Honduras. This farmer used to harvest one small ear (like the one in his left hand) from each stalk, but now produces two larger ears (like the two ears in his right hand) from each stalk, mostly because of the legume climbing up the maize in the background. The soil at his feet is now black and porous. More importantly, his son is still living in the village, instead of being forced to flee to the city slums because the farm’s previously diminishing productivity would not have supported his future family for another generation. (Compare this soil’s color, texture, and water-holding capacity with that in or near the other fields below.)
