The Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development

The Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development (AASD) is a non-profit working with rural farmers and high altitude communities in Peru. Our mission is to harness collective intelligence to support community led development in the highlands of Peru. The AASD was formally founded in 2011 with our flagship project, the school garden initiative, which was designed to combat childhood malnutrition in the most disadvantages regions of Peru. In the last few years, this project has naturally grown to include family greenhouses, and greater layers of support, including training and market access through our demonstration farm.

The AASD approach is based on trusting relationships and benefits from the many years we have been embedded in the communities where we work. We use traditional, culturally appropriate methods of knowledge sharing in our ecological agriculture workshops. Our approach has been recognized and used as a model by both the national school lunch program- Qali Warma, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). We continue to work with farmers, government technicians, and other organizations to improve food security and share sustainable practices throughout the region.

The second pillar of our organization is the work we do with international students. The AASD works with students of all ages, from high school to PhD researchers, through our experiential learning programs. These programs challenge the way we think of poverty, focusing on the strengths and innovation right here in the communities where we work. Research we conduct in collaboration with students is used to direct and improve our community projects, allowing us to offer student opportunities that have tangible impact.