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 Overview Country ProgramsBelizeHondurasNicaraguaPanamáTechniquesPhotos
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Sustainable Harvest International779 North Bend Road 
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INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS - COUNTRY PROGRAMS
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A. Local Field Personnel (Extensionists) To
ensure that the techniques the program teaches are implemented in an
efficient and culturally appropriate manner, SHI hires local residents
to be extensionists. Extensionists are trained professionals who
provide on-site, hands-on training. Local residents possess an
intimate understanding of the local geography, customs and
circumstances of the participants that allows them to work very
effectively. SHI extensionists visit each participant's fields to
provide direct hands-on training at least twice a month for three to
five years. Extensionists are hired based on a combination of
education and sustainable farming experience. Resumes are
collected from interested candidates, and following an interview
process, the best-qualified candidate is offered the position. SHI provides training in appropriate land-use techniques,
community relations and organizational skills for new extensionists
before work commences. Each extensionist is also given an SHI Field
Manual that explains SHI's philosophy, personnel policies, goals,
objectives, plans, forms for documentation of their work and many of
the techniques that have been used in the field program.In order to remain current with practical applications of ecologically appropriate land-use practices, SHI extensionists receive continuing education. SHI provides funds for extensionists to attend continuing education activities throughout the year, including workshops, classes, seminars and field trips to model farms, co-ops and processing plants. SHI also subscribes to and provides extensionists with access to technical journals that address relevant topics. Additionally, all extensionists annually attend at least one group training session. The training incorporates classroom work and hands-on instruction in a variety of areas, such as the establishment and maintenance of tree nurseries, forestry plantations and organic vegetable farms. During these trainings, extensionists also learn how to help participants do things such as organize co-ops, establish community banks, pursue organic and Fair Trade certification, implement the use of appropriate technology processing mechanisms and understand marketing. B. Long-Term Technical Assistance Transforming agricultural practices from traditional slash-and-burn or modern chemically aided methods to sustainable farming takes time. Farmers need to acclimate to the new techniques and require on-going support to address their questions and concerns. Therefore, SHI commits to providing an extensionist to work regularly with participants for a period of three to five years. Thereafter, participants will continue to have access to extension agents and the SHI information network as needed. SHI's long-term approach ensures that the techniques take root in the community and will continue to flourish after the years of technical assistance are completed. When starting the program in a new area, extensionists meet with community leaders and potential participants to assess the social, environmental and economic conditions and goals of the community. The extensionists then work with each participating family to plan the work they will do during the coming months and years to fulfill both local needs and SHI's mission. Work is initially focused on the nutritional needs of the family, before income generating endeavors and broader environmental projects are undertaken. Recognizing the long-term physical, emotional, social and economic effects of malnutrition, SHI places great importance on teaching participants how to sustainably grow vegetables and staple food crops. Participants learn sustainable techniques to produce basic grains, such as corn, beans and rice and learn how to organically produce garden vegetables. Many participants are also learning how to build and tend fishponds to produce fresh fish. After the primary concern of nutrition is addressed participants begin to learn additional skills that will increase their income while continuing to restore health to their environment. C. Sustainable Agriculture Sustainable Harvest International promotes a variety of sustainable agriculture techniques that protect and restore the ecological balance of the land. These techniques enable participants to cultivate the same piece of land indefinitely, eliminating the need to slash and burn more forest. When correctly implemented, sustainable agriculture techniques improve the families' nutrition and income by working with, instead of fighting, the natural environment.  All SHI
participants learn to restore and maintain the ecological health of
their farmland. Extensionists work with participants on a variety of
practices. For instance, erosion control barriers made from
rocks, living trees or other materials keep topsoil from washing away.
