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On March 31 of this year, we inaugurated the new cocoa processing laboratory and opened a new stage in the transformation and growth of a project that has inspired hundreds of students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

Lajanda Blake (’25, Jamaica) can turn words into poetry and has strong hands to plant and grow much of the food she and her family eat in their Jamaican village. Lajanda chose to study at EARTH to learn about the world of agriculture, community development, and sustainability.

At the age of nine, Adam Vorster (Class of 25, South Africa) became aware of the importance of agriculture for humanity’s food security. Back then, his family was not going through a stable economic situation. As a result, with his parents and sister, they began growing food for self-consumption. Adam had the ultimate epiphany from then on: agronomy would always be an essential part of his life.

Heilyn Calvo Vargas (Class of 2022, Costa Rica) decided she wanted to dedicate herself to science at a young age. Now, only 22 years old, she has achieved impressive results through extensive research that has positively impacted her community, Costa Rica, and EARTH. Her dreams are big, and her desire to fulfill them is even greater. To celebrate Women and Girls in Science Month, we share her story.

In partnership with the CRUSA Foundation, EARTH Futures worked together with different stakeholders from Hojancha, Nicoya, and Santa Cruz counties in Costa Rica to strengthen the management strategies of the Potrero Caimital Biological Corridor, a vital space for the conservation of regional biodiversity and water resources.

On August 9, we celebrated the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. We invite you to learn the story of Wendy Esquit (Class of 2024, Guatemala), an indigenous Kaqchikel Mayan student known for her courage, perseverance, and pride in her roots…

Javier Ubilla (Class of 2024, Ecuador) was a curious boy. He liked to investigate topics that adults sometimes considered “strange” for a young child, and when he had the opportunity, he would excitedly explain to them a new idea or fact he had learned. There was a time when he was seven years old and told a family celebration that hippopotamuses secrete a red coloring through their skin that looks like blood and serves as a sunscreen.

Claudia Lorena Cañas (Class of 2023, Colombia), Selvin Jirón (Class of 2023, Honduras), and Romina Ovelar (Class of 2024, Paraguay) stand out at EARTH University for their academic excellence and their energetic drive in fulfilling each project they propose. Moreover, they are recognized for their perseverance, a trait they each developed early in life.

With the financial support of the GEDI initiative and other partners, EARTH Futures is implementing a new project in Guatemala to create opportunities for coffee, mushroom, and honey farmers and hence, mitigate irregular migration from vulnerable communities.

The IFAMA 2022 Conference took place in Costa Rica from June 18 to 22. Hundreds of people from all over the world gathered to exchange ideas and discuss issues related to sustainability in agribusiness. EARTH University had the honor of hosting the 32nd edition of this prestigious event together with INCAE Business School.