“One problem the students observed came from when the farmers needed to transport the de-pulper machine for maintenance. The farmers lived two hours from any roads and would need to use mules to help haul the machines. The students redesigned the de-pulper to increase the longevity of the machine, reduce the frequency of maintenance and create an easier on-site cleaning process.”

“Since the beginning of agriculture, our ancestors and people like The Potato King have been harvesting seeds from successful crops and saving them for future growing seasons. This selection process is better known as “seed saving” and allows an individual to have a resource of food ready to be produced for upcoming years. Seed saving is how civilians maintained backyard victory gardens during wartime, how the Aztec peoples built an empire on floating chinampas, and how numerous cultures and communities have managed to survive persistent disasters.”

“This is the work that Julio Hancco Mamani has been doing since he was a child. He touches the soil to his lips and tastes it to know when it is ready to nourish the seeds of a new potato crop. He has always felt a responsibility to protect the land and has come to be seen as a leading guardian of biodiversity in Peru and, in recent years, internationally.”

“In this interview with Executive Director and co-founder Aaron Ebner, we discuss the ethos of AASD to value people over projects and impact over quantity.”

“To begin the joint effort in Sacclio, faculty from the university and staff from AASD used ArcGIS Pro to design the basemap that would depict the area of interest: the canal system that runs through the community. The team also used ArcGIS Pro to build the feature class templates that would be used in ArcGIS Collector to gather data.”

“What happens when COVID-19 lockdowns prevent communities living in the mountains from traveling to larger cities to purchase seeds?”

The Walkers and the Renaissance of Indigenous Culture in Peru

“The hacienda system has long since disappeared but globalization, media, and outside culture have convinced many in indigenous communities, especially young people, that their ancestral communities have little to offer in the modern world. This stigma and low-economic opportunity are why people have left their communities. So now that they are coming back, what awaits them in the indigenous communities?…”

‘Opening the earth – The Potato King’. A story about agricultural biodiversity

“Opening the Earth strives to uncover hidden strengths of the poor that highlight the mentalities of resilience and resourcefulness that permeate their culture…”

17 Indigenous Agricultural Programs to Recognize International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples

“Sustainable agricultural projects sponsored by the program include a school greenhouse project, a family greenhouse system, and an eco-farm project that utilizes indigenous farming practices…”

Connecting Students to Social Change through Global Internships

“The AASD program is almost completely autonomous which forced me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to experiment and problem solve to find the best solutions…”

Youtube: New Perspectives in International Service Learning– Adam Steiglitz | Ashoka U Big Idea Talk

Trip to Jordan Inspires Engineering Students

“We have various students who are interested in these projects – students who are curious about the world and have a global perspective and how that fits in with engineering…”

Julio Hancco, protagonista de la película The Potato King

“No sabe leer ni escribir, no tiene agua corriente y no utiliza equipos agrícolas modernos. Sin embargo, logra cultivar más variedades de papas que la mayoría de las naciones modernizadas de nuestro planeta. Esta biodiversidad se origina a partir de su cultura y sus ricas tradiciones agrícolas transmitidas desde el Imperio Inca.…”

Partner Spotlight: The Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development

“One of the ways we make sure that students’ work makes a real, sustainable impact is to partner with nonprofits and NGOs who are ingrained in the communities we serve in the Americas, Africa, and Asia…”

The High Road

“Unlike other NGOs, at least those working in the Andes, one of its primary tactics has been the establishment of deep trust-based relationships with the communities in which it works. ”

Podcast: S01 E18 Aaron Ebner 

A Conversation with Aaron Ebner of the Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development

“At the heart of AASD’s approach is a rejection of a one-size fits all approach.  The organization addresses the unique needs of each community it works with, searching for innovative solutions to a variety of problems…”

Greenhouses in Peru’s high Andes provide roots for innovation

“Venturing down the winding roads of the Andes mountains, it is not uncommon to come across “off the map” communities like Pampacorral…”