Glaciers are melting, oceans are rising, forests are burning, and storms are raging. And, it’s well-documented that climate change disproportionately affects the developing world—which means the families Agros serves are among those who suffer most.
Rick Steves knows that his love for worldwide travel contributes to climate change. Fortunately, Rick is also passionate about fighting climate change. In 2019, his company Rick Steves’ Europe announced their Climate Smart Commitment. The company explained, “Starting in 2020, Rick Steves’ Europe is investing $1 million a year out of our profits in a portfolio of carefully selected nonprofits that fight climate change through government advocacy and on-the-ground work. Our goal: to pay our fair share of the environmental cost that our travelers incur, and to do so in a way that empowers communities throughout the developing world.”
In Agros’ work in Central America, we’ve seen how climate change, agriculture, and poverty are deeply intertwined. Current farming methods do not meet the world’s growing demand for food, do not generate enough income for those growing the food, and contribute a third of all greenhouse emission worldwide.
We have also seen that Agros’ work can be part of solving these problems!
With Rick Steves support in 2020, we…
· Established a vermicompost production and training facility
· Created a tree nursery that produced 41,000 seedlings
· Built a water irrigation system
· Installed a hydroponic module
In 2021, Rick’s support will help us teach farmers the technical skills required to ensure these programs are maintained, and we’ll optimize and expand the hydroponic module. You can read more about Rick Steves’ Climate Smart Commitment and his work with Agros International here.