Semilla Nueva is an organization unified around a shared vision for an equitable and environmentally responsible society where people live in peace with dignity. Their mission is to help empower agricultural communities in Guatemala by jointly developing and implementing strategies that facilitate the achievement of community-defined objectives for natural resource conservation, economic prosperity, and social equality. They begin with agricultural and environmental management techniques that are easy to incorporate, and serve as a strong entry point for education about sustainable growing and environmental management. Through the process of rebuilding the health of agroecosystems and working with communities to understand and collectively manage their environmental resources, they hope to provide the resources to ensure long-term livelihood and food security while also fostering informed and democratic decision-making. Semilla Nueva will work closely with promotores (local volunteers who act as leaders in a given area of development such as health, education, or agriculture) in order to increase the capacity of rural communities to practice sustainable farming.
In September 2009, Guatemala’s President declared a “state of public calamity” due to severe droughts, soil degradation, and an attendant famine that has claimed the lives of nearly 500 people and put over 400,000 families at risk of “food insecurity”. Rural residents are intimately dependent on their surrounding ecosystems, and are thus particularly affected by environmental degradation. With 77% of rural subsistence farmers existing on areas smaller than 7 hectares, the need for resilient, productive, and efficient agroecosystems is clear. In response to these challenges, they have developed a plan to cultivate sustainable agricultural practices in rural communities that emphasize longevity. Semilla Nueva’s programs attempt to enable on-going community collaboration, organization, and mobilization. Inspiring these actions from communities closely correlates with successful implementation of sustainable agricultural systems, which in turn could sequester up to 9% of Guatemala’s CO2 emissions, rejuvenate agroecosystems, and provide safe non-toxic alternatives to agrochemicals.
Semilla Nueva’s work hinges on community participation, mobilization, and collaboration. Their past experience living, working, and learning within Central America has created long lasting relationships with the communities where they’ve worked. This connection with Central American culture has not only been a source of inspiration; it also enables them to effectively relate and maintain a positive community presence. Promotores will serve as both hosts to their volunteers as well as the primary interface to the community. They will work collaboratively with promotores to develop and implement projects to enable sustainable farming and encourage greater community participation and awareness. By developing robust communication, supporting local innovation, and invigorating active leadership they will help to install the infrastructure needed to secure the longevity of sustainable systems. Ultimately, it is the communities that are responsible for the continuation of any projects or methods that they help implement.
To learn more about Semilla Nueva, please visit their website.
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