The global grant project started due to the aftermath of Hurricane Irma when it hit Puerto Rico in 2017.  Since Puerto Rico imports 93% of their food, stores were running out since there wasn't enough of a supply of local food. Leslie and her husband were already involved in Para La Naturaleza (an organization in PR that protects lands of high ecological value).  They put their heads together and decided that something needed to be done to restore the agriculture in Puerto Rico and that is how the global grant came to fruition.  It took almost two years for approval because the grant is so large.  

 

The grant is a farm to table project.  There are 5 component to the grant: 1.  Education - training citizens on how to farm and how to cook fresh produce 2. Providing access to farmland 3. Providing access to infrastructure 4. Targeted reforestation through agro-economic planting 5. Establish economy of agriculture in PR.  They are in the process of applying for more money in order to continue the grant for a few more years.  This grant has been so successful that it could become a model for Rotary GG Agriculture projects around the world.