Agros Blog

Today Agros received the incredible honor of being one of 22 award recipients at the 2008 World Bank Development Marketplace competition. Program Director Laurie Werner and Agros Mexico Director Sergio Sanchez were on hand in Washington, D.C to receive the $200,000 award. As follows:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Agros International wins prestigious World Bank Development Marketplace 2008 Award
$200,000 grant will benefit indigenous rural families in Chiapas, Mexico

SEATTLE, WA – An innovative Agros International proposal to create two sustainable farming communities in Chiapas, Mexico was one of 22 award winners at the 2008 World Bank Development Marketplace competition.

Out of 1,800 applicants and 100 finalists, the Agros International project was awarded $200,000 in seed funds to provide long-term land loans and holistic development support to Guatemalan refugees living in Chiapas, Mexico. “Lack of access to farmable land seriously undermines the ability of these refugee families to break free from the cycle of poverty. This award will enable 60 families in two new Agros villages to work their way out of poverty,” explains Agros President, Greg Rake. “Agros is deeply honored to be one of the 22 Development Marketplace award recipients. This award will have a profound impact on the landless, poor in Chiapas, Mexico.”

The Agros development model is a uniquely holistic approach to alleviating rural poverty. By providing long-term land loans to the poor along with integrated technical services and training, entire communities are empowered to escape the devastating effects of extreme poverty.

Founded by Seattle lawyer Chi-Dooh Li in 1982, Agros International has previously won recognition for providing “lasting solutions to poverty” from an alliance of the World Bank, the UNDP, and the Inter-American Foundation. The Agros model has been implemented successfully in 37 village communities throughout Central America and Mexico, impacting over 8,500 people.

The World Bank Development Marketplace is a competitive grant program administered by the World Bank and supported by various partners that identify and fund innovative, early-stage projects with high potential for development impact. Since its inception in 1998, the Development Marketplace has awarded close to $40 million (US) to more than 1,000 projects through global, regional and country level marketplaces.