The University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPR‑Mayagüez) has ended a decade‑long partnership with the El Josco Bravo Agroecology School, according to a notice from the university’s interim chancellor, Dr. Miguel Muñoz. The agreement, which was first signed in 2016 and renewed in 2024, allowed the agroecology school to conduct training programs on the university’s Alzamora Farm in Mayagüez and at the Agricultural Experiment Station in Gurabo. Muñoz informed the school on Oct. 4 that the partnership would be terminated. The university’s chancellor’s office has not yet provided a comment. Representatives of the El Josco Bravo Agroecology School said the decision came as a surprise, noting that they had not had direct discussions with Muñoz since he assumed the position several months ago. The school cited concerns about the large number of participants involved in the program, the use of campus classrooms and parking facilities, and visits by third parties to university grounds as reasons for the termination. The El Josco Bravo Agroecology School, founded in 2014, offers courses in communities throughout Puerto Rico. It currently operates in nine municipalities and serves more than 250 participants annually. According to the school, the partnership with UPR‑Mayagüez trained more than 500 ecological farmers and contributed to the production of thousands of pounds of pesticide‑free produce, the development of academic research and theses, and the restoration of degraded farmland at Alzamora Farm. “It is extremely frustrating that many agronomists graduating from UPR Mayagüez have to leave Puerto Rico due to a lack of opportunities in the agricultural sector, and that it is precisely an agriculture professor serving as chancellor who has chosen to terminate an agreement that opened doors to agriculture for hundreds of people,” said Ian Pagán Roig, director of the El Josco Bravo Agroecology School and a UPR‑Mayagüez graduate. Alana Toro‑Ramos, a professor and facilitator for the Mayagüez section of the school, added that the organization had invested significant effort and resources in restoring the land used for the project, noting that the only activity that takes place annually in the organic section of Alzamora Farm is the planting carried out as part of the Agroecology School’s work. The school said it remains open to discussions with university officials and expressed willingness to explore alternatives that would allow the agreement to be resumed. “We regret that what we believe are solvable issues have led to the cancellation of a collaboration that contributes so much to Puerto Rico’s agricultural development,” Pagán Roig said. The university has not yet responded publicly to the school’s allegations.
Article source: San Juan Daily Star | Image credit: San Juan Daily Star