by Chuck Haren

In an effort to help address the country’s need for quality low-cost protein and address under-nutrition, Engineer Mario Orellana and colleagues at University of El Salvador (UES) School of Agronomic Sciences are conducting trials and multiplying non-GMO soybean seeds at the university’s agriculture research center outside of San Salvador. Plenty has helped the UES access non-GMO soybean seeds and has provided material support to help the research team with crop maintenance and harvest. Researchers and professors at UES have requested assistance this year from Plenty in helping them obtain village-scale tools and equipment they could use to teach rural farming families and students how to produce soymilk, soy flour and related products. Plenty has been donated some of the equipment needed and we are looking for $4,000 in donations to transport these to El Salvador.

In the communities of Rancho Grande and San Carlos, UES, Plenty and El Cuenco representatives are working to help economically marginalized families address significant nutrient shortages through increased production and use of foods rich in Vitamin A/beta carotene and iron, including moringa, chaya, chiplin, and protein rich non-gmo soybeans. In November of last year the San Carlos Women’s Committee was able to initiate operations of a bakery and soy food processing center with technical help from Plenty, El Cuenco and UES, and grants for building materials and food processing equipment from the International and Trull Foundations.