term impact with some of the first families to graduate from our program.

In 2008 the Honduran program, or FUCOHSO graduated numerous participant families who had either met pre-established goals or surpassed the allotted time of assistance. Approximately 350 families in 18 communities graduated after having received over six years of technical assistance in sustainable farming, diversification and commercialization of crops, rural banking and more.

Graduate Survey Objective:
To define and assess the level of medium and long term impacts of Sustainable Harvest International’s work in the areas of the environment, agroecology, food security, livelihood and capacity learning with graduate families.

Within the context of the previously mentioned goal, the organization aspires to:

• Determine to what extent families continue to implement sustainable farming techniques
• Compare family income now with what they were generating several years ago
• Assess quality of life
• Better understand the strengths and weaknesses of its program
• Understand participant perception of the organization post graduation

Results:

• 20% graduates from 8 communities were visited and evaluated
• Average age of interviewed graduate was 48 (youngest 26 and oldest 70)
• Average level of education was no greater than 5th grade and two cases where persons had no formal education
• Approximately 75% of graduates no longer slash and burn and those that do, practice it on a minimal and controlled scale (still not ideal)
• Most community members no longer practice slash and burn practice, primarily as a result of graduates sharing knowledge with others
• Over 80% of participants have left a portion of their land as forest preserve and / or are utilizing multi-story / agroforestry techniques (two families did not have land set aside for preservation purposes due to minimal land that they owned.
• Families on average had planted 462 trees, with three of them participating in collective tree planting projects.  Also, 90% of the graduates mentioned having shade grown coffee in areas ranging in size - 3/4 acres to 8.
• Graduates still were practicing soil conservation techniques like terracing, mulching, and rotation.
• Families were able to sufficiently grown enough produce and grains to feed their families 80%.  During certain times of the year (dry season), some families are unable to produce due to lack of water and therefore must purchase grains from other local farmers.  On a positive note, money is being recirculated in the communities through these local markets.
• Overall, family livelihoods and well being had improved.  Graduates noted that their income has risen, though not astronomically but sufficient enough to meet basic needs such as education, health, etc.  On average, families saw their income increase by 37%, with two families having increased income by over 100% as a result of increased commercialization.
• Factors for improving livelihoods include:  rural bank loans, small business start-ups (i.e. bakery, corn mill), and agricultural production (corn, beans, green coffee, passion fruit and pineapple).

SOME RESULTS MET OUR GREATEST HOPES FOR THE ORGANIZATION, WHILE OTHERS EVEN SURPASSED OUR GREATEST HOPES. SOME RESULTS DID FALL SHORT OF OUR EXPECTATIONS, BUT WE ACCEPT THIS AS A NATURAL PART OF DEVELOPING A NEW PROGRAM WITH LIMITED RESOURCES. WE ALSO FEEL CONFIDENT THAT SINCE THE TIME WE WORKED IN THESE COMMUNITIES, OUR FIELD PROGRAM HAS BEEN STRENGTHENED IN A WAY THAT WILL PRODUCE EVEN BETTER RESULTS IN THE FUTURE.

Download the FULL GRADUATE SURVEY here. (PDF)