Regenerative Agriculture in Panamá
We were thrilled to partner with Sustainable Harvest International (SHI) in Panamá to support Phase I of their regenerative agriculture training program, led by Daysbeth López (pictured above). As a veteran Field Trainer, Daysbeth has fifteen years of experience training farmers in regenerative practices that protect local environments, draw down carbon, and increase resilience to the effects of climate change.
For this project, a new cohort of 35 farming families in Cerro del Medio and Cerro Corral were selected for regenerative agriculture training, which began in May 2020. While COVID-19 posed serious challenges for many families, Daysbeth reported that “regenerative organic agriculture has become very important in [their] communities. The participant families show us how much all of this has helped, that from over the last year, all they have been doing has helped them to face [the pandemic] because they have their crops, fruit, and vegetables close to home.”
After the families were selected, a baseline analysis was completed with each of them, which involved collecting information on their socioeconomic, health, education, environmental, and agricultural status. This information will be critical over the next five years, as it will serve as a reference point for measuring impact and change.
The third key activity for Phase I was creating a farm plan based on the baseline assessments in partnership with each farming family. These Phase I activities will create the foundational knowledge and relationships for the following four phases during which farming families learn deeper skills in regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, income generation and business planning, and leadership. All 35 families in Cerro del Medio and Cerro Corral are well positioned to continue their partnership with SHI in the coming years, and we look forward to continuing to support this crucial work. On to Phase II!
This project was supported through our Regenerative Agriculture program.