Agros Blog

As we pause on this 39th anniversary of Earth Day to reflect on our commitment to a healthy environment, I’m reminded that in fact every day is ‘Earth Day’ in the developing world. When your very survival depends on the blessings borne from the land and its ecosystems you can’t help but have laser focus on cultivating, and respect for preserving, its sustained bounty.

But the reality is we remain in the throes of a mounting global food crisis as a large majority of the world’s population does not have access to a consistent food source. In fact, many international development organizations are now making the case to the G8 which Agros has long espoused in Central America and Mexico: the solution to ending the world’s food crisis is by investing in small farmers.

Today, nearly three quarters of the world’s poor live and work in rural areas and are dependent on the land for survival. Over two thirds of the rural population in the Central American and Mexican region Agros serves are landless and find themselves in extreme poverty. To break the resulting cycle of poverty passed on from generation to generation, it’s essential that we empower the rural poor with the tools necessary to lift themselves out of poverty through sustainable measures.

Because people are naturally inclined to take better care of a resource that is their own, we believe the first step toward upholding environmental sustainability begins with land ownership. To that end, the unique Agros development model builds long-term assets ensuring access to land, affordable credit, and technical training proven to support sustainable land stewardship.

Do your part — celebrate Earth Day by investing in rural families who employ sustainable agricultural practices today and reap the rewards for many tomorrows to come!

• Plant a dozen trees
• Buy an acre of land
• Enrich soil with organic worm composting
• Provide business and agricultural sustainability training
• Reduce stove emissions and build composting latrines

Learn more at the Agros One Seed Gift Catalog!