Talks and Workshops

The lecture begins with a look at the global and local impacts of slash-and-burn agriculture. It then focuses on Sustainable Harvest International's unique and successful model for reversing this harmful trend.

Some of the strategies for success that we discuss include: 1) Working only with people who have specifically asked for technical assistance to adopt sustainable land-use practices. 2) Encouraging participants to decide which new methods will work best for them instead of using a cookie-cutter approach. 3) Working with local institutions and hiring local experts to work with program participants. 4) Providing regular, long-term technical assistance until participants are comfortable using the new techniques on their own.

Sustainable Harvest International and the 670 Central American families with whom we work have planted nearly one million trees and converted thousands of acres of degraded land to sustainable land-use practices, thereby saving tens of thousands of acres of tropical forest from slash-and-burn farming. Participating families enjoy increased income (up to 2000%) from alternative cash crops as well as better health due to greater and more varied food crop production.