Farmer in Belize Honoured with IICA’s “Soul of Rurality” Award

A farmer in Belize has been honoured with the “Soul of Rurality” award by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). Known for his transformative work in agro-silvopastoral systems, Christopher Nesbitt has spent 36 years restoring a once-thriving farm used for citrus and cattle and creating a model that blends sustainable farming, forest conservation, and livestock.

Originally from the U.S., Nesbitt moved to Belize at 19 and purchased an unattended 70-acre farm. The IICA recogised Nesbitt’s years of trial and error, as he developed a system integrating diverse crops, such as cacao and vanilla, alongside forest conservation practices. His farm, the Maya Mountain Research Farm, is now a sustainability benchmark, visited by hundreds each year. “If we work to ensure that neighbouring farmers establish continuous agro-silvopastoral blocks, we can create biological corridors that reduce habitat fragmentation and promote biodiversity conservation,” Nesbitt said.

 

His efforts have earned him recognition, including the Commonwealth Innovation Award in 2019. With a biogas plant on the farm, Nesbitt also promotes local food security, which he argues is threatened by over-reliance on imported goods. He believes the future of farming lies in systems that are not only profitable but also eco-friendly, and he encourages young people to take up agriculture for its potential to solve food security and rural poverty.

“Like other countries in the region,” Nesbitt stated, “Belize’s best lands have always been used for export crops, while food crops for the local population have been confined to marginal lands or very small farms. I have worked to change that alongside other farmers and with the support of cooperation agencies, which have helped optimise agricultural practices and improve smallholder farmers’ access to maize and bean markets.” 

 

Nesbitt challenges the stereotype that farmers lack education, stating, “There is a perception that farmers are uneducated because some may struggle with reading and writing, but they have extensive botanical and ecological knowledge. They can observe a tree’s canopy size and leaf colour and extract a wealth of information about what’s happening in the soil.” 

Nesbitt strongly believes agriculture is key to protecting the environment and that agro-silvopastoral systems can help with food security, rural poverty, and migration to cities. “Caring for ecosystems means caring for future generations,” he added.