Production of organic agricultural inputs for local and national use.

Mbis Bin Semilla Para La Siembra is a non-profit organization founded in 2012 which produces and sells organic inputs for farmers in the Copalita River Basin. Mbis Bin began as a group of young volunteers supporting WWF Mexico in its conservation efforts in this area.

Now, the organization focuses on the conservation of water, soil, and forests in the watershed, by promoting the use of environmentally-friendly agricultural inputs among more farmers in the area, as it is more common for synthetic agri-inputs to be used. 

Mbis Bin runs a bio-factory where they produce organic additives using local materials such as bocashi, made from reused agro-waste and other elements (such as minerals), to create natural additives that nurture the soil and restore its ecology. These additives include natural fertilizers and pesticides that, contrary to their synthetic variants, are not harmful to the soil’s fertility and health. Mbis Bin’s organics are made up of plant components and animal waste, absent of harmful chemicals.

Mbis Bin seeks to change the common practice of farmers in the Basin of using harmful, synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides. Agricultural production in the area has relied for many years on these inputs due to poor understanding of their long-term ill-effects, the lack of availability of organic options, and the scarcity of successful organic farms that provide a concrete reason to switch.

Over many years, there is a bias towards the use of chemical fertilizers by farmers in the region and a perception that these are better than natural alternatives. Mbis Bin is trying to change the narrative, showing that organic inputs are a more sustainable option for the environment, that still deliver the same (or better) productivity results. More details on the enterprises' activities can be found here.

 

We are an initiative driven by young farmers who want to work for the environment (...) We want to be known at a national level so that in other parts of the country producers acknowledge production alternatives, environmentally friendlier and in ways that are agro-ecological."