HondurasAgriculture · Drought
Youth for Conservation of Honduras (JPC), led since 2025 by APAH, trains young people as environmental promoters to promote sustainable agricultural practices in the face of soil degradation and climate variability. In September 2026, Class XVI received training in regenerative agriculture in El Merendón, including soil conservation, organic fertilizers and natural crop management, to strengthen agricultural resilience to droughts and changes in rainfall.
Youth for Conservation of Honduras (JPC), led since 2025 by APAH, trains young people as environmental promoters to promote sustainable agricultural practices in the face of soil degradation and climate variability. In September 2026, Class XVI received training in regenerative agriculture in El Merendón, including soil conservation, organic fertilizers and natural crop management, to strengthen agricultural resilience to droughts and changes in rainfall.
Honduras is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change in the region: high exposure to extreme events and adaptive capacity limited by poverty, inequality and institutional weakness. In agriculture, this translates into variable rainfall, droughts and soil degradation that affect rural productivity and livelihoods. Loss of soil fertility and moisture aggravates droughts; Sustainable management and agroforestry strengthen adaptation.
Strengthen the capacities of young people in regenerative agricultural practices that contribute to sustainable soil management, conservation of natural resources and adaptation of production systems in the face of climate variability. The measure seeks to train young people capable of applying and sharing knowledge about sustainable agricultural practices in their communities.
The measure uses theoretical and practical training in regenerative agriculture. The module addressed soil management, orchards, organic fertilizers, agroforestry and natural alternatives for crop management. The young people also carried out production and management practices of vegetable seedlings in protected systems and production of microorganisms, strengthening their capacities through practical learning.
Young people from the XVI-2026 Promotion of Youth for Conservation of Honduras who participated in the regenerative agriculture module and, indirectly, their communities, who can benefit from knowledge about sustainable soil management, agroforestry and agricultural production adapted to changing climatic conditions.
The Association of Environmental Promoters (APAH), founded in 2020 by graduates of Jóvenes para la Conservación Honduras (JPC) and with 230 members, has led the program since 2025. Certified youth leaders guide the participants, who lead local trainings in their communities.
Since 2017, JPC has trained more than 500 young people in 195 communities, and almost 90% of its graduates work in conservation or education, pursue higher education or created their own green business. In the module, Promotion XVI produced vegetable seedlings in protected systems and microorganisms.
Luis Armando Tinoco (Project Coordinator for Honduras and El Salvador). LinkedIn: https://hn.linkedin.com/in/luis-armando-tinoco-cerrato-456055168 Asociación de Promotores Ambientales (APAH). Jóvenes para la Conservación de Honduras - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JPCHn/
Mixed
Agriculture in El Merendón faces the effects of climate variability, including dry periods and changes in rainfall distribution, which can reduce water availability and affect productivity. These conditions are aggravated when soils lose organic matter and their ability to retain moisture. The adoption of regenerative practices seeks to improve soil health and increase the capacity of productive systems to face adverse climatic periods.
Honduras is incorporating climate adaptation and the sustainability of production systems into its agri-food policies. The State Policy for the Agri-Food Sector 2023-2024 recognizes the need to recover and adequately manage soils in the face of climate change and overexploitation.
The training was facilitated by the Center for Teaching and Learning of Sustainable Culture (CEASO). The JPC program was created in 2017 by the United States Forest Service (USFS) and USAID, and since 2025 it has been led by APAH with continued support from the USFS, which maintains a technical advisory committee. It also has partners such as Bosques del Mundo and Cervecería Hondureña.
The existence of a structured youth training program, the support of specialized facilitators and the participation of strategic partners facilitated the development of the initiative. However, its continuity and practical application may be limited by young people's reduced access to land for cultivation, the availability and cost of agricultural inputs, lack of financing, and difficulties in maintaining gardens and regenerative practices in the long term.
In addition to strengthening the adaptation of productive systems, the process also generates social benefits through environmental education, youth leadership, practical learning and knowledge transfer to communities.
The program has already reached 195 communities, and its participants share what they learned by leading local trainings. The measure can be replicated in other territories where agriculture faces droughts, soil degradation or rainfall variability, as long as there are specialized facilitators and a structured training program.
The continuity of the program is supported by APAH, created by graduates to ensure their future, which took over its leadership in 2025 with support from the USFS and plans to train 500 new young people in five years. At the local level, it depends on knowledge being translated into continuous practices on plots and communities.
Promotion XVI-2026 in the regenerative agriculture module (Facebook JPC Honduras): https://www.facebook.com/JPCHn/posts/1116185574312575/ ; APAH now leads the implementation of JPC Honduras (USFS Honduras): https://usfshn.notion.site/apah-jpc2025