A visit to UNOSJO in Oaxaca, an organization whose intersectional work embodies the principles of agroecology

Betsy Hale, chair of Pangea’s Latin America Pod, shares her experiences and insights gained from a site visit conducted in October 2025.

This past October, I had the opportunity to conduct a site visit to our grant partner UNOSJO which is in the Sierra Norte region of Oaxaca.

Deep Roots in Guelatao

I spent a wonderful day in Guelatao, a town famous as the birthplace of the revolutionary leader Benito Juarez who was President of Mexico for multiple terms beginning in 1858. This historic setting is home to UNOSJO (the Union of Organizations of the Sierra Juarez of Oaxaca), a dedicated Pangea grant partner since 2019.

While past visits often involved traveling to some of the 22 villages where UNOSJO works, this trip was all about connecting with their work and hearing updates to the many initiatives they are involved with. I spent the day with Aldo and Gaby, the two dynamic and visionary leaders who keep this organization thriving.

People and Planet Over Profit

UNOSJO’s work is deeply intersectional and fueled by the core values of Agroecology. Their mission can be summarized as: prioritizing people and the planet over profit while building a stronger, more resilient communities.

Here is a look at the incredible ways they are making an impact:

• Ancestral Wisdom: They are actively recovering ancestral practices for growing food and promoting nutritional health.
  

• Defending the Land: They stand firm in defending their territory against mining interests.
  

• Empowering the Next Generation: They teach local children and public-school teachers about the vital importance of native corn and how to plant kitchen gardens.
  

• Promoting Equality: Gender equality is at the base of everything they do.

UNOSJO recently launched an exciting new certificate program in agroecology. This program covers essential topics like food sovereignty and innovative ways to address the effects of climate change on local farming.

It was an inspiring visit that reminded me just how much passion and hard work can transform a community.