Global Activism: Saving Agave for Culture, Recreation, Education, and Development (S.A.C.R.E.D.).

By Jerome McDonnell
MEXICO TOURING TEQUILA
In this photo taken Sept. 23, 2011, a man dressed as an agave cutter, known as a jimador, welcomes tourist at the Tequila Herradura factory in Amatitan, Mexico. The green mountain valleys surrounding Tequila are spotted with fields of blue agave, the plant that is fermented to make the drink. The vast fields and the large factories that distill the spirit have been declared a World Heritage Site, which generates local pride for a town that might otherwise be overlooked. Bernardo De Niz / AP Photo
MEXICO TOURING TEQUILA
In this photo taken Sept. 23, 2011, a man dressed as an agave cutter, known as a jimador, welcomes tourist at the Tequila Herradura factory in Amatitan, Mexico. The green mountain valleys surrounding Tequila are spotted with fields of blue agave, the plant that is fermented to make the drink. The vast fields and the large factories that distill the spirit have been declared a World Heritage Site, which generates local pride for a town that might otherwise be overlooked. Bernardo De Niz / AP Photo

Global Activism: Saving Agave for Culture, Recreation, Education, and Development (S.A.C.R.E.D.).

By Jerome McDonnell
WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.

On today’s Global Activism segment, Lou Bank joins Worldview once again to catch us up to date with his non-profit, Saving Agave for Culture, Recreation, Education, and Development (S.A.C.R.E.D.). The mission of S.A.C.R.E.D. is to use traditional and artisanal agave spirits to improve the quality of life of children in rural Mexico. Funds from S.A.C.R.E.D. help build libraries, the replanting of agave, and the maintenance of a water reserve in Oaxaca, Mexico. This is all while ensuring that the people most involved in creating traditional agricultural products, like agave spirits, reap the rewards of their work.