The Permaculture Institute of El Salvador (IPES) was founded as an independent organization in 2002 by small farmers concerned to halt the destruction of their environment and way of life. Over the past 6 years, we have built a network of subsistence farmers who work with ecological farming methods. We have a training centre and 4 demonstration permaculture sites, the most important of which is the ecological community La Florida in the La Libertad department. Our aim is to train community leaders within poor rural areas to enable them to tackle the environmental crises that face them.

Developing Ecological Communities
IPES is located in the ecological community of La Florida - a small organic coffee co-operative which acts as a permaculture teaching and demonstration site. Our vision is to build a network of sustainable rural communities committed to working collectively to overcome poverty, care for the environment and recover our ancient Mayan traditions.

Sustainable Local Development
IPES works with local governments and other NGO´s to ensure that the support provided to communities is ecologically sustainable and informed by the communities themselves. We provide training in leadership and advocacy skills to local communities as well as training in permaculture and sustainable development to staff of local development agencies.
Protecting our Rivers from Large Dam Building
IPES helps co-ordinate the National Co-ordination against Dams, a network of river communities and NGO´s opposed to the building of large and destructive dams.

We believe in:
• Co-operating and living harmoniously with nature
• Putting earth restoration at the heart of all our activities for the benefit of future generations
• The vitality and ability of the Salvadoran people to transform their own reality
• The importance of community living for the development of the individual and of society
• The core indigenous belief in the life giving, spiritual force within the universe and the fundamental interconnectedness of all life.

Permaculture Training
We train leaders of poor rural communities to use permaculture as a tool in sustainable community development. We raise awareness of the environmental problems, their causes and solutions and teach them how to design their plots of land and their communities according to permaculture principles.

Supporting the Farmer to Farmer Movement
IPES works with a grass roots network of subsistence farmers who are changing their farming practices and adopting ecological methods. We provide training in soil and water conservation, making organic composts, herbicides and pesticides, native seed saving, crop diversification and reforestation. Members of the network exchange experience and seeds