About Us
Struggling families are given the technical assistance and materials they need to plant a variety of trees together with other crops such as coffee, cocoa, bananas, vanilla and ginger in an integrated system that provides food and income while protecting the environment.
Who We Are
Central America has lost more than half of its rainforests in the last 50 years, contributing to mass extinctions of species and global warming. However, the results are more immediate and equally devastating for local populations that depend on these forests for their survival.
Our Organization's Mission
The mission of Sustainable Harvest International (SHI) is to provide farming families in Central America with the training and tools to overcome poverty while restoring our planet's tropical forests.
Who We Serve
Since 1997, SHI has worked with more than 1,800 families and over 9,200 students in Honduras, Panama, Belize and Nicaragua implementing alternatives to slash-and-burn farming, the leading cause of rainforest destruction in the region. In addition to working with individual families, SHI works with women’s groups, cooperatives and tribal committees. Field trainers have also been invited into many village schools where they teach classes, establish school gardens and tree nurseries. In fact, one newly developed project is a garden plot in Bluefields, Nicaragua provided for local street children who want to learn to plant vegetables and enjoy the nutritious benefits of their efforts.
Our Programs
The 48 members of SHI's Central American staff have worked with more than 1,800 families in over 120 communities to implement sustainable land-use practices that alleviate poverty while restoring the environment. More than 600 families have graduated from the SHI program and no longer need assistance.
Leadership Profile
SHI's Founder and President, Florence Reed, is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer with degrees in Environmental Conservation and International Affairs. Her extensive field experience working with Central American farmers complements her professional background in fundraising and nonprofit management.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of Sustainable Harvest International is made up of individuals from a variety of backgrounds and is very active in all major aspects of the organization. Their expertise in many areas, including tropical forest ecology and management, international environmental policy, sustainable development, non-profit accounting, and agroforestry, is one of SHI's greatest strengths.
| Year Founded : |
1997 |
| 501(c)(3) Ruling Year : |
1997 |
| Annual Income : |
$1,204,307 |
| Amount Spent Fundraising : |
$111,783 |
What Sets Us Apart
SHI was recently named one of America's top charities for fiscal responsibility and efficiency by Charity Navigator, and earned their highest 4-star rating for the third consecutive year! With an exceptional score in organizational efficiency and low overhead, we spend less than 8% of our budget on administration.
Recent Accomplishments
Working with local field personnel trained by SHI, our participants have:
• Planted more than 2,300,000 trees.
• Converted more than 9,000 acres to sustainable uses, thereby saving over 45,000 acres from slash-and-burn destruction.
• Improved nutrition through the establishment of more than 4,700 organic vegetable gardens.
• Increased farm income up to 800%.
• Built more than 750 wood-conserving stoves (saving 7,500 trees per year)
SHI’s impact continues to be deeply felt in the day to day lives of rural families and communities. Some families working with SHI have seen their income levels rise by as much as 800%, while using techniques that permit a better quality of life due to decreased use of pesticides and better nutrition. The families see more of these benefits during the program, and they learn to continue using these techniques by themselves long after they stop receiving direct assistance. While SHI usually works directly with each family for five years, the benefits of learning these methods will last for generations. The outcomes for these families, as well as for society, are based on improving the quality of their lives and the quality of the environment at the same time. As their nutritional and economic lives improve, there are improvements in other areas such as:
• Children attending school for more years
• Decreased family size
• More gender equality
• Commitment to preserving the environment
