Food Sovereignty
Localizing food systems and harnessing agroecology to fight rural poverty, improve health and care for the land
"Much of Patagonia remains wilderness and is home to more protected areas than industrial agriculture. Still, the region is entangled with the global food system, as its residents rely heavily on food produced outside the region.
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This significant ecological food footprint means that it takes more energy to grow and put food on the table than the very caloric energy that provides us with that same food: it is the very definition of unsustainable."
We are regenerating the lands of Patagonia by empowering a community to grow organic food through a community school garden, named Verde Esperanza (Green Hope) by the students, in collaboration with Chilean NGO Alma Verde Permacultura.
Students from Liceo Bicentenario Rural and community members in Villa Cerro Castillo can connect directly with the fruits of nature as viable and healthy food sources, in a way that is accessible, productive, and has a positive impact on their local environment.
In addition, as a complement to the "Clean Point" we built, the school can manage organic waste through composting and thus generate fertile soil for the vegetable garden.
Through hands-on, vegetable gardener-led workshops, along with educational programs on agroecology, youth will learn to better understand their relationship with food, land, and soil.
What We've Achieved
🪴 We built the "Green Hope" organic vegetable garden, which includes a greenhouse and compost bins, designed by architect Tomás Rodríguez.
🧑🌾 We hired and trained local gardening educator Antu Carrillo to care for the growing plants and lead agroecology education for students and community members.
🌳 We planted 9 varieties of culturally recognized medicinal plants and 10 native trees for restoration... and counting!
🌱 We grow 11 diverse varieties of seeds—and counting—for our seed bank, preserving biodiversity and ensuring the plants' resistance to the region's extreme climates.
🥕 We provide at least one harvest per month, improving the nutrition and quality of life of the residents.
💩 We produce 72 square meters of compost per season from organic materials, enriching and restoring the soil.
🧑🎓 We conduct 2 school classes per week in the garden, training future environmental stewards.
🧑🏫 We organized 6 community workshops at the garden to teach about composting, local medicinal plants, seed collection, environmental spaces for children, and more.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UN SDG)
We contribute to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) through the implementation of school and community gardens that promote food security, sustainable production, and agroecological education, strengthening access to nutritious and fresh food in rural communities.
