The beginning

The STRO Foundation, originally called Strohalm Action, emerged from the Dutch environmental movement in the 1970s. It led and coordinated protests against the construction of nuclear plants and the use of nuclear energy in general. One of the achievements of the antinuclear movement, of which STRO was part, was the closure in 1985 of a fast breeder reactor built in Kalkar, Germany – close to the Dutch border.

The 1970s and 80s

In the 70s and 80s STRO became an organization that raised awareness about the effects of the economic system on the environment. It was one of the first organizations to relate environmental issues with poverty and the Third World. It advocated the idea of carbon dioxide emission rights ten years before the issue was discussed as a valid instrument in government circles. STRO also emphasized the importance of eco-taxes, arguing that the government should lower taxes on wages and increase them for the exploitation of natural resources.

The 1990s

In the 90s STRO put its vision into practice introducing a Local Exchange and Trade System (LETS) in Holland. Under this system, people exchange goods and services with an internal exchange unit instead of with money.

STRO was part of several experiments with innovative trade and financial models with no interest, such as Amstelnet, No Interest Loan Fund and Pergola. It also collaborated with the Swedish Bank JAK. It was during this decade that STRO deepened its analysis of the monetary system to conclude that this system not only affects the environment; it is also one of the main causes of the concentration of wealth and the subsequent poverty.

STRO in Latin America

Until 1995, STRO worked mainly in Europe. In the late 90s, however, STRO began to work with the Global Barter Network in Argentina. This network went from having several dozen members in 1995 to several million in 2001 (the year of the Argentine financial crisis). Today, it has several hundred thousand members. STRO’s contact network quickly grew in Latin America, as did the interest of various organizations in setting up local exchange systems.

Latin America has certain characteristics that make it an ideal region in which to play a pioneering role in the development of innovative exchange and finance methods: interest rates are relatively high, local economies are relatively diversified, economic solidarity has an important role in many countries and the political climate is often favorable for progressive initiatives.

In 2003, the recognition of STRO’s work in Latin America resulted in STRO’s affiliation to PSO (a Dutch organization that groups more than 50 development organizations) and in the approval of the LIDO program by the Dutch government (a program for local, comprehensive and durable development). That same year, two permanent aid workers were sent to Brazil and one to Central America.

Today, STRO has a regional office in Tegucigalpa, Honduras; several projects being implemented in Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua and a multidisciplinary team composed of experts in renewable energy, alternative finances, participatory methodologies for economic development, among others, providing assistance to the projects in the region.