An Agrarian Youth Exchange in Nicaragua
Every year, the Community Agroecology Network (CAN), alongside several
partner organizations, supports youth exchanges in Mexico, California, and
Nicaragua. Since 2011, CAN has helped facilitate these youth exchanges or intercambios. The year 2017 was the first year that
organizations in each country hosted exchanges at the national level, which
means at this year’s youth Intercambio in
Nicaragua, I was the only chele, or foreigner present. The
youth participating in this intercambio, as well as others supported by CAN are
part of the International Youth Network for Food Security & Sovereignty or the RIAC-Jovenes.
After some icebreakers, where for the first time, I timidly spoke Spanish in front of the whole group, Agusto explained the activites for the afternoon. We would split into three groups, each assessing a different part of the finca, and we would give agroecological recommendations to Agusto. Before this, it was time for lunch – sopa del campo. Although my stomach hadn’t been well, my first taste of this soup sent me careening back to the Ecuadorian Amazon, where I first experienced the Campesina way of life. The soup was a joyful mixture of chicken raised on the farm, plantain, yucca, as well as other tropical root crops and vegetables. All of this consumed with hot tortillas of maize.
Agusto’s Agroecological Practices
Agusto’s agroecological parcel was a young multi-species polycrop system, with the focus being food sovereignty for himself and community. He employed many agroecological practices, including terraces and on-contour ditches, or zanjas to slow down the water in the landscape. In addition to a diverse selection of crops, such as coffee, cacao, avocado, mandarin, guayaba, and banana, he planted nitrogen fixing trees such as gandul in between rows to increase soil fertility. Finally, everyone came together and each group shared their findings. The youth were highly engaged and in their element. After each set of recommendations, various questions and comments were shared from the larger group. This section of the intercambio was a form of popular education, as we were learning agroecology in a collaborative, horizontal way, where a dialogo de saberes (dialogue of knowledge or experiences) took place. There was no one teacher, yet we all effectively taught each other.
Day Two: Capacity Building in Esteli
On Day two, youth from each organization represented were given a chance to synthesize and present the agroecological activities of the past year, as well as, to begin thinking about how they can improve during the following year. This day also included a skype call between RIAC-Joven youth in Mexico and California. A common theme among the Nicaraguan youth, as well as those in Mexico was the challenge of acquiring the financial support needed to pursue their vision.
Within the structure of the of the RIAC (International Youth Network for Food Security & Sovereignty), a representative for Nicaragua was elected. It was Juan Pablo, from the Union of Cooperatives in San Ramon, who was unanimously elected by all who were present! I shared a hotel room with him the second night. He was deeply thoughtful, and strongly believed in the work of CAN and the RIAC-Joven. He indicated to me that he would really like to see CAN’s market for Agroeco “beyond fair trade” coffee be expanded. To wrap up the day, I was able to learn about yet another lense of agroecology – microenterprise. Several youth working with the NGO ASDENIC presented their projects revolving around making and selling value added food products, such as cookies, from natural, locally sourced ingredients.
Day Three: Youth-Run Apiculture in Jalapa
Another long and bumpy bus ride followed back into the countryside, where we eventually pulled up to a farm entrance, with a big “Bienvinidos” sign, as well as tables with all kinds of neatly labeled bee equipment. It was time to learn about apiculture. Our host, a young lady, introduced us to the basics of apiculture, and told us her own story. Steadily, she saved up the money to buy the equipment necessary to raise her own bees, harvest, and sell the honey.
The youth seemed excited about all the possibility. One participant, Freddy, shared his own community’s experience with apiculture. A fracaso, or failure, he explained, resulted when his community acquired bees, hives, and the necessary equipment to raise them. In the first year, their hives all died. He explained that his community did not have the conocimiento, or knowledge, necessary to properly care for the hives. This contrasted to the experience of our guest speaker, as she had steadily built up knowledge and experience about bees before caring for multiple hives. One of our final pieces of learning was that bees do not like the cold, or the rain. Just as many of us put on protective bee suits to view the bees, the rain poured and poured and poured, marking the ending of the RIAC-Joven Intercambio 2017.
