Interview

Dr. Richard Taylor

Professor, EARTH University
Guácimo

Dr. Richard Taylor is a professor at EARTH University in Costa Rica, where students come from 25 countries to learn methods for sustainable agriculture and conservation.

What is the mission statement of your organization?

The University’s mission is to prepare leaders with ethical values to contribute to the sustainable development of the humid tropics and to construct a prosperous and just society.

When was it created, by whom, and why?

EARTH was created in 1986 with the passage of the law proposed by the Government of Costa Rica giving EARTH status as an international institution. In addition to the government of Costa Rica, the University was fortunate to have the support of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and the people of the United States through the US Agency for International Development.

EARTH was created out of a deep conviction that the environmental and social challenges confronting the planet can be resolved through education that promotes not only science, technology and entrepreneurship, but also essential human values, leadership and a commitment to social and environmental service.

How long have you been involved with the NGO?

I have been involved with EARTH University since January 12, 1992 (seventeen and a half years).

Why did you get involved?

I was inspired by the mission and vision of the newly created EARTH University, and by the idea of fostering a new kind of leadership for the humid tropics – young people that would be dedicated to not only stimulating economic development, but to doing it in a sustainable way.

Have you always worked in the NGO field?

Actually I had worked previously at CATIE, an NGO based in Costa Rica which is an international institution focusing on research and graduate education in the agricultural sciences and natural resources. But I had also worked previously in public institutions.

Why is NGO work important?

NGOs are by their nature not profit oriented and not linked to any particular government agenda, and therefore in my opinion, more able to effectively reach people in need.

Why is it important to be a selfless person?

It is important to be a selfless person, because in essence it is this that will someday enable us as a global community to overcome our differences and do what we must do in order to ensure the sustainability of life on our planet. We must believe that every person.

Did you have an inspirational figure in your life growing up?

As a child growing up, I think the person that most inspired me and probably contributed most to choices that I made later in life was my grandfather. He was a very special person - an agriculturalist who worked for the United Fruit Company. He loved the land and I think he is the person most responsible for inspiring a similar love for the land in me. And I remember that he was also especially committed to rural people who live close to the land. He used to work a lot with the indigenous communities on the Atlantic coast of Costa Rica.

Are there other selfless leaders out there you admire? If so, who and why?

There is someone – Mohammed Yunus, winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate, for his work empowering the poor. I admire him because he saw injustice in the world, saw a simple solution, and then just quietly went about making it happen — lifting people out of hopelessness one person at a time.

And it is such a simple strategy. I have worked with the Grameen Bank project here in Costa Rica. At EARTH we are helping them with a swine production project. They give women, mostly heads of households, a small loan of less than $100. With this they buy a pig, and a few other things needed for caring for the pig. We provide some training in basic animal husbandry, nutrition, disease management, and animal welfare, to help them be more successful in raising their animals. Our fourth year students are involved in the program, which is now in its third year. We have influenced directly and indirectly about 530 women. The repayment rate for the loans has been 100%. We have seen that this really works. Taking small steps, families are able to steadily improve their economic situation.

I have been fortunate to meet Dr. Yunus as he has visited EARTH University. Amazingly he is a simple and unassuming person, who doesn’t really give himself very much credit for what has been accomplished by the Grameen Bank. He says that the people have done it for themselves. If you give poor people the possibility to improve their lives, they will amaze you with their persistence and creativity in reaching that goal.

If there is one place or issue out there in the world you could personally explore, what would it be?

Another person that I would really have to say that I admire is Dr. Temple Grandin at Colorado State University, and if there is an issue in addition to the education of young people to work in sustainable development that I really feel passionate about, it is animal welfare. I agree with Dr. Grandin that our humanity can somehow be measured by our treatment of animals. This is an issue that is still relatively new in Central America, in the field of agriculture, and so I feel there is a lot of work and exploration to do. I enjoy teaching our students about animal welfare, and seeing them begin to really incorporate these ideas into their value systems – the same with farmers in the communities around our campus. Once they understand that these practices not only benefit the animal, but the producers, they begin to change. EARTH has done a lot of good work in this area and is fast on its way to becoming a center of reference for the region on animal welfare.

Another area that I would like to spend some time investigating is waste management, particularly as it relations to animal production. This is a serious problem in many parts of the world, and one that needs attention.

What is your operating budget? What would you do with more funds?

The operating budget is approximately $12M. The current economic crisis has significantly eroded the EARTH University endowment fund. With more funds right now we would apply them to our operating budget, so as to not draw done on our endowment (the endowment has historically provided about 50% of our annual operating costs). Ideally we would like to “rest” the endowment for 4-5 years.

Outside of funding, what are some of the biggest challenges it faces? Or, specifically, what is the most frustrating part?

I would say that one of our biggest challenges is maintaining and improving our infrastructure. This is in part related to our climate, which is quite intense and hard on the infrastructure, but it is also related of course to funding. It seems it is difficult to garner support for something that many people see as not so exciting, and yet is essential for maintaining our ability to offer a first class education to our students.

What is your dream for the NGO?

