Agros Blog

At the gracious invitation and arrangement of Mario Fajardo , owner of the Honduran eco-tourist ranch, La Estancia El Pedregal,  an interview of a recent Agros Vision Trip was conducted by two members of a Honduran national daily newspaper, and local television news station, the Diario Tiempo.

Participants on that Agros trip were Bellevue business leader, Barry Rowan, Harvard Graduate students and representatives from Menlo Park Presbyterian Church and  Bay area businesses.  Enjoy the following translation of this special coverage, benefiting all involved!

Below is a translation of the article from the Diario Tiempo. To read the article in Spanish click here. 

TRINIDAD, SANTA BARBARA. A group of Harvard students have recently come to get an understanding and evaluate the work of  Agros International in the village of Trinidad, where less than 25 agricultural families have been able to acquire land, diversify crops, and who are currently in the process of, it is hoped,  escaping poverty.

It is interesting the work they are doing to help poor farmers become empowered. To see that they are helped and that they surpass themselves. We have seen Agros’ development methods in Honduras and we hope to apply their development model elsewhere”, says Sui-Jade Ho, who is a masters student in Public Administration and International Development.

The Harvard students, who originate from the United States, France, Austria, Bahamas and Canada shared a lot with the farmers, through conversation, and saw how they are gradually leaving poverty.

In the past, other Harvard students who have had this experience have returned home to become collaborators in these projects. This group spent a week in the village of La Estancia El Pedregal, Trinidad, Santa Barbara.

INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT

Agros International is an NGO headquartered in Seattle, Washington that has been operating in Honduras since 2003.

Agros works to organize landless farmers and help them acquire workable land so they can generate income for themselves and their families. Agros buys the lands and the farmers pay back the loan, which is financed at an interest rate of 6 percent per year, in a period of 7 to 10 years. Agros also extends credit for productive purposes and these loans are financed at 9 percent per year.

Joel Martinez, director of Agros Honduras, explains that the farmers with whom they work used to only plant corn and beans for their sustenance only, but the agronomists from Agros have taught them how to cultivate coffee, bananas, maracuyá, yucca, and how to raise cattle and they are planning on plating fine coco.

Agros Honduras not only shows them new agricultural techniques, but also how to sell what they produce so that “coyotes” do not take advantage of them. For example, the coffee growers of Trinidad have obtained a trade alliance with a local export cooperative who pays them U.S. $132 per quintal (in line with the retention rate of the Coffee Institute of Honduras), while the “coyotes” normally  pay a Little more than U.S. $100.

David Carlson, Donor Relations National Director, Agros International, indicated that the organization also seeks to increase nutrition levels in children, to teach women how to improve their families living situation, and increase women’s self-esteem levels through workshops and meetings that are held every week and in this occasion were attended by the Harvard students.

Aside from  improving  agricultural techniques, after a community settles down, Agros directly invests (it does not charge the farmers) in the installation of pipes and the  construction of water tanks for  the houses and for irrigation. In addition, they help to construct washbasins and improved cooking stoves, to optimize families living standards.

The organization accompanies the farmers for a maximum of ten years, in this time they hope the farmers can change their methods of life, become landowners, and leave poverty.

OTHER AGROS MUNICIPALITIES

Agros is not only in Trinidad, they actually serve in many municipalities. Altogether there are 97 families who receive support.

Trinidad   60 individuals

Gualala   80 individuals

Santa Bárbara  140 individuals (new projects)

Masaguara      80 individuals

AGROS WORKS IN:

1-México (en Chiapas)

2-Guatemala

3-Honduras

4-El Salvador

5-Nicaragua

FIGURES

Agros has invested 350 thousand US dollars in the financing of land loans and 100 thousand US dollars in cultivation and cattle ranching. They give a two year grace period on capital  and a year grace period on interest.