Pioneers for our planet

This farmer is saving the jungle by growing food in it | Pioneers for Our Planet

'Agroforestry for me is one ecosystem to produce sustainable products today, tomorrow and also in the future.' 15 years ago Alexander Retana took over his father’s farm in Costa Rica. The farm consisted of open rice fields, with minimal biodiversity. He started planting trees to give himself shade in the baking summer months but soon found that he was creating a new ecosystem above his head. Integrating the jungle with his farm didn’t just increase biodiversity, it increased precipitation and helped more moisture stay in the soil, so it’s good for his crops and the planet.