 in transitioning to agroecological methods that regenerate soil, water, and hope — Maati Paani Asha. These vital components must be restored so that our community can increase its resilience in the face of climate volatility, drought, and other shocks, such as the pandemic that has caused so much devastation in our region. An important element of EcoGather that cannot be overlooked is that it connects people who can offer support, encouragement, and camaraderie, in addition to practical solutions.”
The Gross National Happiness Centre in Bhutan (GNHCB) has joined EcoGather as a way to re-ignite youth interest in agriculture. Relatedly, it will also contribute to the development of curriculum on integrating the principles of wellbeing and a Wellbeing Economy. “Gross National Happiness puts forward a holistic, equitable, and sustainable approach to development centered around measuring and balancing nine domains of progress, which include: living standards; education; health; environment; community vitality; time-use; cultural diversity and resilience; psychological well-being; and good governance,” says its Programme Director, Julia Kim. “We are eager to share this approach with other EcoGather partner communities and to benefit from their expertise as we seek to inspire youth in our country to recommit to land-based livelihoods that preserve our nation’s pristine environment and lush biodiversity.”
Similarly, FrontLine Farming, a BIPOC & Womxn-led farmer and food justice advocacy organization in Colorado’s Front Range aims to expand opportunities in farming for people of color and is especially interested in helping agricultural laborers make the transition to farm ownership and self-determination. FrontLine’s Co-Founder, Executive Director, and Head Farmer, Fatuma Emmad observes, “our organization already knows a lot about farming with nature and about farming as a liberatory practice. We are delighted to share that knowledge and to use the EcoGather platform in ways that will also make it easier for us to spread knowledge within our own community. But importantly, we also expect that our ambitious efforts to help the essential farmworkers who perform risky jobs on other people’s land for low wages will be strengthened by our ability to glean new ideas about alternative markets, commons management, and land access from other partners.”
The Center for an Agricultural Economy (CAE), located alongside Sterling in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, is poised to contribute some of this needed knowledge to EcoGather. “The CAE uses a whole system approach to support farm and regional food system viability. We firmly believe that other regions could benefit from learning more about our model — and that we stand to discover additional ways to bring about economic and ecological stability and abundance in our rural Vermont communities by being in dialogue with the other EcoGather partners,” says its Executive Director, Jon Ramsay. “Though their landscapes are quite different from ours, we all share a commitment to supporting land-based livelihoods and communities connected through the production of and secure access to good food.”
Resilient farms and local food sovereignty are also clear priorities for the Puerto Rico Science, Research & Technology Trust. The Trust is building upon knowledge derived through its Recuperacion Agricola program, which provided recovery assistance, resources, and materials to farmers affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, by setting up an Academia del Cacao, to address knowledge and expertise gaps among farmers and educators about agroforestry and the diversified production of high quality cacao.
The resources of EcoGather are being made perpetually available to the five partner communities free of charge, as part of a $1.5 million grant that Sterling College received to establish the platform. “For decades, Sterling College has been at the forefront of advancing ecological thinking and action,” says Matthew Derr, President of Sterling. “EcoGather allows us to transcend the boundaries of our campus in Vermo