(Thanks for this guest post from Jessica Schessler of SHI)

Slash and burn is one of the leading causes of rainforest destruction in Central America. Sustainable Harvest International is working to curb this destruction, while improving the lives of families living in these regions. I’ve been fortunate enough to intern with SHI for the summer and have learned a great deal about their work.

SHI has worked with more than 850 families in the past 10 years, and has saved tens of thousands of acres of tropical forests from slash-and-burn destruction. What is my favorite part of this effort? Not only does SHI save acres and acres, but they do it by teaching local farmers sustainable uses, such as “organic vegetable gardens, wood-conserving stoves, community loan funds and a host of other projects…” So not only is SHI helping out the environment, but they are improving the health and economic lives of the people living in it.

For the rest of the summer it’s easier than ever to support SHI, through Stonyfield Yogurt’s Bid With Your Lid campaign! Vote online and send in specially marked yogurt lids with your vote for SHI and help allocate a portion of $40,000 to SHI, while collecting cool prizes. For more information on SHI and how to vote, visit Stoneyfield.

One of SHI’s participants, Bernardo Reyes Torres, of Nicaragua, can sum up what SHI has done for him much better than I can. Here’s what he had to say.

“I started to work with Sustainable Harvest International by necessity when I acquired a new piece of property… I had the need and the aspiration to create sustainability on my farm, but I did not have the economic resources or the knowledge. I already knew that SHI extensionists were working towards sustainability and I liked the idea of being a part of that and learning about sustainability. I proposed to them the need to improve my farm and learn about sustainability. I started planting cacao trees with worm composting. I have seen that they [SHI] do much in the area of planting with good techniques and follow up and it is of benefit to the families in terms of nutrition and the techniques are good if the farmer is willing to follow the extensionist’s recommendations.

The benefits that I have received are many; improved planting techniques, worm compost and crop diversification with as many permanent crops as temporary ones. Right now I am planting a better variety of corn, measuring the distance between plants and later will use and organic foliant spray fertilizer. This foliant fertilizer is made with cow manure or whey and sugar cane that we already have prepared.

I plan to continue working with Sustainable Harvest as long as I can.”