The intercambio was for me a deep learning experience. Although language and culture barriers brought out a timidness in me, my perspectives were welcomed by Nicaraguan youth present (aged 16-30). Their ideas mattered and dreams possible despite their shared challenges, most often the lack of financial resources. Everyone was given a chance to offer knowledge during various activities, such as the agroecological farm evaluation activity and the planning and reflection brainstorms. There was an informal expectation that each youth was to bring what they learned back to their organizations, universities, and communities. The presence of students from rural and urban backgrounds created valuable opportunities for the youth involved, including myself to broaden their viewpoint of agroecology, in an environment facilitating much informal conversation and exchange.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to the Community Agroecology Network, Yadira, Suraya and the UCA San Ramon for accommodating my participation at the last minute. Thank you to all of the youth present for kindly allowing me into the space of this intercambio, and for all of your patience in explaining things in simpler and simpler Spanish when I was lost. As well as for taking care of me like family while I was sick the first night.
Day One: Agroecology and Sustainable Tourism at Finca La Limonaria
We began with an introduction and breakfast in the Casa Esteli, which is a center for sustainable tourism, as well as a house for the offices of the NGO (Non Government Organization) ASDENIC, one of the organizations with youth representation at the intercambio. We were kindly greeted by the organizers, and to start, the participants seemed a bit timid to socialize with one another. After receiving the itinerary for the intercambio and nametags, we all got into a rented bus, and began our journey to the first destination, Finca La Limonaria, a rural tourism project and cooperative member situated in the Reserva Miraflor. A lengthy bus ride through the countryside led us through fields and fields of maize (corn) and frijole (bean), as well as the occasional forested coffee farm.
We were greeted by Agusto, a member and community leader, farmer, as well as touristic guide in the surrounding Reserva Miraflor. A brief walk led the group to an incredible vista of green, forested hills dotted with patches of cropland. Nestled among flourishing kitchen gardens and a diverse agroforestry plot, was a small wooden casa del campo. This quaint home was occupied by the wondrous stares of several small children, and an older woman, who was busy watching a large pot of soup. Many of the youth participants seemed comfortable in this setting, likely reminiscent of some of their own communities.
We began with an introduction and breakfast in the Casa Esteli, which is a center for sustainable tourism, as well as a house for the offices of the NGO (Non Government Organization) ASDENIC, one of the organizations with youth representation at the intercambio. We were kindly greeted by the organizers, and to start, the participants seemed a bit timid to socialize with one another. After receiving the itinerary for the intercambio and nametags, we all got into a rented bus, and began our journey to the first destination, Finca La Limonaria, a rural tourism project and cooperative member situated in the Reserva Miraflor. A lengthy bus ride through the countryside led us through fields and fields of maize (corn) and frijole (bean), as well as the occasional forested coffee farm.
We were greeted by Agusto, a member and community leader, farmer, as well as touristic guide in the surrounding Reserva Miraflor. A brief walk led the group to an incredible vista of green, forested hills dotted with patches of cropland. Nestled among flourishing kitchen gardens and a diverse agroforestry plot, was a small wooden casa del campo. This quaint home was occupied by the wondrous stares of several small children, and an older woman, who was busy watching a large pot of soup. Many of the youth participants seemed comfortable in this setting, likely reminiscent of some of their own communities.
 |
| Descent to Finca La Limonaria in the Miraflor Reserve. |
After some icebreakers, where for the first time, I timidly spoke Spanish in front of the whole group, Agusto explained the activites for the afternoon. We would split into three groups, each assessing a different part of the finca, and we would give agroecological recommendations to Agusto. Before this, it was time for lunch – sopa del campo. Although my stomach hadn’t been well, my first taste of this soup sent me careening back to the Ecuadorian Amazon, where I first experienced the Campesina way of life. The soup was a joyful mixture of chicken raised on the farm, plantain, yucca, as well as other tropical root crops and vegetables. All of this consumed with hot tortillas of maize.
