Sustainable Harvest International

Founded in 1997 by Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Florence Reed, Sustainable Harvest International addresses the tropical deforestation crisis in Central America by providing farmers with sustainable alternatives to slash-and-burn agriculture.

 Upon finishing her Peace Corps service, Reed sought to build upon the tremendous potential to create significant and permanent change throughout Central America. In Honduras, she met with a group of villages that wanted to implement sustainable techniques. Reed then cultivated interest in the project among a group of concerned university professors, small business owners, a member of the New Hampshire Belize teachers exchange, and non-profit executives. They formed a Board of Directors and Sustainable Harvest International was incorporated as a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization in May 1997. By then, SHI's first two field trainers had begun work in rural Honduras.

Since 1997, SHI has expanded its reach from the one program in Honduras to also include programs in Panama, Belize and Nicaragua. SHI has since established independent affiliates in Honduras, Nicaragua and Belize which, after a transition period, become responsible for their own management and funding. SHI thus facilitates implementation of a program that allows poor farmers to take responsibility for reversing environmental degradation and achieving economic viability within their own countries. 

Our Wesite: http://www.sustainableharvest.org/