Creating a community learning center for sustainable agriculture in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala

As Earth month comes to an end, we’re happy to announce a new initiative that Pueblo a Pueblo is working on: creating a learning center to teach sustainable agricultural methods to the local community. Monthly workshops will take place in our community garden, with the aim to empower the next generation to create sustainable food systems.

Here’s why sustainable agriculture is important, and how we help the local community in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala create more sustainable food systems.

Pueblo a Pueblo’s community garden, where our educational workshops will be held

What is sustainable agriculture, and why is it important?

Modern agriculture is often associated with deforestation, loss of biodiversity, habitat loss, and environmental degradation through the use of chemicals. Sustainable agriculture helps mitigate these problems by feeding the community while also protecting the environment. The goal is to create a balance between environmental protection and community needs.

Traditional agriculture often results in the removal of native plants, particularly plants that don’t have a use for humans, to make room for food crops. However, in the absence of such plants, native fauna may no longer have a food source and become vulnerable to endangerment. To resolve this issue, sustainable agriculture encourages a balance between native plants and food crops. 

Such biodiversity also creates natural resistance to pests, enabling pesticide-free farming. In addition, sustainable farming employs the use of organic fertilizers made from compost, as opposed to chemical fertilizers that harm the soil and water quality.

Together, these practices help create a healthier environment and a more resilient food system, providing food security for generations to come.

How our community garden helps build a healthier environment and society

The original function of our community garden was to provide access to affordable, nutritious food for marginalized communities. However, this project unfortunately came to a halt due to the COVID pandemic. Now, we hope to transform our garden into an educational tool to teach the community the skills and knowledge needed to create their own sustainable food systems.

Alternating groups of our scholarship students come by our garden every day to take care of the plants using organic farming methods. This includes watering as needed, letting native plants grow between crop fields, and using organic fertilizer produced through composting. The students are instructed by professor Jorge Letona, a local teacher that has dedicated his life to studying and teaching sustainable agriculture. 

Through their gardening responsibilities, our young beneficiaries learn practical skills for sustainable agriculture; and whatever harvest our garden produces is given back to the students and their families.

The impact of our sustainable, biodiverse garden can be seen immediately: often, wild native bees - called melipona - can be seen in our garden feeding on the native plants scattered throughout. Their presence is evidence of a healthy, balanced ecosystem.

Educational workshops: Empowering the community and preserving ancestral knowledge

This year, we will launch monthly workshops to teach the community principles of sustainable agriculture. Participants will learn practical organic farming methods, as well as the importance of sustainable practices.

In addition, we hope to protect and promote ancestral knowledge of native medicinal plants. These plants, long used by the local Maya population as natural remedies, are now at risk of being forgotten. This is due to the rise in modern pharmacies and the lack of written documentation about these plants, as traditional knowledge has historically been passed down orally. By cultivating native medicinal plants in our garden and teaching their uses, we hope to continue to pass on knowledge about these holistic medicines.

All in all, our goal is to transform our garden into a community learning center, where experts and community members can hold workshops and educational events. Our hope is to empower the community to create a healthier environment and more sustainable food system, while ensuring that traditional knowledge lives on.

Support our work in creating sustainable food systems in Santiago Atitlán

In order to better serve our community, we need your help. At this point, our garden project is still small and just beginning. Your donation helps us scale our operations for a bigger impact and continue our work for the long term.

Please consider showing your support by donating to our funds, or sharing our work with people you know.

We are immensely grateful for your help!