Local Livelihood is a nonprofit with a heart for community. In the 3 villages in the Manipruek area of Thailand, the difficulty of making a sustainable living remains a looming enemy to the three different cultures represented. Scores of teenagers, husbands and fathers are leaving home to go find work in the major cities. Families in need of cash in this changing economy are clearing vast areas of land down to bare soil in order to grow quick cash crops like ginger and cabbage. This type of agriculture on steep slopes does not allow an area of land to be planted twice without 5-10 years of fallow time for the ground to recover. Land is already crowded due to the growing population, and each year more and more forest is illegally cut down.
Local Livelihood is dedicated to addressing this short-sighted view of local agriculture by educating and organizing communities around...coffee! Unlike annual crops like ginger and cabbage, a coffee field does not need to be replanted each year. It does not require expensive chemical fertilizers or pest control. Coffee is able to thrive under the shade of naturally growing forest trees which would otherwise be cut down for growing other crops. Instead of the land being depleted and quickly worn out, a properly maintained coffee field will actually keep improving the soil!
Through Canoe to the Future, we hope to shine a huge spotlight on this great organization! Stay tuned for more updates, and learn more about Local Livelihood at:
www.locallivelihood.org
All proceeds raised by Canoe to the Future will go to Local Livelihood and the community-strengthening projects they are undertaking.
The Future of Community Depends on Us
