by: Alessandra Chapman
Alessandra Chapman (EPM ’25) travelled to Colombia and participated in one of the global courses offered by the Institute. Here is her perspective on working at a local farm there.
In Líbano, Colombia, my fellow students and I worked with Quinta Esencia Taller (QET), a local nonprofit creating ecological educational resources and teaching restoration best practices. Alex Trapp and Ledis Arango, the non-profit’s co-founders, use a membership-based organizational structure to bring in funds and promote their message.
While in Colombia, our team worked with Alex and Ledis on their personal farm, Buena Vista, as well as others in the area, to learn skills and concepts such as transplantation (seed collection, propagation, and transfer), assisted restoration vs natural restoration, and the three pillars of sustainable development (economical, social, and environmental). Sustainable and regenerative rural development models utilize ecological restoration to mitigate emissions by increasing land-based stores of carbon, enhance biodiversity, and adapt to a changing climate by creating climate-resilient, sustainable livelihoods. Now that we have returned to the United States, our student team created three project groups to help address the needs of QET. My project team and I are currently working to develop their theory of change, intended mission and vision, and case statement in order to bring in revenue from new donors.
The heart of QET’s mission is ecological restoration, the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed. Our student team primarily worked with areas that had been severely eroded, either by wind or water. We learned the value of assisted restoration, and how QET works with local community members to educate them on these practices. One project that QET hopes to implement is a bird tourism route along their property and others nearby. This project hopes to highlight the importance of native bird species for their contributions of spreading seeds and growing farms and forests.
My biggest insight throughout this trip was learning about and experiencing different levels of urbanization in Colombia. Colombia is one of the most urbanized countries in South America, with about 80% of its population living in cities. However, in Líbano, which does have a small urban center, most of the population lives on farms surrounding the town. Outside of its larger cities, subsistence farming thrives, as farmers rely on the land to produce food for themselves and sell and/or export small quantities of crops.
The most eye-opening part of this trip was how Colombians seem to use the term ‘farm.’ When I, as an American, think of farms, I tend to think of large, flat, pastureland used for industrial animal agriculture. Trees and other native species have been removed and large swaths of land are covered in monocrops. The reason why farmers keep the land healthy is for large scale production and money-making operations. However, in Colombia, the term ‘farm’ was used for land on rolling hills, mountains and valleys, with diverse species of trees, plants, birds, and other animals. Many different types of crops and plants are grown, with the goal of achieving as much diversity as possible, as that symbolizes a healthy farm. Farmers have more options for what they want to grow and sell, and the land and environment is appreciated and taken care of.
The best part of this experience, for me, was getting field experience utilizing my Spanish language skills. I just completed the 200-Level course with Professor Oliva this past fall, and will have two more Spanish courses to take to complete my language requirement for graduation. This has been my only class in the spring and I will not return to MIIS full time until the fall, so this experience in Colombia—having to alternate between Spanish and English simultaneously—has given me the confidence I need for the 300-Level course in the fall.
Because I don’t personally study natural resources management at MIIS or use it at my job, I really used my experience in Dr. Jeff Langholz’s class on Applied Conservation Science and Policy. It is a core course that definitely got me out of my comfort zone and into the world of biological diversity and restoration. Having that base of knowledge helped me to feel confident enough to contribute to discussions and activities.
Sustainable food systems and regenerative agriculture are not exactly topics I have prioritized throughout my MIIS career, as I have leaned more and more towards clean energy policy. They are, however, two topics of great interest to me; and given that industrial agriculture is the second largest contributor to climate change, I have appreciated having a solid understanding of them as I move forward in my career. While my new position does primarily focus on clean energy, I intend to graduate with a specialization in Sustainability Management, and should therefore be well-rounded and knowledgeable of all sustainability topics. This trip has allowed me to dive into topics I do not usually get to address at work, and I have been extremely grateful for this opportunity. For other students that might want to pursue this class next year and go to Líbano, I wholly recommend being willing to embrace other cultures that are vastly different from your own. Spanish is the working language of the country, and while it is not mandatory to be fluent, it will certainly help to study up and be willing to try to communicate. Additionally, be willing to tolerate long days and lots of physical activity! The trip involves a lot of hiking steep slopes, working outside on farms every day, and spending long days together as a group, including late night dinners.