Sustainable Livelihoods for 100 Families

Dear GlobalGiving Supporters,

We hope this message finds you well and wish you a bright year ahead!

In the community of Santa María Dolores, Ixcán, smallholder farmers are adopting agroforestry practices that not only strengthen food security but also restore the land on which they depend. Your support makes it possible for families farming just a few cuerdas of land to test, learn, and apply these approaches in ways that fit their daily realities.

We’d like to share the story of Don Carlos, a small-scale farmer who relies on his land to feed his family.

For many years, Don Carlos believed corn could only be grown on cleared land without trees. This meant rising fertilizer costs and soils that became weaker with each season, putting added pressure on household food security.

After one year of implementing an agroforestry system with EcoLogic’s technical support, he began to see clear changes in his parcel. By integrating trees with his corn, organic matter from leaf litter and managed pruning improved soil structure and moisture retention. The soil became easier to work, germination improved, and labor demands decreased. These changes helped lower production costs while improving yields, an important outcome for families farming at a subsistence level.

Just as meaningful was a shift in perspective. As Don Carlos shared during a follow-up visit, “Before, I saw trees as an obstacle. Now I see them as allies.”

Earlier this year, technical visits focused on establishing fruit trees such as lemon, mandarin, orange, red mamey, and plantain. As the agroforestry system matured, Don Carlos began harvesting his first plantains and applying pruning techniques learned through trainings and ongoing field support.

Today, his agroforestry parcel is beginning to provide multiple benefits. He expects continued harvests of food, organic products, firewood, and additional income, while safeguarding the long-term productivity of his soil.

Don Carlos’ experience reflects how agroforestry can support smallholder subsistence farmers by reducing reliance on external inputs, strengthening food security, and restoring degraded land. With your continued partnership, families in Ixcán are demonstrating that food production and forest recovery can move forward together in practical, lasting ways.

Thank you for making this work possible.