Sustainable, Humane, and Organic Agriculture Movement (SHOAM)
Project Description
Fifty agricultural families, ranging from 5-10 members in size, will learn to purify water, build solar water-heaters, harvest bio-gas, and produce organic fertilizers for personal use and commerce. These fertilizers, in both solid and liquid form, will be distributed over time to the greater surrounding areas, and eventually throughout the entire province of Imbabura, Ecuador (population 14,000). Replacing chemical fertilizers with organic solutions protects the health of the people and the land in highly bio-diverse areas of the world.
This is a remarkable and holistic approach to philanthropy created by the people who have lived in Villa Flora. The Vashon Island Rotary Club in collaboration with the Quito Rotary Club of Ecuador has chosen coffee producers in Villa Flora, Ecuador to pilot the SHOAM project. In the future, SHOAM will broaden its base to other agricultural locations within Guatemala.
The pilot is expected to run 1-2 years. As part of the sustainable model, Rotary will provide leadership, monitoring, and the supplies for water purification, solar water-heaters, bio-gas extraction, and fertilizer production. The Quito School of Chemical Engineering will teach the villagers all the necessary skills to create the sustainable model. The villagers contribute through labor and learning. Each family will maintain a biomass digester system.
Benefits
The Villa Flora community grows a variety of consumables including coffee. Currently the standard farming practice includes use of commercial chemical fertilizers for production. The local area already boasts an organic coffee co-operative. The SHOAM project will allow villagers of Villa Flora to meet the co-operative’s organic requirement. In addition, fertilizer production is expected to exceed the local need, providing a surplus for sale. This would bring in an estimated $2000 US per month to the impoverished villagers.
The SHOAM project helps protect and replenish the very land the coffee is grown on, by switching over to natural fertilizers. Organic fertilizer sales are a win-win solution to halt the exposure of chemicals to the people and the planet.
It is commonly known that impoverished people are at higher risk for disease, human trafficking, and loss of opportunity. Bringing families out of poverty keeps children safe and offers them a pursuit of knowledge and happiness.
Readers can help by
We invite you to be a part of this exciting project with your contributions. Please donate through our web link or contact Jessica Bolding. Buying coffee directly from Café Rio Intag supports the Intag-based organic coffee co-operative.
Project Contact:
Jessica Bolding
Email:
info@climbforasustainablefuture.org
Project URL:
climbforsustainablefuture.org
Project Name:
Sustainable, Humane, and Organic Agriculture Movement (SHOAM)
Location:
Ecuador, Flora Villa and Intag Cloud Forest Reserve, Ecuador
Project Impact:
Fifty agricultural families, ranging from 5-10 members.
