EARTH University 101
If you've moseyed into a Whole Foods lately, you may have noticed the "EARTH University" label on some of your groceries. In this post, I'll tell you all about EARTH University and its products.
What is EARTH University?
In the 1980s, the Costa Rican government, W.K. Kellogg Foundation and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) came together to create EARTH University. The university is located in Costa Rica and is focused on spreading values of ethical entrepreneurship and social and environmental betterment around the world. To this end, EARTH offers only one degree: Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Management.
EARTH accepts students from all over the world (mostly rural topical areas) who are passionate about making big changes in their communities. To get accepted into the university, students need to draft an action plan for improving their local community or launching a sustainable business.
If their action plans are accepted, the students spend the next several years working on the projects while immersed in hands-on learning about agriculture, sustainability and business principles. Most of these students fund their education at EARTH with the help of donors like the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. EARTH also welcomes researchers and short-term study abroad students interested in sustainability.
What's on the EARTH Campus?
EARTH University has a huge carbon neutral (!!!) campus designed for experiential learning about agriculture, natural resources and sustainability. The campus features loads of renewable energies AND a rainforest reserve. Carbon neutrality is an amazing feat in and of itself, but the campus also grows most of its own food organically and produces and sells loads of other foods, like bananas, yogurt, coffee and more. All EARTH's agriculture is based on principles of sustainability, like increasing biodiversity, maintaining soil health and paying workers fair wages. So basically, the EARTH campus is paradise.
Where can I find EARTH products?
Right now in the U.S., bananas and coffee from EARTH can only be found at Whole Foods. In Costa Rica, all EARTH products can be found at many chain grocery stores and at the EARTH campus. Buying from EARTH can help support the university's goal of creating a socially, environmentally and economically sustainable world for generations to come.