Honduras - Sustainable Food Systems in Copan and Lempira

Food is no sure thing for families living in the mountains of western Honduras. With many men working outside of the country, the majority of farmers in this region are indigenous Maya Chorti, Lenca, and Ladino women. The land available to them is steep and erosion prone, making it difficult to grow a steady supply of food much less grow a surplus for market. Heifer is working to change the lives of these peasant farmers by giving them the tools to create stable and prosperous futures by building a sustainable food system, and you can join us in making a difference!

One Heifer supporter who saw the effectiveness of Heifer’s work in Honduras through a study tour has committed to matching all contributions to this initiative dollar for dollar up to $238,000, a quarter of the total project cost!

With this project Heifer will do the following to change the lives of 2,058 families in 43 communities in the Copán and Lempira departments of Honduras:

• place 225 cattle, 7,770 hens, 15,000 fish, 62 goats, 58 sheep, 200 rabbits, 65 bee hives, and 8,000 fruit trees
• provide extensive training on how to increase and diversify farm production in balance with local ecosystems
• work with local organizations to promote community development activities and strengthen leaders

When you join us in supporting this project you will receive an annual update from the field on the progress made in bettering the lives of these Honduran families.

With these reports you will see first hand why Western Michigan University, in a study of Heifer’s effectiveness said, “It is beyond doubt that in all 20 of the countries we have examined, Heifer has brought large overall benefits to very large numbers of low income rural families.”