EARTH is deeply committed to providing a first class educational opportunity to students with scarce economic resources who are mostly from rural communities. When we recruit students we are looking for the drive, skills and passion that mark a future agent of change, regardless of economic circumstances. More than 50% of EARTH students receive full scholarships, while another 30% receive partial scholarships.

My dream for EARTH would be to grow our endowment sufficiently to be able to continue fulfilling our mission in perpetuity, which would include always being able to offer this opportunity to young people that might never attend university otherwise.

What would you consider your NGO’s greatest accomplishment?

In a relatively short period of time, 20 years, EARTH has established itself as a respected institution in Latin America and in the world. We are doing what we set out to do, very successfully I think – that is graduating well-trained and committed agents of change that are returning to their communities and countries to make a difference. Of the total number of graduates, 93% are working in Latin America, and 87% are working in their own countries.

Of those that graduated from 1993-2007, 89% are employed, 6% are pursuing advanced degrees, and 5% are either seeking employment, or have decided not to work temporarily. Many are working in the private sector: 10% have their own businesses, 7% are working in a family business, and 51% are otherwise employed in the private sector. Others work for NGOs and the public sector. Many graduates report that in addition to working in agricultural production and commercialization, they are increasingly finding and creating employment opportunities related to environmental issues, for example consultancies in areas such as waste management and organic production and certifications. Many graduates report that they are active in social and environmental causes outside of the formal workplace.

What are three things about your NGO what you wish people knew?

• EARTH University is not just for Costa Rica, or even for Latin America – EARTH is preparing citizens for the world. It is a truly international institution where a diverse cross-section of people come together to form a dynamic, multicultural learning community, located in a peaceful and democratic nation. Each year EARTH receives 112 new students, usually from approximately 20 different countries. Most are from Latin America and the Caribbean. But we also have students from Africa — from Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique and South Africa. And we have also received a small number of students from North America and Europe — the United States, Canada, Spain and Switzerland. EARTH now has graduates in 25 countries around the world. The faculty is equally diverse, with professors coming from 19 different countries.
• EARTH is extraordinarily dedicated to ensuring the success of our students. In spite of the fact that many of our students come from rural high schools, and may at first exhibit a “knowledge gap” due to inadequate secondary school opportunities; EARTH has achieved an overall average student retention rate of 85% (over a 5 year period). I think this is due to many factors, including a highly personalized and rigorous recruitment and selection process; a unique academic preparation program to enable promising candidates from underprivileged, often rural high schools who otherwise meet the student profile, to enter the University better prepared for academic success; and a highly participatory learning process where the number of faculty to students is very high, and usual class size of 25. But it is also because every member of this institution from the President, to members of the faculty, to the people that clean the buildings and prepare the food in the cafeteria, truly feels that we are part of this mission to create new leaders for the future.
• Finally I do wish that people could really know where our students are coming from; could appreciate the great strength of will and character that it takes to bring them to our doors and to keep them here for four years; and then they could begin to see why we can expect great things from our graduates.

How can people get involved?

There are many ways for people to get involved with EARTH, including coming to visit us, supporting our endowed scholarship fund, supporting our academic programs and research, sending and receiving interns, buying our products, etc. The possibilities are endless really, but people can also start by contacting the EARTH University Foundation, based in the US in Atlanta, GA.

How was the grant given by explore through the Annenberg Foundation used?

The donation made by explore through the Annenberg Foundation was channeled into our endowed scholarship fund. Currently there are two young women studying at EARTH, one from Colombia and one from the Dominican Republic. Both are currently in their third year of study. Both are outstanding students in all respects.

Do you think it had an impact? How?

Absolutely. This donation assures that there will always be two full scholarships in the name of the Annenberg Foundation for deserving students of limited economic resources to attend EARTH University. I believe that providing educational opportunity is the single most important way to impact the lives of young people, and therefore the rest of us, indirectly.

What was your biggest surprise when explore came to visit you?

I think my biggest surprise when the explore team came to visit the Integrated Animal Production farm at EARTH, was the genuine interest and appreciation that Charles and others showed for our work in animal welfare.

Do you think media accurately portrays the issues your organization represents?

I think the media portrays pretty well the issues that our University represents. Sustainability, climate change, food security – these are all transcendent issues, with no simple answers, that are of concern to people all over the world, regardless of our individual differences.

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

I think we need to rethink the development model that has led us into the worldwide mess that we are in now. I would change our way of thinking to one where we consider how we can share resources more equitably, how we can promote equal opportunity for all people in all places.

What do you believe to be the biggest challenge facing our planet today?

Food security – a problem that I think is bigger than we realize, but is being masked by the current economic crisis.

What do you think will be our planet’s biggest challenge 10 years from now? 25 years from now? 50 years from now?

• 10 years – turning around the world economic crisis and solving food security challenges
• 25 years – resolving our energy needs, finding sustainable alternatives to petroleum
• 50 years – world population growth

What is the key to living a happy life?

For me the key to living a happy life is based essentially on two things. One is being a member of a happy and loving family, which provides to each member of the family a stable base upon which to build a productive and conscious life. And the second is to have the feeling that you have made a positive difference in the world, and that you have made a contribution to improving the lives of others.