Expanding Agroecology in Puerto Rico's K-12 Public Schools: Indicators for Sustainable Continuation

Puerto Rico (P.R.) has a vulnerable food system, and this vulnerability is exacerbated when people are unaware of its own food system, have no criteria to question and advocate for a fairer local food system, and, even worse, when they are unaware of and disengaged from the most basic aspects of agriculture. Although agricultural education from Kindergarten to 12th grade (K-12) has existed in P.R. since 1932, the number of school-based agroecological initiatives (SAIs) in the country has been limited and those that exist have many challenges in ensuring their sustainability. SAIs exist in the schools that voluntarily integrate agroecology, since there is no legal or regulatory framework, nor institutional support from the Department of Education of PR (DEPR) to promote it.
Schools could be the ideal space for this education, if the programs or initiatives have long-term continuity and encourage a critical aware-ness to question the injustices within the current food system.