Thanks to supporters like you, DESMI has been continuing several training projects at their agroecology centers. Ongoing projects over the year have included:

- A coffee growing training where the community members participating not only have the opportunity to learn hands-on how to grow coffee organically, but they are also selling the coffee and generating some income to help continue to run one of the Agroecology Centers.

- Community members are also continuing to receive training on organic fertilizers and pest repellents using locally available and renewable resources instead of having to rely on expensive chemical fertilizers and repellents. After the trainings, the community members have then gone on disseminate their new skills in their communities, reaching far more people than in the initial trainings.

- Additionally, DESMI reports success with chicken-care training and vaccination campaigns:

• Over 7,000 chickens were treated through chicken vaccination campaigns (to prevent Newcastle disease and smallpox) conducted in two municipalities (Akabalna and Benito Juarez) serving approximately 16 communities. • 5 technical assistance sessions on chicken care were conducted with 105 community members (60 men and 45 women representing 68 families) participating. Training included methods to improve chicken coops (drinking trough, nests for eggs, etc) as well as chicken hygiene and maintenance. • As a result of the chicken vaccination campaign and technical assistance sessions, 16 communities saw a lessening of disease and increased numbers of chickens in their chicken-raising projects, resulting an immediate improvement in nutrition with the addition of egg and returns on their investment in a fairly short timeframe. Additionally, many members have reported how important the chicken coops are as they allow women to multitask in the backyard by planting fruits and vegetables.

Thank you. With your help, indigenous families in Chiapas have been able to improve their capacity to implement sustainable, non-toxic methods for cultivating staple foods and vegetables and/or raising farm animals.

But there is more still to be done. DESMI has supplied us with details of their current activities and we have post new project information here: http://globalgiving.org/projects/sustainable-organic-agriculture-in-chiapas-mexico, project ID 6051.

Links:

• New DESMI Project