Community Member Spotlight: Sunitha Chandran

Every day, Sunitha Chandran wakes up at 5:00 am to begin the day’s cooking and cleaning.  At 8:00 am, she heads out for a full day of farming activities.  By 5:30 pm, she returns home to finish her household duties, look after her two…

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The Impact of COVID-19 on Rural Communities

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected communities across the globe and presented  them with many challenges. Rural communities are facing unique challenges in response to the virus. Many residents are already plagued by economic instability and health-related issues, and the COVID-19 outbreak is not helping….

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Community Member Spotlight: Sheeba Valady

Like many women in Wayanad, Sheeba Valady seems like a person who can truly do it all.  Her seemingly endless capacity to be a skilled farmer, a strong leader, and exemplary mother is awe-inspiring. A visit to Sheeba Valady’s house allows any visitor to…

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Functional Farming: Integrated Agricultural Systems

Integrated Agricultural Systems are a sustainable practice that has economic, environmental, and social benefits. This farming technique is a “whole system” approach that utilizes existing biological relationships (Agriculture Sustainability Institute). It builds upon the concept of agroecology, which is the application of ecological principles…

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The Dual Season – Understanding Monsoons

The monsoon season is a dynamic phenomenon that impacts life in many areas of the world. A monsoon is a seasonal change in wind patterns, resulting in extreme wet and dry seasons throughout the course of the year. Though they do exist in parts…

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Who’s Who in Profugo?

The year is 2008. Jenny and Ashwin Koleth, along with friends, have spent countless hours on the ground and in the office preparing to launch their non-profit. They have seen the devastating effects of powerlessness in many places around the world, and they have…

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Tea Tastes of Culture… and Environmental Impact

According to Indian legend, tea was the divine creation of Buddha himself. Buddha vowed to meditate for nine years straight without rest, but was eventually overcome by exhaustion and fell asleep. When he woke up, he was so upset by his weakness that he…

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Choosing Organic Cotton Goes a Long Way

In today’s world of on-going environmental issues, it is more and more important for consumers to be aware and conscious of the products they are buying. As a consumer, we have the choice to decide what products we buy and where we buy them…

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Circular Economy

As the threat of climate change becomes more imminent- with recent scientific studies declaring the year 2040 as an ultimatum for preventative action to be taken- we must look to alternative models for sustainable lives. One such model is a circular economy. In contrast…

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Malnutrition and the Impact on Health

Malnutrition is a public health issue affecting children under the age of five worldwide. 50% of the 10-11 million children under the age of 5 die each year from malnutrition and the preventable health consequences (Collins et al., 2006). Malnutrition is a result of…

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