this work load and after years of hard work they have completed the slow, arduous crawl up the muddy hill of regulatory hurdles and logistical gymnastics. Without their involvement and tireless resolve to see this through, this project was DOA. But thanks to their expertise and unwavering persistence, the project has begun to move forward. On October 1, 2014 the first load of U.S. ethanol left Jewell, Iowa and was placed on a ship for Port-au-Prince, Haiti – marking the tangible beginning of a vision that began some five years prior between POET Founder Jeff Broin and Project Gaia Executive Director Harry Stokes. That vision: to bring clean burning ethanol fuel to the homes in third world countries to improve the standard of living and drive positive socio-economicchange.

In the minds of Jeff Broin and Harry Stokes the vision to help those suffering from hunger and poverty went well beyond just basic humanitarian relief. While Jeff was quick to demonstrate his commitment to getting this project off the ground by donating the first 10,000 gallons of ethanol to initiate the project, the long term economic sustainability of the project was just as important to the two visionaries. The country of Haiti is testimony to the fact that you cannot give people out of poverty. Despite the best intentions of hundreds of non-profit organizations and millions of donated dollars, the country of Haiti has made very little progress towards sustaining its own people. Economic opportunity is what they need, not another handout. Socio-economic development is teaching a