Promote Sustainable Agriculture in Chiapas, Mexico

Promoto sustainable agriculture Mexico

Summary

Help train subsistence farmers on eco-friendly farming methods. This improves the income and health of families, protects the rainforest and conserves resources for future generations. progress reportread updates from the field

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More Information About this Project

Project Needs and Beneficiaries

Over one million Mayan indigenous people live as subsistence farmers in the resource-rich state of Chiapas, where poverty rates are the highest in Mexico. Despite a strong indigenous rights movement, marginalization, malnutrition and illiteracy are still the norm. With the support of DESMI, Mayan communities are organizing their own sustainable development projects.

Activities

DESMI will provide loans and training for organic coffee, corn, vegetable, livestock, and wood-saving stove projects. Training topics include ecological issues, gender equity, health and nutrition, and financial management.

Funding Information

Total Funding Received to Date: $8,598
Remaining Goal to be Funded: $15,539
Total Funding Goal: $24,138

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).

Resources

Why this Project is Important

Potential Long Term Impact

• Improved health, nutrition, and self-sufficiency of families & communities • Expanded habitat for birds & other wildlife though organic coffee practices • Rainforest protection through sustainable cattle collectives and wood preservation from sto

Project Message

Thanks to DESMI, we are working collectively and progressing to improve the health conditions of the families that live in our community. You can see the unity of humanity when they work together.
- Adolfo, San Antonio LaReforma Development Committee Member

Who is Running This Project

Contact

Gillian Wilson
IDEX Latin America Program Director
827 Valencia Street, Suite 101
San Francisco, CA 94110
United States
415-824-8384
Email:

Project Sponsor

International Development Exchange (IDEX)

Organization

Econ & Social Development of Indigenous Mexicans
APDO. Postal 65 C.P. 29200
San Cristobal d.l. Casas, Chiapas Mexico
Mexico
52-967-67-81248
http://www.laneta.apc.org/desmiac

Econ & Social Development of Indigenous Mexicans's Funded Projects on GlobalGiving

Protect the Rainforest & Indigenous Health, Mexico
Protect the Rainforest & Indigenous Health, Mexico

Where this Project is Located

Country

This project is located in MexicoMexico and can also be found under Climate Change (GG Green)Climate Change (GG Green).

For more information about Mexico, read the Human Development Report on Mexico or the Wikipedia entry for Mexico.

When this Project was Updated

Last Updated

This project was last updated on November 16, 2009.

Date Added to GlobalGiving

This project was added to the GlobalGiving project catalog on September 20, 2004

Latest Update from the Field

Agriculture in San Francisco, Teopisca

By Gillian Wilson - Communications Director, November 16, 2009 01:19 PM

Thanks to your support, many exciting activities have been taking place.

In the community of San Francisco, Teopisca, 8 collective members are growing organic vegetables for training purposes. The update from the field reports that they grew 3,100 red and white onions using vermicomposting (composting with worms) and they had very good results. Through support from DESMI, they learned how to add sheep and cow manure into the compost together with the worms. The benefit of this is to help multiply the worms, producing even more rich compost.

The land they cultivate is owned by the collective and distributed equally between the collective members. The collective will now try to grow maize with organic fertilizers.

They are currently in the process of learning how to save seeds so they don't have to spend money to buy seeds. For example, they are letting the onion flowers grow so they can collect the seeds to plant again. In addition to onions, they also grow beetroots, squash and lettuce.

This project was started as a response to women not being able to afford vegetables in the market. The practical solution was to grow their own produce. Now they have plenty of vegetables and are even able to share with their neighbors.

DESMI staff continues to support them in strengthening their work and with technical assistance. The group meets every Friday to talk about what plants they will grow, how they will prepare the soil, etc. This is but one of many successful organic agriculture projects that continues to be advance with your support!

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