At Sustainable Harvest International (SHI), we practice natural and organic farming methods that restore soil health and increase food yields. We believe in opting for sustainable practices that nourish communities and the Earth. Our methods minimize the use of toxic chemicals that degrade the land and weaken a farmer’s ability to grow food. One powerful tool SHI farmers use to improve food production is an organic fertilizer called bokashi.

Through Sustainable Harvest International’s (SHI) program, farmers learn how to cultivate food in ways that protect and regenerate forests. They plant trees in previously degraded areas, harnessing their benefits—like improved water retention, wind protection, and soil enrichment—to boost food production. Over the past 28 years, SHI farmers have been at the heart of reforestation efforts, helping degraded ecosystems come back to life. 

Happy Earth Day! Today we celebrate our planet by sharing ways to protect, restore, and cherish it. At Sustainable Harvest International (SHI), one of the ways we care for the Earth is by partnering with family farmers in Central America to grow food organically and sustainably. Keep reading to learn how you can do the same—and make every day Earth Day.

The practices listed below are used daily by SHI farmers and rooted in a deep respect for the land. We hope they inspire you to change your own consumption habits—or go further still and help transform your local food system. Like SHI’s dedicated farmers, who care deeply for their families and the planet, you too can be an agent of change.

10 MAY 2023: The Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) hosted a Breakout Session at the AIM for Climate Summit in Washington, DC, USA. Global leaders from policy, industry, producer organisations, civil society groups, and scientists and researchers came together for the three-day Summit to drive their work on climate-smart agriculture and innovations in food systems.

Ermitaño González is a graduate of Sustainable Harvest International (SHI)’s transformative farmer training program in 2012. Learn about what the training entails and how it has affected Ermitaño and his family.