Dinner with the Prince for Pigeonpea

From the outside in. That’s what Semilla Nueva Executive Director Curt Bowen is going to have to remember when choosing which fork to use as he sits down for dinner with the Prince of Wales this week. Yes, the future ruler of England will soon know all about Semilla Nueva’s pigeonpea program: naturally improved soils, nutritious beans, leaves that fertilize, stalks used as firewood, and a export market waiting to be accessed.

But “from the outside in” is not Semilla Nueva’s approach to development. In fact it’s the opposite. Local leadership through farmer-to-farmer education is the heart of Semilla Nueva’s work, and that’s why Semilla Nueva was chosen from over five hundred to be one of seven finalist organizations to compete for Unilver’s Sustainable Living Award. Unilever, partnering with the University of Cambridge has invited these seven finalists to London where they will have a “pitch off”. Each will give a five-minute pitch, followed by 15 minutes of questions from some of the top minds in the fields of development, sustainability and business. Before the competition, Curt will engage in one-on-one meetings with top professors from the Cambridge Program for Sustainability Leadership, reviewing and honing Semilla Nueva’s plans for the future of pigeonpea in Guatemala. The winner, announced Thursday, January 30^th will receive $80,000 for their project.

Join me in wishing Curt “buen suerte”, good luck, as he presents Semilla Nueva’s case for growing a better tomorrow for Guatemala.

Want to know more? Read about the Sustainable Living Award, and read a great article about our pigeonpea program.