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Progress Report

This progress report summarizes work done on the Atabey Garden at the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce. It provides background on the Pro-Agriculture Student Coalition (CEPA) which oversees the garden. It then details maintenance activities conducted in the garden such as cleaning, watering, and planting a variety of crops. A table shows the hours worked by 4 students on various maintenance activities and meetings. It concludes with a critique of research papers debating the role of biotechnology in food security and the developing world.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
56 views20 pages

Progress Report

This progress report summarizes work done on the Atabey Garden at the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce. It provides background on the Pro-Agriculture Student Coalition (CEPA) which oversees the garden. It then details maintenance activities conducted in the garden such as cleaning, watering, and planting a variety of crops. A table shows the hours worked by 4 students on various maintenance activities and meetings. It concludes with a critique of research papers debating the role of biotechnology in food security and the developing world.

Uploaded by

api-512529520
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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University of Puerto Rico in Ponce

Progress Report

José A. Montalvo Capestany


Jonathan M. Vélez Cruz
Alberto C. Fernández Vélez
Introduction

​The purpose of this progress report is to inform Dr. Pier A. LeCompte of the background, the

hours worked on the Atabey Garden by this group, the problems the garden faces, and what

can be done to fix those problems. The Atabey garden is a portion of land inside the

University of Puerto Rico in Ponce’s campus where a variety of fruits and vegetables are

planted and harvested. The produce that is collected is sold at the Atabey fair or sometimes

distributed throughout the student’s community. Dr. Pier A. LeCompte requires as part of the

course, that the students complete at least 10 hours of work on the garden, but given the

circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic we are living, it was adjusted to 4 hours in total.

Background

The Pro-Agriculture Student Coalition or better known as CEPA is an accredited university

organization that promotes the importance of agriculture and the harvest of organic produce

not only in the university, but in our own houses. CEPA was conceived during one of Dr. José

Ramón Villalón’s course, "Ponce in Puerto Rican reality" at the University of Puerto Rico in

Ponce by a group of his students. Dr. Villalón presented ideas and planted the seed about food

safety in Puerto Rico, and how such a project should be done. And that seed flourishes in the

heads of those students. Dr. Villalón’s seed was then nurtured by Dr. Pier A. LeCompte on

her Technical Writing course where one of the first things she discusses is the controversy and

problem of genetically modified foods and presents her students the documentary “The future

of Food”. The combination of having two professors, coincidentally, mentioning the same

problem, was enough for these students to develop an idea and create CEPA with their own

garden named Atabey. In the beginning, it was only a small group composed of a handful of

students, now is a well-established organization with members from all the different
departments and programs from UPR-Ponce. The principal goal and mission of CEPA is to

light the spark on every student and reconnect them with nature and the importance of it on

our lives and well-being.

Directive in charge of the Atabey Garden 2019- 2020:

1. President: Juan G. Negrón Ferrer

2. Vice-president: Adayra A. Rodríguez Vázquez

3. Secretary & Historian: Carola B. Figueroa Palmer

4. Treasurer: Carlos J. León Rodríguez

5. Public Relations: Amlyn M. Sánchez Centeno

6. Vocal: Verónica I. Arbona Walsh

7. Advisors:

· Dr. Pier A. LeCompte

· Dr. José R. Villalón

Maintenance hours:

The maintenance was carried out two or three times a week in order to keep the Atabey

Garden clean so that weeds are not present as they attract pests and absorb nutrients from

sown plants.

The stipulated days for the maintenance of the garden were:

· Tuesday and Thursday from 12:00 p.m. at 1:00 p.m.


