An interesting article on the efforts of small farmers in Haiti to prevent hybrid seeds that have been treated with toxic chemicals:
http://www.truthout.org/haitian-farmers-commit-burning-monsanto-hybrid-seeds59616
This attempted seed donation by Monsanto is unfortunately a common occurrence, which frequently results in deep debt and environmental degradation for small farmers. One of the many reasons that we use only open-pollinated heirloom seeds and practice seed-saving, so that WVI farmers can help promote environmental sustainability for generations.
Hi everyone,
First, some exciting news: Alex was chosen to be a Rainer Arnhold Fellow! The Rainer Arnhold Fellows organization helps social entrepreneurs grow their projects to a larger scale, and it’s a fantastic opportunity for Alex to meet development innovators from all over the world. You can check out the website at www.rainerfellows.org.
Second, we have some exciting progress from the Ruzizi Project. Fiston has managed to make charcoal briquettes from agricultural corn waste, as shown by MIT engineer Amy Smith here at TED and here on Youtube. These briquettes made from corn stalks burn more cleanly than firewood, which decreases the number of respiratory problems that arise from indoor cooking fires. This also marks a tremendous step in our ongoing reforestation efforts in the Ruzizi Valley, as it will reduce the number of trees cut down for firewood.
