NICARAGUA
Since 2000, we have partnered with PROLEÑA to plant trees, design, manufacture, and distribute clean cookstoves, and promote renewable energy and resource efficiency throughout Nicaragua. In addition to pressure from agriculture and ranching, the country’s forests are at risk due to harvesting of trees for fuelwood, both for cooking at the household level and for industries. Climate change has led to severe cycles of drought and flooding, resulting in the loss of soil fertility and annual crops, affecting vulnerable rural farmers.
During our time together, we have built a cookstove manufacturing facility in Managua, four tree nurseries throughout the country, have partnered with industry and farmers to create closed-loop woodlots for sustainable fuel production, and have bought and sold solar energy systems for on and off-grid applications.
3,795,504 TREES
Our tree nurseries educate communities about the positive impacts of reforestation and the responsible management of forest resources.
In early 2018, we launched a formal partnership with organic spice company, Doselva, to help transition 1,500 coffee farmers and their families in Nicaragua and Honduras to spice agroforestry as an income diversification strategy (with spices such as ginger, cardamom and vanilla). We provide farmers with capital (financing, tools, and training) to reduce barriers to entry and to minimize risk by ensuring payments are made to farmers immediately upon harvest. Doselva provides an aggregation point, processing, and a path to market for the spices, generating revenue to reinvest in the value chain.
In 2020 we partnered with La Cuculmeca, a non-profit organization founded with the purpose of carrying out educational, communication actions to contribute to the formation of a culture based on ideas, values, customs and conceptions of sustainable human development, the environment and natural resources, equality between genders and between generations and in particular for the development and projection of the Department of Jinotega.
Other programs with La Cuculmeca include:
Working on food security, buying native seeds to ensure that seed banks are replenished and delivering to the communities.
Helping with the distribution of basic grains and food for Hurricane relief.
Training youth and families in the Dry Corridor in Jinotega in building eco-technologies, such as “biojardineras”, improved cookstoves, eco-toilets, and improved kilns, and their importance and benefits.