The TCGA initiated the process of reaching out to some of the more rural communities in southern Belize, e.g. San Vicente, Jalacte, Dolores, and San Benito Poite, which are suffering from increasing land degradation, reduced income and continued marginalization.

Over the next eighteen months, the Association hope to demonstrate to farmers and other development agencies that integrated organic agriculture can and should be used as a strategy for sustainable development. Moreover, the project will bring greater attention to issues such as the need for sustainable forest management, watershed management and continued poverty alleviation strategies in rural Toledo.

Major project activities will include: a) the construction of a nursery in Jalacte and a second in San Vicente to be used to produce 7,000 grafted cacao seedlings and as outdoor classrooms for training, b) the establishment of a 5-acre demonstration plot in Jalacte and a 6-acre demonstration plot in San Vicente, c) training of farmers, school children and the wider community on all facets of organic cacao production as well as on integrated organic agriculture, this will include a field-visit by the 11 farmers and Project Coordinator to Honduras to view similar plots, d) provision of ten grafted cacao seedlings to each family in the two communities so that they eventually have cacao for domestic consumption, and e) a one day workshop to disseminate information to the wider public.