Small farmers in southern Honduras have begun to use organic fertilizer to improve their crops while promoting the creation of family farms in nearby villages. Feliciano Castillo, a small farmer in the municipality of Concepción de María in the southern department of Choluteca, one of the driest areas in the country, explained that the farmers have learned to produce organic fertilizer from fruit wastes, animal manure and other natural ingredients. “It has improved the quality our vegetable and grain crops,” Castillo told Tierramérica.

The United Nations and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock are providing the farmers with training and assistance in environmental management techniques, the reduction of crop waste burning to prevent soil erosion, and the introduction of organic fertilizer as a substitute for chemical products.