Please find below the
Finalist Evaluation
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Judges'' comments
With the added information on the connections between permaculture practices and climate, the project demonstrates the potential for significant impact in the region.
Semi-Finalist Evaluation
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Judges'' comments
Well thought out approach as long as local residents are truly engaged in all levels of decision-making. The focus on food security and reliance is especially vital given the recent impact of extreme weather on the region.
This is a project with many benefits, but they are not framed in terms of behavioral or cultural shift on climate. The few climate benefits that are articulated present themselves as afterthoughts.
 Cade Pia Nov 6, 2017 06:33  | Proposal creator Dear Judges, Thank you for reviewing our proposal and providing valuable feedback. We thank you for the opportunity to continually build upon and develop the encompassing scope of MESA Sostenible. Taking all aspects of your comments into consideration. I have reassessed the Climate Change scope of MESA MESA Sostenible, conducted more research and expand our field of coverage. Climate Change A plan to create a cultural and behavioral shift from conventional agricultural practices to permaculture to mitigate, reverse and face the impacts of climate change for rural families and farmers in Nicaragua. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main driver of climate change. Our current state of overloading the atmosphere with CO2 is caused by burning fossil fuels, cutting down and burning forests, with the main driving industry, agriculture with livestock emissions, carbon releasing from soil tillage and chemical use (source 1). According to Union of Concerned Scientists, the major impacts of climate change are:
So how can permaculture and regenerative agriculture be the answer to climate change? Regenerative organic agriculture is integral to the climate solution. Regenerative organic agriculture refers to working with nature to utilize photosynthesis and healthy soil microbiology to draw down greenhouse gases (source 2). How do the photosynthesis and the CO2 cycle work? By changing farming practices to regenerative systems, we can:
The impacts of increasing organic matter in soil: With 82 families in El Tambo, we can encourage each family to convert or preserve one acre of their lands and implement regenerative and permaculture practices. By doing so, this will increase the organic matter in the soil through sequestering carbon with consistent plant and foliage coverage and through the photosynthesis process.
El Tambo and Climate Change Breakdown El Tambo can stand as a community-wide model for carbon sequestering and fixing. The foundations of permaculture and regenerative agriculture do not need industrial or costly mechanical inputs. Without financial barriers to creating these practices, the basis of implementation lies in education, the existing focal point of MESA Sostenibles goals. El Tambo CO2 Sequestering Calculation 82 families with one acre each, equals 36 tonnes of CO2 x 82 = 2952 tonnes of CO2 pulled from the atmosphere in El Tambo
Addressing and reducing climate change through CO2 sequestering is already ingrained in the foundations of the MESA Sostenibles permaculture model.
Model hands-on education area that demonstrates climate-smart regenerative and permaculture activities.
Recent Events Tropical Storm Nate struck our region and MESA Sostenible on October 5th. We have seen first hand the devastating impacts of a climate change to our communities. Farming communities lost their entire bank accounts (stored in grain stocks), their homes, livestock, and livelihoods. As a result, we have amended our projects foundations to take into consideration rising flood waters and be a first responder base. With over 50 volunteers and successful aid relief campaign, we were able to provide our communities with a significant amount of aid. As catastrophic natural events become regular occurrences, we need to take actions to protect our communities, farms, and existence. Adapting to a permacultural and regenerative agricultural model will mean we can implement measures to mitigate the negative impacts of these events in the immediate term…. Land engineering - swales, berms, hugelkultur, and other systems designs that incorporate community support, food production, animal husbandry to benefit soil building and provide sustenance, and more. Addressing climate change is now built into the model of MESA Sostenible. We are striving forward with the development of MESA Sostenible by involving El Tambo in each step of the process. We hope that Climate Colab will continue to support MESA Sostenible creating a cultural and behavioral shift towards climate change together. I look forward to your feedback and questions, Kind Regards
Cade |
