Mike Hands
Over the last 20 years, ecologist Mike Hands has been working on ways to reduce the destruction of rainforest by slash and burn farming by setting up demo farms in the tropics, so that farmers can see the benefits of the Inga tree Alley Cropping method he has developped. He works closely with the local community through the auspices of a local NGO, Fundacion Pico Bonito, and MOPAWI. Through them, he has established working farms with locals, who have all been won over, albeit slowly, when they see the benefits of the system. As Mike explains it, the farmers were initially more interested in the weed suppression than the potential loss of land due to the planting of the alleys. When one farmer was convinced, soon others became curious when they saw the bountiful harvest produced on land that would normally have been exhausted due to the loss of fertility, which then precipitated more forest destruction. Mike, a Cornish farmer himself as well as ecologist, has also overseen and contributed to the construction of local schools for the populace, who often live in dire poverty, barely scratching a living from the poor soil.
