San José de las Matas, Dominican Republic.- Óscar Cruz, Adonis Quezada and Norberto Torres proudly teach a group of visitors how macadamia trees grow in their plots located on the hills of Los Montones, in the highland town, San José de las Matas (central).
The three joined the program “A future for La Sierra” of the Dominican Environmental Consortium (CAD), confirming with the results achieved to date that youth are interested in farming, inclusion and sustainable development of their communities.
Officially initiated last May, one of the purposes of the program is to “restore the ecosystems of La Sierra through the planting of perennial and profitable crops such as macadamia, deciduous trees with deep roots that retain water, prevent erosion of the soil, capture CO2 and generate income that helps maintain a decent life for producers,” César Rodríguez, executive director of the CAD.
The program is subsidized by German Cooperation -GIZ- and supported by Macadamia La Loma, Propagás Foundation, CCN, the Ministry of Agriculture, BONAgro, DelaCasa Pastelería, EcoMundo and Ecoselva.