Soul of Rurality

IICA’s recognition of the Leaders of Rurality of the Americas is part of an initiative that seeks to turn the spotlight on men and women who are leaving their mark and making a difference in the rural areas of Latin America and the Caribbean.

It pays tribute to those who play an unparalleled dual role: as guarantors of food and nutritional security and as caretakers of the planet’s biodiversity. It also emphasizes their capacity to drive positive changes in the rural areas of the region. For all these reasons, these individuals are the Soul of Rurality.

Leaders of Rurality of the Americas

IICA recognizes Dagoberto Suazo as a Leader of Rurality of the Americas for his decades-long efforts to enhance the quality and promote the exportation of Honduran coffee

In the mid-1990s, having recently completed his Social Work degree in Tegucigalpa, Dagoberto Suazo was given the opportunity to continue his studies in the Netherlands. His time in Europe would be a transformative experience, revealing to him the need to create new export markets for Honduran coffee.

Akiesha Fergus and Ryan Khadou, a young couple from Saint Kitts and Nevis, recognized by IICA as Leaders of Rurality of the Americas who are demonstrating that rural production can be a great option for younger generations

Akiesha and Ryan—proud parents of little Lyon—have embraced farming as a way of life, proudly calling themselves a rural couple.

Umeeda and Nareena Switlo, who process turmeric to fuel the prosperity of rural farmers in Belize, are recognized as IICA Leaders of Rurality of the Americas

Umeeda was born in Uganda and came to Belize via Canada. There she discovered a treasure growing in the wild, converting it, along with her daughter, into an engine of prosperity for farmers.

Dawn Francis, sustainable agriculture and organic farming advocate and a model for small farmers in her native Dominica, is named an IICA Leader of Rurality of the Americas

Francis founded her own organization, EcoBalance Inc., which has organized training programs for farmers and implemented plans for equipment acquisition in the region. It also established a biodiversity center to teach primary and secondary students about agriculture and the environment.

Linden Stewart, Guyanese beekeeping paragon and passionate beekeeping instructor, is named an IICA Leader of Rurality of the Americas

Stewart was bestowed with the “Soul of Rurality” award as part of an initiative by the specialized organization in agricultural and rural development to highlight the role of men and women who are leaving their mark and making a difference in the rural areas of the hemisphere, while also ensuring the planet’s environmental sustainability and its food and nutritional security.

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