 |
| Enjoying a communal meal of sopa del campo with tortillas. |
Agusto’s Agroecological Practices
Agusto’s agroecological parcel was a young multi-species polycrop system, with the focus being food sovereignty for himself and community. He employed many agroecological practices, including terraces and on-contour ditches, or zanjas to slow down the water in the landscape. In addition to a diverse selection of crops, such as coffee, cacao, avocado, mandarin, guayaba, and banana, he planted nitrogen fixing trees such as gandul in between rows to increase soil fertility. Finally, everyone came together and each group shared their findings. The youth were highly engaged and in their element. After each set of recommendations, various questions and comments were shared from the larger group. This section of the intercambio was a form of popular education, as we were learning agroecology in a collaborative, horizontal way, where a dialogo de saberes (dialogue of knowledge or experiences) took place. There was no one teacher, yet we all effectively taught each other.
 | ||
| The diverse parcel of fruit trees planted using agroecological methods which conserve and build soil. |
 |
| Discussing the soil conservation practices used on Agusto's parcel. |
Day Two: Capacity Building in Esteli
On Day two, youth from each organization represented were given a chance to synthesize and present the agroecological activities of the past year, as well as, to begin thinking about how they can improve during the following year. This day also included a skype call between RIAC-Joven youth in Mexico and California. A common theme among the Nicaraguan youth, as well as those in Mexico was the challenge of acquiring the financial support needed to pursue their vision.
Within the structure of the of the RIAC (International Youth Network for Food Security & Sovereignty), a representative for Nicaragua was elected. It was Juan Pablo, from the Union of Cooperatives in San Ramon, who was unanimously elected by all who were present! I shared a hotel room with him the second night. He was deeply thoughtful, and strongly believed in the work of CAN and the RIAC-Joven. He indicated to me that he would really like to see CAN’s market for Agroeco “beyond fair trade” coffee be expanded. To wrap up the day, I was able to learn about yet another lense of agroecology – microenterprise. Several youth working with the NGO ASDENIC presented their projects revolving around making and selling value added food products, such as cookies, from natural, locally sourced ingredients.
 | |
| Youth present the past successes and future goals of their respective organizations. |
Day Three: Youth-Run Apiculture in Jalapa
Another long and bumpy bus ride followed back into the countryside, where we eventually pulled up to a farm entrance, with a big “Bienvinidos” sign, as well as tables with all kinds of neatly labeled bee equipment. It was time to learn about apiculture. Our host, a young lady, introduced us to the basics of apiculture, and told us her own story. Steadily, she saved up the money to buy the equipment necessary to raise her own bees, harvest, and sell the honey.
 |
| Learning about beekeeping equipment, business strategies, and a bit of bee biology. |
The youth seemed excited about all the possibility. One participant, Freddy, shared his own community’s experience with apiculture. A fracaso, or failure, he explained, resulted when his community acquired bees, hives, and the necessary equipment to raise them. In the first year, their hives all died. He explained that his community did not have the conocimiento, or knowledge, necessary to properly care for the hives. This contrasted to the experience of our guest speaker, as she had steadily built up knowledge and experience about bees before caring for multiple hives. One of our final pieces of learning was that bees do not like the cold, or the rain. Just as many of us put on protective bee suits to view the bees, the rain poured and poured and poured, marking the ending of the RIAC-Joven Intercambio 2017.
 |
| Part of the group was ready to see the bees, until the weather changed. |
The intercambio was for me a deep learning experience. Although language and culture barriers brought out a timidness in me, my perspectives were welcomed by Nicaraguan youth present (aged 16-30). Their ideas mattered and dreams possible despite their shared challenges, most often the lack of financial resources. Everyone was given a chance to offer knowledge during various activities, such as the agroecological farm evaluation activity and the planning and reflection brainstorms. There was an informal expectation that each youth was to bring what they learned back to their organizations, universities, and communities. The presence of students from rural and urban backgrounds created valuable opportunities for the youth involved, including myself to broaden their viewpoint of agroecology, in an environment facilitating much informal conversation and exchange.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to the Community Agroecology Network, Yadira, Suraya and the UCA San Ramon for accommodating my participation at the last minute. Thank you to all of the youth present for kindly allowing me into the space of this intercambio, and for all of your patience in explaining things in simpler and simpler Spanish when I was lost. As well as for taking care of me like family while I was sick the first night.
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