The Office of International Academic Programs welcomes intern, Asmaa Abdel-Azim, who is studying Biosystems Engineering at Michigan State University. Her goal while at EARTH is to convert the practices of a local town, El Carmen, to be more sustainable.  She will use ideas from her Biosystems Engineering classes and from what she learns through visiting EARTH’s peri-urban farm to create a community garden in El Carmen.

Asmaa demonstrates to community members how they can use recycled plastic bottles to create a garden bed

Right now, El Carmen is divided by the north and south sides, which rarely interact.  People are even isolated within each neighborhood, since they don’t feel safe enough to leave their houses to visit neighbors. Asmaa believes that by working together in a safe environment to harvest practical crops that they actually will use, the people of El Carmen will share a sense of unity with their neighbors.

Another part of Asmaa’s project is to research the lifestyles of rural Costa Ricans in order to figure out ways to improve their living conditions. While spending time daily with the people of El Carmen, she will ask about their form of income, how they spend their money, what they do on a daily basis, and what they hope for El Carmen in the future.

We are happy to have you here and know that you will succeed in aiding these communities!

The Universidad Politecnica de Valencia in Spain arrived at EARTH on Monday. They are hear to form relations with EARTH in order to send their students here in the future.  Their main field of interest while here: EARTH’s advanced studies on biodigesters.

Video: Whole Foods Market Explains Why you Should Eat EARTH Brand Bananas

In this video, you will learn:

• How EARTH recycles waste products and used water
• How EARTH avoids using pesticides, insecticides and other harmful chemicals
• Which organic materials are used in the production process
• How EARTH has helped workers and their families to live better and healthier lives

Did this make you rethink what brands of produce you are buying? Let us know! Leave a comment.

Study abroad student, Charlotte Jensen (Norway) harvests lettuce at EARTH’s peri-urban farm. This crop will then be sold at an on-campus market to raise money for the university.

In 2007, EARTH began promoting Autobastecimiento, which translates directly to “self-supplying.”  EARTH students and interns grow nutritious crops to be sold to the local supermarket or to be consumed by the university’s internal community.

Students prepare lettuce to be sold at the market.

In the last year, use of EARTH-grown foods in the cafeteria has increased by 150%.  How’s that for self-sustainability?

EARTH welcomes Del Monte employees from the Philippines, who are here to learn about the sustainable production of pineapple, bananas, and vegetables.

In their four weeks in Central America, they will visit EARTH’s organic farms as well as other nearby farms, participate in organic horticulture courses, and tour other parts of Costa Rica where banana and pineapple production is prevalent.

We look forward to working with them and already appreciate their enthusiastic attitudes.

In May, PAI-EARTH completed their most recent short course programs, which was focused on teaching sustainability in the tropics.  Along with Texas Technical University, EARTH searched for ways to improve conservation and knowledge of surroundings.

Focuses of study during this lesson included:

• Sustainability
• Wet Coast Challenges in the Tropics
• Natural Resources Administration
• Amiable Practices with the Environment
• Sustainability
• Rural Development
• Latin American Culture
• Ecoturism and Socio-Economic Impact

Students enjoyed sessions in classes and in fields as part of the educational activities.  They traveled around to the different academic farms, visited the paper production project, attended videoconferences, and visited the Chiquita Company.

Outside of class, students had the opportunity to visit wonderful tourist sites such as La Fortuna, the Scientific Tropical Center in Monteverde, the Tropical Rain Forest, and Arenal Volcano.

Students were able to experience cultural diversity by working with EARTH students to support projects that benefited schools in the local communities.  Students also participated in a typical food exchange activity, which is considered an important cultural event full of music and traditional dances from Guanacaste, a city near EARTH.