Farming and Environmentalism
A Guide for Informed Decision Making
We all need to eat. Different levels of thought go into choosing what to eat. If we are fortunate, we can afford to make choices not only about what to eat, but also where our food comes from. How do we make these choices?
Rancho Colibrí is both a working farm and a nature preserve. The Guanacaste Conservation Area is a 160,000 Ha / 400,000 acre protected area surrounded by farms and communities in northwest Costa Rica.
Hi! I am Richard Holland, a retired sociologist who splits his time between California, Costa Rica, and traveling the world. Since 1986 I have been farming in Costa Rica and am the owner/operator of Rancho Colibrí. Between 1990-1992 I was a director of Audubon of Costa Rica and worked closely with the Rainforest Alliance. For as long as I've been farming I've been a member of various environmental organizations. During the past 40 years I've shared information between groups to fostor better understanding. Climate Change provides opportunities for farmers and environmentalists to work together on common goals, but misunderstanding continues to exist between the various groups, as well as the general public. I celebrate diversity and different points of view, but shared goals can best be achieved when people understand what "makes others tick." Producing healthy food in the context of a healthy environment is the journey I invite you to join with me.
4,000 acre/1,600 hectare Model of Agroforestry (Las Imágenes & Colibrí)
I welcome you to join us on this ride, and I also want to share that this is not our first rodeo -- the reason that I have spent my life in California and Costa Rica is because my parents grew up in California, married at a young age and had kids. My father, Clifton Holland, wrote the book The Religious Dimension of Hispanic Los Angeles. In 1972 our family moved to Costa Rica, and Cliff's research throughout Latin America led him to become editor of the Encyclopedia of Religion for Latin America and the Caribbean. My mother, Linda Holland, was executive director of the Institute for Central American Studies from 1986-2016, and during the same time I was a director. For 26 years we published Mesoamerica Magazine. We have our personal biases, but our work has been to educate about different cultures, religions, and beliefs. As 2026 begins to wind down, I am launching this new project to share the perspectives of farmers and environmentalists, with the hope we find common cause.