· Friday from 1:30 p.m. at 4:30 p.m.
Fundraising sales for the 5​th​ Atabey Agricultural Fair:

1.​ Lemonade Sale- February 13​th​, 2020



th​
2.​ ​Pizza Sale- February 20​ , 2020
th​
3.​ ​Cookie Sale- February 25​ , 2020
th​
4.​ ​Lemonade Sale- February 27​ , 2020
th​
5.​ ​Pizza Sale- March 5​ , 2020

Work Planned:

To better educate the college community and the Ponce community by raising awareness of

the urgency to reach optimal levels, near self-sufficiency, the production of local quality food.

Another goal was to plant more plants that had not been previously seen in the garden, which

was achieved, and to establish an irrigation system, which was also achieved but not

completed given that timer or regulator had yet to be installed. This was due to the abrupt

interruption caused by the COVID.-19 pandemic. These goals were accomplished in

collaboration with the group ​Josco bravo​, which are agroecological farms found in Toa Alta.

They provided a course for agroecological producers and promoters within the University of

Puerto Rico in Ponce. This is a course focused on the formation of new agroecological

farmers. The course was free of charge to the students, the college community, the Ponce

community, and surrounding municipalities.

Work Completed:
I. Cleaning the garden

The students helped cleaning and removing the dry leaves and plague on plants and

gardens, in addition to this, unwanted trash, plants, and grass or weeds present in the

garden.

II. Watering the garden

The students took turns alongside CEPA members and volunteers, to water the plants

and ground.

III. Planting

Some of the produce that have been planted and harvested are:

● Chamomile

● Lemon

● Tuna cactus

● Wild oregano

● Basil

● Hibiscus

● Ginger

● Turmeric

● Citronella

● Lime

● Aloe

● Tobacco

● Eggplant
● Pumpkin

● Cherry Tomatoes

● Plantain

● Cassava

● Pineapple

Additional to this, between last semester and this semester, in a new expansion of the garden,

the following produce was planted and harvested:

● Sweet peppers

● Watermelon

● Red Okra

● Chinese cabbage

● Kale

● Romaine Lettuce

● Peanut

● Spring onion

● Onion

● Radishes

● Beets

● Pigeon pea

● Purple corn

● Parsley

● White, red, pink, black, and green beans


Table of dedicated time and hours worked on the garden, donations, or

meetings assisted:

José A Alberto Fernández Jonathan Velez Rafael Roman


Date Montalvo- Vélez
Capestany

February 21,
2020 1 hour

March 13, 2020 3 hours

2 hours 2 hours
May 14, 2020 (Critique’s (Donations)
Research)

3 hours
May 15, 2020 ( Critique’s
Research)

Total 1 hour 5 hours 5 hours

Critique's Research:

DATE: March 16, 2020

TO: Dr. Pier A. LeCompte

FROM: Alberto C. Fernández Vélez


SUBJECT: Report on my critiques of the following papers: Altieri, M.A., and Rosset, P.

(1999). Ten reasons why biotechnology will not ensure food security, protect the environment

and reduce poverty in the developing world. ​AgBioForum​, ​2​(3&4), McGloughlin, M. (1999).

Ten reasons why biotechnology will be important to the developing world. ​AgBioForum,​

2​(3&4), 163-174 and Altieri, M.A. and Rosset, P. (1999). Strengthening the case for why

biotechnology will not help the developing world: a response to McGloughlin. ​AgBioForum​,

2​(3&4), 226-236.

Yesterday I published my last critique regarding the debate between Altiery and Rosset vs.

McGloughlin views of the usage of biotechnology in the food industry complex (FIC). In

those critiques I shared my points of view regarding the ideas and arguments of both

spectrums. I also provided some suggestions which targeted the strengths and shortcomings of

each rhetoric. In this report I will provide a conclusion to those ideas.

Altiery and Rosset ideas

Mr. Altiery and Mr. Rosset’s argument was built with the purpose of reiterating some points

in regard to the propelling biotechnological approaches by the private and public sectors in

North America. Their ideas try to tackle the importance of agroecological technologies and its

benefits to the economy and the environment. On the other hand, Altiery and Rosset also

pleaded for major changes in policies, institutions, research and development to “ensure that

agroecological alternatives are made equitably and broadly accessible, and multiplied so that

their full benefit for sustainable food security can be realized (Altieri, M.A. and Rosset, P.

