Since its initiation in 1997 by returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Florence Reed, SHI has assisted families in rural farming communities in Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama.  SHI's local field trainers have helped families to plant more than 2 million trees and convert thousands of acres of land to sustainable uses, thereby saving tens of thousands of acres from slash-and-burn destruction.  With organic vegetable gardens, wood-conserving stoves, community loan funds and a host of other projects, participants dramatically improve their quality of life while restoring the environment.

There are three key elements that make Sustainable Harvest International's projects stand out: