Huasteca Regenerative Ag. Center Receives International Award for Pollinator Conservation

In the heart of Mexico’s Huasteca Potosina region, a small but dedicated community of farmers, conservationists, and educators is demonstrating what becomes possible when agriculture begins working with nature rather than against it. Their efforts have now earned international recognition.

The team at the Huasteca Regenerative Agriculture Center (HRAC) in Ejido El Chino, San Luis Potosí, have been recognized with the 2026 Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award for Mexico, presented by the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC).

[Melipona workshop @ HRAC]

Co-founded by Terra Advocati in 2021, the Huasteca Regenerative Agriculture Center grew from a shared vision of restoring ecological health while creating meaningful opportunities for farmers and communities. From its beginnings, the center has been rooted in collaboration, weaving together local knowledge, regenerative agricultural practices, education, and a deep respect for the living systems that sustain the region.

The award celebrates agricultural leaders who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to protecting pollinators and restoring the ecological relationships that sustain our food systems.

Established in 1999 by the Pollinator Partnership, NAPPC is a collaborative network bringing together scientists, agricultural producers, conservationists, government agencies, and organizations across Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Its work advances pollinator conservation through research, education, habitat restoration, and partnerships. Each year, NAPPC recognizes individuals and organizations making meaningful contributions to protecting the bees, butterflies, birds, bats, and other species essential to healthy ecosystems.

For the Huasteca Regenerative Agriculture Center, this recognition reflects years of patient work rooted in the land and its communities.

The center serves as a living demonstration of regenerative agriculture in a region historically dominated by sugarcane monoculture. Through farmer education, ecological restoration, and the cultivation of pollinator-dependent perennial crops, HRAC is helping create opportunities for agricultural livelihoods that support biodiversity rather than extract from it.

The center's work, together with the neighboring Las Meliponas Forest Preserve, reflects a larger vision of restoring relationships between communities, food production, forests, and the countless living organisms that sustain them.

[Relocating a wild Melipona nest]

For Terra Advocati, this award carries special meaning. It represents not simply the success of a project we helped bring to life, but the dedication of friends and collaborators who have invested their time, knowledge, and love into building something that will continue growing for generations.

[Community tree giveaway @ HRAC]

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the HRAC team, and wish them the best of luck in their future conservation endeavors.