latin america

Latin America encompasses a diverse mix of countries, ancestries, ethnic groups, and races. Many of Latin America’s poorest groups are rural, indigenous communities who often don’t speak the official language of the country where they live. These marginalized farmers are largely dependent on agriculture as a means of subsistence, and—when that fails—any revenue they can get is from selling cut trees as fuel wood. Rampant tree cutting has left entire hillsides desolate and barren. Subsequent erosion and loss of soil fertility has further entrenched farmers in a vicious cycle of poverty and deforestation. Plant With Purpose breaks the cycle by creating opportunities for income that are environmentally sustainable. With our innovative agroforestry training, we’ve helped over 250 families improve the fertility and production capacity of their plots to make better use of the limited space available for growing food.

Mexico
Oaxaca is an area rich in cultural history, with more indigenous languages than any other Mexican state. But Oaxaca also has the greatest emigration rate in all of Mexico and a vast 76.9% of the population suffers from malnutrition. Working in collaboration with 44 Mixtec communities, Plant With Purpose’s integrated Oaxacan program uses a variety of environmentally sustainable, income-generating activities to train farmers to work with, not against, the land. One innovative and successful project is handicraft training. Women in these groups learn to make intricately woven pine needle baskets, which they sell to supplement their income and provide for their families.