Project Director Armando Astorga and Sr. Extensionist Julio Lopez discuss integrating the Seeds Program in diverse communities.
Countering Malnutrition and Food Insecurity
For many generations, rural Guatemalan communities have faced:
- Food insecurity
- Chronic malnutrition
- Physical stunting and cognitive impairment
While these factors have created a cascade of challenges with few long-term solutions, the Seeds for a Future Program has proven to be an effective solution wherever it's implemented.
Creating Sustainable Food Security and Proper Nutrition Involves Five Components:
• Permaculture Gardens - Extensionists train and mentor families for one year, sharing Permaculture and regenerative farming techniques for growing nutrition and healthy foods that can be mixed into traditional recipes.
• Small Animal Production - Extensionists train and demonstrate best practices for raising chickens, rabbits, and other small animals, which provide critical protein resources for physical growth, cognitive development, and improved overall health.
• Composting - Composting training allows appropriate household waste to improve garden soil and sustainability.
• Access to Potable Water - Leading-edge, affordable water filters curtail severe illnesses; not boiling water reduces deforestation and generates less smoke.
• Capturing Rain Water - vital for maintaining year-round water availability.
“We like Seeds for a Future very much because it
does not just give things, but it teaches us.”
How is Seeds for a Future Impacting the Challenges Facing Rural Guatemalans?
Since 2009, the Seeds for a Future Program has trained and empowered rural families and communities to create food security, address malnutrition, and build better lives.
While there are organizations supplying short-term aid relief to rural Guatemalans, Seeds for a Future provides long-term, one-on-one training and coaching along with critical up-front resources for the Program’s participants.
This long-term approach allows rural Guatemalans to sustainably generate their own food security, have healthy diets, and create new income opportunities.
Through taking personal action, Program participants are able to overcome many of the obstacles they face and live their lives with self-reliance.
As of 2024, over 5,200 families have graduated from the Program, which is currently operating in 19 communities throughout rural Guatemala.
What are the Impacts of the Seeds for a Future Program?
Program participants become self-reliant by creating the following outcomes for themselves:
- Sustainable food security
- Improved health and well-being
- New income opportunities
Of critical significance, with better food security and nutrition, fewer infants are born with stunting and health issues, while children and adults live healthier and more fulfilled lives.
A study of the Seeds for a Future Program using a randomized control trial was conducted from 2014 to 2017 by the internationally respected Institute for Nutrition in Central America and Panama (INCAP).
Funded by the Nestlé Foundation of Switzerland, INCAP’s research revealed that Seeds for a Future’s strategies and methods produce measurable positive improvements in the health of participating mothers and babies.
“This is the first time that an integrated health, nutrition, and agriculture project demonstrated a positive outcome in biochemical biomarkers in women and children, and therefore, there is a great potential for escalating the model to other regions.”
The Program also empowers women while allowing new opportunities for citizens who may have otherwise migrated abroad to stay in their communities.
What Makes the Seeds for a Future Program Successful?
The underlying goal of Seeds for a Future’s Program is for families to build better lives for themselves.
Participants are not simply exposed to new skills and information and then left on their own.
They’re closely supported to help them recognize and solve problems, to become comfortable and confident in their new skills and embed them into their daily thinking and routine.
As each family gains confidence with their crops, animals, and life skills, they share their knowledge with extended family and neighbors. It’s a chain-reaction effect, spreading throughout the entire community.
Fostering Community Development
The success of the Program also includes many factors for achieving acceptance and sustainability within communities:
Sensitivity to the cultural context
Relevance to needs and interests
Ethnic, political, and religious neutrality
Use of appropriate learning techniques such as learn-by-doing and guided observation
Design for affordability and the reinforcing effect of early success
Experience has shown these factors are also critical for the program’s success:
Field teams are local to the area and trained to model mutual respect
Encouraging innovation and learning from failure as well as success
Self-selection by families indicates a willingness to learn and do their part
Encouraging the sharing of both knowledge and resources
The Program’s integration and reach into the communities it serves have not been a matter of luck!
The hard work and persistence of the team have evolved a unique, long-term food security and wellness program that's continuing to grow and transform.
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