Meet our Advisory Panel: Andrew Gonzales
Who are you?
I have defined myself as many things over the course of my life. Environmentalist, Latino, Estadounidense ("United State-ian" in English), Farmer, Human Rights Professional, Traveler, Spicy Food Enthusiast. What seems most salient at this point in my life is a husband. Marriage, has brought a different new lens to myself and my work. Much of who I am is defined by my father's half of the family, 12 generations of New Mexican ranchers and farmers. You don't live in the same 50 mile radius for 500 years without developing deep family and cultural roots, and marriage has brought a new found appreciation for the power and importance of the family unit. So who am I? All of what I listed, but a husband first.
What drew you to sustainability?
I practiced sustainability as a child before I even knew of the concept. As I mentioned, my family has lived in the same area alongside indigenous communities for generations. While there is the sad realities of what my ancestors did to the landscape and original people of that land, one silver lining was that the cultural exchange wasn't only one sided. You will find a lot of indigenous folklore and beliefs sprinkled in the culture and Catholicism of Chicanos in the Southwest. I recommend reading “Bless me Ultima” if you want a peek at what I am alluding to. All of this is a long winded way of saying that I had values of caring for the earth and environment instilled into me by a family that had learned to steward the land for the next 1, 2, 7 generations, not just for tomorrow.
Why do you think diversity in sustainability is important?
All you have to look at is nature's example to see why diversity is important in any arena. When an ecosystem is biodiverse, it is more resilient, it has multiple "solutions" (i.e. species) to respond to changes in the ecosystem, and generally has a better chance at maintaining an advantage against future changes. The same is true when talking about any professional realm. Diversity brings multiple worldviews and perspectives into the conversation that enable problems to be approached from different vantage points. A quick example, the Iroquois worldview that humans are "brother and sisters" to animals fundamentally changes the solutions they might bring to the table vs the Judeo-Christian view that humans are "stewards" over the land/animals.
Andrew defines himself first and foremost as a husband.
You’ve spent much of your career working at the intersection of international development, sustainability and diversity issues, taking a human-centred approach to all of them. Why is this important to you and why is it effective?
My fundamental belief is that communities themselves already hold the seeds of the best solutions for their challenges. International development has long been plagued by academic "experts" in Western countries drawing up economic and environmental solutions for other countries only to see them fail in local contexts. One of my favorite stories is of a government policy in Côte d'Ivoire where all timber related trees are technically owned by the government. From what I remember, the intention was to regulate, help reduce, and more sustainably manage the deforestation crisis in country. The result? Farmers in the area cut down these trees because they worry government timber officials will damage their cocoa orchards when trying to harvest them. I wonder what would've happened had we asked the farmers themselves what solution would've had them protect the trees?
Do you have a mentor?
How have they helped you in your personal growth? Yes and no. I don't think I have ever had the "I bring 10 questions to X person every 2 weeks" type of mentor. But I have had different guides in different seasons of my life. In high school, there was a teacher who really helped kindle my human rights embers and nudged me in that direction when I left my small town for university. In college, I had an economics professor that worked for the World Bank that really helped me map out what it takes to get into international development. In my first "real job", it was my boss's boss who took an interest in me, and put me on some growth projects that gave me some confidence in my "teeth cutting" years. Currently I have a wider network and lean on several people for thoughts and mentorship in their areas of expertise.
A photo of Andrew’s grandmother’s field, looking out to Taos mountain, in New Mexico.
What has been your proudest moment to date?
This one is always a little hard for me to name, as what I am most proud of never had a watershed "moment." To answer the question though, I would say that my previous work in the sugar sector brought me a lot of pride. The fact that I knew the work I was doing was literally saving lives through bringing better working conditions to field workers was inspiring.
What advice/quote do you most live by and why?
Currently there is a quote by James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits, that I work hard to live by right now: "“When choosing a new habit many people seem to ask themselves, “What can I do on my best days?” The trick is to ask, “What can I stick to even on my worst days?” I think people fall off the bandwagon of -or burn out on- good habits, progress, sustainability, climate change, health, because they bite off more than they can chew. They get enthusiastic and try to sprint the marathon. Major changes in the social justice and sustainability sectors will require patience and diligence.
What development(s) have excited you most in the field?
From a totally unbiased place, the newer emphasis on diversity and human centered design. People are realizing we need minority and underrepresented voices at the leadership tables of these international conversations we are having. People are also recognizing that top-down sustainability doesn't lead to integrated and long term solutions. I am excited to see what the landscape looks like in 5 and 10 years.
Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future, and why?
Optimistic! The human capacity to adapt, evolve, and change is incredible. I understand that that same drive has gotten us into a lot of the problems that we face. I also believe we are probably going to have to pay a higher price than we need to before we turn the corner. But will we recover and find ways to restore? Absolutely.
What’s next for you?
I think I am currently living "what's next" for me. Which has been leaning into social justice aspects of my career and getting more involved in the diversity space. Going from non-profit international development to corporate DEI work has been a shift, but I have learn so much in the last 9 months.