Cover crops, mulch and compost improve soil health, thus keeping
crops healthy and resistant to pests and diseases. Crop rotation
prevents mineral depletion and pest infestation. A variety of
integrated pest management techniques, including the production of
natural pesticides made from local plants and inexpensive household
products, help participants avoid using dangerous and expensive
chemical pesticides.SHI participants are also encouraged to incorporate trees into their farms using a variety of agroforestry systems. One example is multistory cropping, which mimics the interdependence of a natural tropical rainforest. Long-lived, valuable hardwood trees make up the overstory that shades a story of fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing trees that fertilize the soil and provide a renewable source of firewood. The under story of shade-loving crops, such as coffee and cacao ensures a steady income for participants. Other plants, such aspepper, vanilla and ginger thrive in the multistory system. Multistory cropping has the added boon of protecting hillsides and watersheds from erosion and runoff, in addition to providing wildlife habitat. D. Reforestation As of early 2004, SHI extensionists and participants have worked together to plant over 1,000,000 trees in Central America. The vast majority of these trees have been planted on land degraded by slash-and-burn agriculture and logging. These trees will restore natural water cycles, stabilize microclimate and provide habitat for the flora and fauna of the tropical rainforests. SHI participants receive extensive training on how to construct and manage nurseries, how to transplant the seedlings for the highest survival rate and how to care for the trees in the first vital years of development. E. Development of Business Skills SHI participants have always provided feedback, expressing gratitude for their improved nutrition and ecological conditions that allow them to produce more than ever before on their land. However, they have also said that they have very limited access to markets that will compensate them fairly for their products and that SHI should help them with that side of farming also. Individually, SHI participants lack the quantity of crops and transportation necessary to sell directly to a wholesale buyer or processor. Traditionally, intermediaries called coyotes fill this gap, paying the farmers bottom dollar for their crops. In response, SHI now teaches marketing  concepts and skills to interested
participants. For example, farmers working with SHI can learn to
identify and assess markets in order to guide planting decisions. One
family used this strategy, deciding to plant Tabasco peppers along with
their other crops. They met with astounding success, earning over
$4,000 from the sale of their sustainably grown peppers. This
represents a significant step forward in area where the average annual
family income is around $500. SHI has also helped 115 families
organize into 10 cooperatives. These co-ops are formally
stuctured entities that enable the participants to pool their resources
to secure transportation for their products, helping them escape the
trap of the coyote.In June 2001, SHI responded to another need that had been expressed by participants - the need for access to credit. After 143 participants successfully completed a series of workshops arranged by SHI on how to manage community loan funds, SHI provided some seed money for the start of 12 such institutions. SHI provided $3,700 while participating families provided $1,000. Less than two years later with only a few hundred more dollars invested by SHI, there are now 173 families working with 15 community loan funds that collectively have approximately $8,500 available to participating families. F. Homestead Improvement Projects Participants also initiate homestead improvement projects that they deem beneficial. Wood-conserving stove construction has proved highly popular among participants, for example. Reducing the average amount of wood required for cooking by 50%, each stove saves ten trees per year from being cut for firewood. Additionally, the stoves' chimneys divert damaging smoke away from the women and children who would otherwise suffer lung and eye damage from an open fire in the home. Stove construction, at about US$25 per unit, presents a feasible opportunity for participants to conserve resources and reap the benefits. Recently, some families have also received assistance building biogas digesters that create methane from manure, providing gas for cooking stoves. Other popular projects include fishponds and rice paddies. Starting these projects involves hard work for the participants. However, the improved nutrition with fish protein and the eight-fold increase in rice production provide the motivation. With paddy rice, participants no longer have to burn hillsides to cultivate this basic grain. G. School Programs  Each
SHI extensionist also works in at least one school to instill
environmental awareness in children. These children bring the knowledge
of sustainable practices home with them, providing the opportunity for
families to learn alternatives to unsustainable methods.Honduran extensionists work with over 18 schools. In the community of Texoxingales, SHI is playing a role in improving the lives and diets of the 200 students and their families. Jacobo and Juan Carlos explain to us the importance of working with the younger generations to ensure the future of the community. "The children teach their parents what they see in school," Jacobo explains. With the support of the parents, teachers and SHI workers, the students have built a tree nursery. In the classroom they are learning about reforestation and working hands-on with the extension workers to plant seeds and make organic pesticides. The teacher explains that, "the children visualize their accomplishments as their plants grow." H. Outcomes and Evaluations While Sustainable Harvest International encourages individual extensionists to set work goals and develop strategies for meeting those goals, the organization also expects extensionists to meet specific program goals. Each extensionist must work with a minimum of five and a maximum of eight communities and at least one school. Extensionists must visit each community at least twice per month. The following are the minimum goals per community:  To measure results compared against these minimum goals, all extensionists submit detailed monthly and annual reports that include statistical information as well as narratives and program participant feedback. From these reports, SHI staff can assess accomplishments and address required improvements to the program. SHI quantitatively measures the following data:
Other results from SHI's program prove more difficult to track. Successful implementation of SHI's program results in fewer landslides and flooding during storms, increased carbon sequestration, an evenly regulated local climate and cleaner water sources through a reduction of siltation. Participants experience better health through improved nutrition, less contact with toxic agrochemicals and decreased smoke inhalation (wood conserving stoves). Increased family income allows families to pay for clothes, schooling and other items they could not previously afford. In addition to monitoring reports from the field, SHI's president, program director, other staff and Board members all make regular trips to the communities where SHI works. This allows them to spend time with SHI extensionists and participants, analyzing how the results reported on paper compare to actual changes in participants' lives. Donors are also welcome to visit SHI work areas and several have taken us up on this offer. |
Sustainable Harvest International is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent provided by law.
Copyright Sustainable Harvest International and Harbour Light Strategic Marketing 1998-2007.
This site is maintained by SHI staff using Savvy Web Content Manager.
Special thanks to Makali Bruton, our volunteer translator.
Smaller World: Reg. U.S. Pat. & T.M. Off
Read our Privacy Statement.
Copyright Sustainable Harvest International and Harbour Light Strategic Marketing 1998-2007.
This site is maintained by SHI staff using Savvy Web Content Manager.
Special thanks to Makali Bruton, our volunteer translator.
Smaller World: Reg. U.S. Pat. & T.M. Off
Read our Privacy Statement.