I returned recently from a couple weeks in Ecuador where I spent my time working with our partners at EkoRural, providing some nutrition support to their ongoing projects. I always enjoy going to Ecuador, and this was no exception. The country is beautiful, my hosts are gracious, and EkoRural does fascinating work.

The central theme of their work is facilitating endogenous capacity to solve rural problems. They recognize that solutions to local problems can be found locally. Somewhere in the range of agronomic, dietary and health practices lie practices that are more productive, more efficient or healthier, and Ekorural works to identify and helping disperse these practices (similar to the positive deviance approach).

It has been three years since I last visited Ecuador. Some things have changed, some haven’t. The country is still beautiful and this won’t change, although Ecuador is going to experience severe climate changes. One thing that has changed is how quiet Quito has become. It was a marked and absolutely noticeable difference but I couldn’t figure out what was the source (or lack of source) of the noise. My colleagues informed me that a law has been passed in Quito banning unnecessary honking. A fine of $30 is given for unnecessary honking. It is enforced and it works, as shown by how quiet it is now. How brilliant is that? A small easy change having profound impact on quality of life and health, reducing the stress of noise pollution. Quito also has a new law that all restaurants and other facilities with restrooms have to let the public use the restrooms without purchasing anything. This is a small change, but again something that makes the quality of life in Quito just a little better.

Last November, I was interviewed via Skype for Radio Pública Nacional , for the program “Minga por la Pachamama” by the radio host Eliana Estrella. We talked about food and nutrition in Ecuador and about community supported agriculture (CSA) in Canada among other things. They took the hour long interview in Spanish and distilled it into an interview that makes me sound somewhat articulate for about five minutes. Whew. On this trip I got a copy of the programs, and with some trepidation am posting it here.

The first file is on nutrition in Ecuador. The other voice you here is Steve Brescia of Groundswell International. The second file is about Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in Canada, where I talk for a bit about “Farmer Paul”, who produces my family’s beef.

Nutrition in Ecuador: click here to play.

CSAs in Canada: click here to play