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Grow Ahead offers regenerative agriculture education sessions during Week of ActionGrow Ahead offers regenerative agriculture education sessions during Week of Action

Grow Ahead's week of action, Oct. 7-11, will help raise awareness of regenerative organic farming projects and offer free educational webinars on farmer-led initiatives. Learn more.

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Grow Ahead, a digital crowdfunding platform that supports farmer-led climate resiliency projects around the world, is launching a Week of Action from Oct. 7-11. The Week of Action will raise awareness and funds for environmentally and socially responsible agroforestry projects, highlighting the importance of farmer-led initiatives to address the dual crises of climate change and global poverty.

By partnering with fair trade organizations and mission-driven business partners, Grow Ahead aims to educate, inspire, and mobilize advocates, consumers, and businesses to combat climate change through radical shifts in community development.

The Grow Ahead Week of Action will include a week-long giving campaign to raise $50,000 for three high-impact agroforestry projects; partnership and sponsorship opportunities for businesses and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); and a series of live webinars to introduce individuals and businesses to Grow Ahead. 

During the Week of Action, people will also be asked to pledge their support for farmer-led agroforestry projects and to spread awareness of agroforestry as a means to combat climate change and food insecurity. Sponsors of the Week of Action include Dr. Bronner's, the top-selling natural brand of soaps and body care products in North America, and several other companies dedicated to environmental sustainability.

"The Grow Ahead Week of Action will raise funds for important agroforestry projects that are having positive impacts on the effects of climate change and food insecurity in the Global South," said Ryan Zinn, executive director of Grow Ahead and regenerative projects manager at Dr Bronner's. "The Week of Action will also educate the public on how agroforestry can contribute to climate resiliency and economically benefit local communities."

Three key agroforestry projects and implementing partners will be funded and supported by the Week of Action:

  • Farmer-led Agroforestry in Mexico's Coffee Lands
    The Coalition of Ejidos of the Costa Grande of Guerrero's goal is to rehabilitate coffee farms negatively impacted by rust fungus by replanting farms with resistant coffee trees, shade trees to provide habitat and fruit trees for food security. The coalition is working with 50 farmers to reforest 125 acres and plant 75,000 trees and supporting plants. By collecting native species, farmers will preserve biodiversity while creating important microclimates for coffee trees.

  • Regenerative Organic Agroforestry in Ivory Coast
    Two-thirds of the global supply of cocoa is produced in Ivory Coast and Ghana. The industrial cocoa sector in West Africa has come under fire for paying unfair prices, leading to child and forced labor, deforestation and poverty. Climate change has exacerbated the cocoa crisis in recent years, leading to poor harvests. KANY, the women-led farming cooperative from Agboville, Agneby-Tiassa, Ivory Coast, is working with 500 farmers to reforest 25 acres and plant 35,000 trees, as well as organize dynamic agroforestry demonstration farms to act as training centers for cocoa growers in the region.

  • Seed Saving and Reforestation in Mexico
    Located in Campeche, Mexico, Ka' Kuxtal Much Meyaj exists to learn about and preserve local and Indigenous plants. Ka' Kuxtal will collect local seeds, sow the seeds for future germination in pre-existing community nurseries and care for the plants until they can be planted in the regions most affected by deforestation, fires and monoculture farms. Ka' Kuxtal is working with 15 farmers to reforest 620 acres and plant 25,000 trees and supporting plants.

A person wearing red gloves picks coffee beans from a tree. Credit: Canva

Live webinars educate public on agricultural issues

During the Week of Action, Grow Ahead will host four live webinars to increase public understanding of agroforestry and the importance of community-led environmental and social sustainability.

  • Grow Ahead and Agroforestry 101
    9 a.m. PT, Monday, Oct. 7
    This webinar provides an introduction to Grow Ahead and its mission of supporting small-scale farmers around the world. It will also provide information on the basics of agroforestry and explore how this sustainable approach is helping to fight climate change, restore ecosystems and support rural communities. This webinar is designed for all levels of interest. Click here to register.

  • Pacific: Meet the Farmers
    9 a.m. PT, Tuesday, Oct. 8
    Project partners from Ghana, Mexico and Brazil will detail firsthand accounts of their experiences with agroforestry, discuss the innovative projects they’re leading and provide a deeper understanding of how local communities are combating climate change and food insecurity through sustainable farming practices and ancestral knowledge. This is a unique opportunity to connect directly with the people making a global impact. Click here to register. 

  • Growing Ahead with Our Business Partners
    9 a.m. PT, Wednesday, Oct. 9
    This webinar will explain how businesses can make a positive impact on small-scale farmers and the environment. Grow Ahead business partners will speak firsthand about how sustainability initiatives like agroforestry not only elevate business practices but also drive meaningful change and open doors to new opportunities. This session is ideal for businesses committed to making a difference while enhancing their social and environmental impact. Click here to register.

  • Thursday, Oct. 10 at 9 a.m. Pacific: Defending our Forests with Amazon Watch
    This webinar will detail practical ways to take action in defending forests worldwide. Speakers from Amazon Watch and the Soil Carbon Solutions Center will discuss the threats facing these critical ecosystems and how individuals can contribute to forest protection efforts, ensuring the health of our planet for future generations. This is a must-attend event for people passionate about environmental justice and conservation! Click here to register.

Grow Ahead was launched in 2013 as a cross-cultural initiative of Progreso and Cooperative Coffees, geared towards pre-financing fair trade coffee harvests through partnerships between consumers and producers, roasters and importers, banks and NGOs. In 2017, Grow Ahead was re-launched to fund small-scale, farmer organization-led projects that address climate change, community preservation, income security and food sovereignty. For additional information about Grow Ahead, see the organization's Five-Year Impact Report, published in November 2023 or visit http://www.growahead.org.

Source: Grow Ahead

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Organic Produce Network staff

Organic Produce Network

Organic Produce Network staff

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