AFC+A launched its work in Puerto Rico within 72 hours of Hurricane Maria’s landfall through the Resiliency Fund and its Guagua Solidaria (solidarity bus). Farming brigades helped revitalize local food systems and the agro-ecology sector of the island. La Guagua Solidaria-- a 24 months campaign to assist in the recuperation of 200 agroecology farming projects-- came to life as a repurposed old eco-tourist van outfitted with a handmade roof rack and a mobile tool shed.

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The island holds more permits for transgenic seed experimentation than anywhere else in the U.S. or its territories. Culturally dominant staples like rice and beans and even pork are almost entirely outsourced. Puerto Rico is a food desert in many ways and thus La Guagua Solidaria has in pushing the agro-ecological movement, moved beyond focusing solely on farms to also educating communities at large to start growing their own food.

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Given the history and successful proof of concept “LA GUAGUA SOLIDARIA 1.0” represents, AFC+A welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with Recuperación Agricola, a program of the Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust by providing an edition of the solidarity bus adaptable to the technical services required yet anchored in our legacy. This February-March 2019 initiative we called “LA GUAGUA SOLIDARIA 2.0”: The technical Intervention bus. 

 

In April 2019 we launched the GUAGUA SOLIDARIA 3.0 concentrating our food security efforts in one region of Arecibo/Hatillo/Camuy providing land clearing support to the Asociacion de Agricultores Camuyanos. This phase is anchored in our signed MOU with the Mayor of Camuy and the Asociacion. The 3.0 chapter of La Guagua will concentrate on expanding crop yield by increasing land use through clearing.

 

Though AFCA’s recuperation efforts on the island began with the Guagua Solidaria, our work has quickly expanded to include multiple initiatives supported in part by The Conservation Fund and AFC+A’s current five-year master agreement with USDA and the US Forest Service (2016-2021) which includes expansion contracts for food security literacy and environmental stewardship on the island (2018-2020). Our three umbrella initiatives are now housed under the Puerto Rico Resilience Project (PRRP) and include La Guagua Solidaria, Promotores Verdes, and the Festival Ecologico de Las Americas (FELA). As of March 2019, our flagship Promotores Verdes program is active in Puerta de Tierra, Santurce, Hato Rey, Cano Martin Pena & Las Monjas, Camuy, Orocovis, Hoya Llanita- Peñuelas, and University of Puerto Rico.

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Our work has been recognized by the Hispanic FederationAmanece Fund, the Annenberg Foundation, USDA, The NatureConservancy, Milton A. & Charlotte R. Kamer CharitableFoundation, The Morning Star Foundation, Maine Community Foundation, The Oscar & Evelyn Overton Charitable Foundation, Puerto Rico Unidos, among many other national and international entities.

Puerto Rico Resilience Projects:

 

• Ruta de Expresion (Bottoms Up Destination Planning;
  24 Murals & Four Promotores Verdes Guides). December 2018 - December 2020
   

• Promotores Verdes Artivism @Centro Comunal Villas del Sol.
  March 2018 - Present
   

• Promotores Verdes @Centro Comunal VDS. 
  November 2018 - Present
   

• Festival Ecológico de las Américas, FELA.
  Octobe 2018; September 2019
   

• Centro de Capacitacion Nacional de Promotores Verdes Guagua Solidaria 4.0 & Seed to Forest Education November 2018 - Present
   

• Rescate Agro-Cultura Finca Escuela El Guaraguao, 
  Orocovis. Febrero 2019 - July 2019
   

• Karst to Ocean Resiliency Corridor Camuy Mayor MOU.
  January 2019 - December 2025
   

• Promotores Verdes South Coast Partnership Peñuelas Mayor MOU.
  March 2019 - December 2025
   

• OPRAL-Oficina Puertorriqueña de Recreación al Aire Libre
  Outdoors Industry Study with UPR Dec. 2018-Oct 2019
   

• Designing Resilience
  University of Colorado, Denver College of Architecture and Planning & Municipalities of Penuelas and Camuy
   

• Recuperación Agricola,
  Red Cross. January 2019 - March 2019
   

• Promotores Verdes "Arte con Sentido" After School Program Escuela Especializada en Liderazgo y Transformación Social 'Emilio del Toro y Cuebas'. November 2017 - Present
   

• High School Eco Club: Promotores Verdes @Escuela Superior Josefa Velez Bauza.
  April 2019- Present
   

• Seed To Forest: Promotores Verdes Educational Resources & Summer Youth Camp
  Training. July 8-15, 2019
   

• Seed To Forest: Promotors Verdes Teachers Summer Training
  with Accreditation (2 credits) UPR June 2019-July 2019

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