1999). They concluded their statements by claiming that the practice of agricultural
development has been dominated by technical questions, consequently, ignoring more

fundamental and monetary ones.

McGloughlin ideas

Ms. McGloughlin’s argument was built with the objective of challenging some

misconceptions often put forward about the technologies of biotechnology. In her response to

Altiery and Rosset arguments regarding the misuse of biotechnology in the FIC, she stated the

following: “Altieri and Rosset's arguments are neither scientifically supported nor even really

about biotechnology. Their arguments are primarily directed against Western-type capitalism

and associated institutions (e.g., intellectual property rights, the WTO) (McGloughlin, M.

1999)”. She basically constructed her counter-arguments around the idea that both Mr. Altiery

and Mr. Rosset failed to acknowledge the scientifically proven potential of biotechnology and

the ways it can contribute to environmental sustainability and food security. She concluded

her statements by implying a political motive which presumably drove Altiery and Rosset’s

paper, which lacked concrete scientific data and relied solely upon projections.

Conclusion

Altiery and Rosset’s debate with McGloughlin concluded with Altiery and Rosset responding

to her claims. They kept stating that “biological research in agriculture is no longer in the

public domain; the new technology is under the direction of corporations who increasingly

influence the direction of public sector research in ways unprecedented in the past (Altieri,

M.A., and Rosset, P. 1999)”. They concluded their statements by questioning the self-interest

of the private sector by implying that most biotech enthusiasts bury themselves behind a
rhetoric of neutrality “masking a series of social contradictions (Altieri, M.A. and Rosset, P.

1999)”.

Questions regarding the project:

1. Besides workshops, field excursions, and maintenance brigades, what other activities
were accomplished during this semester?

In this semester the other achievement with respect to activities was the fundraising sales

focused on organizing for the 5​th​ Atabey Agriculture Fair, which could take place given the

situation of COVID-19.

2. What were the limitations, if any, faced during this semester?

The greatest limitation faced during this semester was the lack of manpower to plan de

the 5​th​ Atabey Agricultural Fair.

3. What are the future plans that remain for next year?

For the next year, we hope to realize more activities that attract new members and that

educate current members about how to maintain the garden, so that knowledge can allow

CEPA to receive more individuals that can manage the garden without the worry of losing

that valuable knowledge and experience from the students that already graduated. In addition,

the planning of the 5​th​ Atabey Agricultural Fair continues to be a priority.


Member's service logs signed by the president of CEPA, Juan Negron:
Self-reflection document of each group member:
Conclusion of the project:

The trajectory of this project was quite long. We as individuals learned to properly work as a

group in just a limited amount of time. There have been quite some changes to the project

since the original proposal such as the number of service hours required from 10 hours to 4

hours. This was due to the disreputable COVID - 19 situation which took the world by

surprise. This disembarked on the cancellation of outdoor activities worldwide, which

consequently meant that we couldn't attend to the garden since May 14, 2020. However this in

particular didn’t change our conviction to make the most of what we had and could actually

do. The physical work in the garden was justifiably postponed, but in reality this just meant

that our contribution to the garden of the university was going to be filled with intellectual

inquiry. After all, the only work that was completed physically in the garden was the

harvesting of chamomile, lemon, tuna cactus, wild oregano, basil, hibiscus, ginger, turmeric,

citronella, lime, aloe, tobacco, eggplant, pumpkin, cherry tomatoes, plantain, cassava, and

pineapple. However, some research was conducted on topics such as genetically modified

organisms, upcycling, and some others. To conclude, the foregoing situation was extremely

unexpected, it certainly changed our original proposal, but after all, our intentions for the

betterment of the garden are still unchanged.

MINUTES AT THE END OF THE DOCUMENT:

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