Maya Mountain Research Farm is a working demonstration farm and registered NGO in southern Belize that promotes sustainable agriculture, appropriate technology and food security using permaculture principles and applied biodiversity. The organization advances permaculture, agroforestry, and renewable energy through research, training, and community projects. The farm hosts farmers and student groups while providing training for local and international participants. With over 37 years of organic management, it stands as one of Central America's oldest permaculture farms, transformed from an abandoned citrus and cattle operation into a biologically diverse polyculture.
Project story
Transforming Degraded Land Into Thriving Landscapes
For over three decades, the Maya Mountain Research Farm (MMRF) has proven that ecological recovery of degraded agricultural land is possible. What began as abandoned citrus and cattle land in Belize has become a beacon of hope—transforming barren earth into a vibrant ecosystem that works for both nature and people.
Led by a diverse team of seven directors, MMRF tackles climate change head-on by empowering local farmers with practical knowledge they can use immediately. The organization teaches sustainable farming techniques that build resilience, protect the environment, and secure food for vulnerable communities.
The impact speaks volumes: restored landscapes, reduced atmospheric carbon, and stronger food security. But MMRF's true power lies in its approach—it's a living classroom where farmers learn by doing, engaging in hands on practices, and witnessing firsthand how degraded land can flourish.
By bridging environmental restoration with farmer education, MMRF shatters the myth that sustainability is a distant dream. It's happening now, one plot of land and one empowered farmer at a time.
Project updates
Team
Restoring degraded land in Belize's Maya Mountains
Maya Mountain Research Farm is a working demonstration farm and registered NGO in southern Belize that promotes sustainable agriculture, appropriate technology and food security using permaculture principles and applied biodiversity. The organization advances permaculture, agroforestry, and renewable energy through research, training, and community projects. The farm hosts farmers and student groups while providing training for local and international participants. With over 37 years of organic management, it stands as one of Central America's oldest permaculture farms, transformed from an abandoned citrus and cattle operation into a biologically diverse polyculture.
Project story
Transforming Degraded Land Into Thriving Landscapes
For over three decades, the Maya Mountain Research Farm (MMRF) has proven that ecological recovery of degraded agricultural land is possible. What began as abandoned citrus and cattle land in Belize has become a beacon of hope—transforming barren earth into a vibrant ecosystem that works for both nature and people.
Led by a diverse team of seven directors, MMRF tackles climate change head-on by empowering local farmers with practical knowledge they can use immediately. The organization teaches sustainable farming techniques that build resilience, protect the environment, and secure food for vulnerable communities.
The impact speaks volumes: restored landscapes, reduced atmospheric carbon, and stronger food security. But MMRF's true power lies in its approach—it's a living classroom where farmers learn by doing, engaging in hands on practices, and witnessing firsthand how degraded land can flourish.
By bridging environmental restoration with farmer education, MMRF shatters the myth that sustainability is a distant dream. It's happening now, one plot of land and one empowered farmer at a time.
Project updates
Team
Location
Belize
Round 3
Jul 1-21, 2026
Supporting community-led nature projects around the world.
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