From the Field Sustainable productive alternatives for the conservation of forest ecosystems in Mesoamerica
What challenges and opportunities can be found in striking a balance between securing the livelihoods of forest dwellers and protecting these great green lungs of humanity? Discover conclusions from research and development experiences with forest communities in five crucial ecosystems of Mesoamerica: The Five Great Forests.
Authors: Luisa María Claros and Andrés Charry
.
Mesoamerica has five great forests which are crucial ecosystems for the conservation and migration of species in the American continents. These territories function both as living spaces and sources of income for various communities - mostly Indigenous - that coexist with the forests using their timber and non-timber resources. This forest chain stores 4.8 gigatons of carbon in the region, protects endemic species such as the Central American tapir and the spider monkey, and provides water and other natural resources to nearly 5 million people. For 15 years these green lungs have been in intensive care due to their alarming deforestation, with illegal cattle ranching being the main driver of the gradual disappearance of almost a quarter of three of the five forests.
From the growing concern for the future of Mesoamerican forests was born The Great Five Forests of Mesoamerica: A Regional Initiative for Climate, Biodiversity and People, led by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), funded by the European Union and supported by different actors including governments, communities, donors and NGOs, amongst others. Its main objective is to protect these ecosystems, as well as to adapt and transform the surrounding agriculture and food systems hand in hand with communities. The Alliance is one of the implementing partners in this initiative and contributes to three specific themes:
- providing tools for landscape restoration,
- analyzing existing policies and incentives to reduce pressure on forests, and
- prioritize value chains that improve the livelihoods of forest-dwelling communities.
This last component concluded its activities in 2023, revealing several interesting results about the agricultural dynamics of the regions, as well as opportunities to strengthen the livelihoods of their populations. These results were captured in a series of publications which are detailed in this blog.
Prioritization of chains: the 'big picture' by region
An important part of the Alliance's contribution to this project was the identification and analysis of value chains that were sustainable and economically viable for the populations involved. These populations are located in and around some transects of the five major forests, including: the Maya Forest Corridor in Belize, the Maya Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala, the Man and Banana River Reserve in the Honduran Mosquitia, the Bosawás Biosphere, and the Alto Wangki Bocay Special Regime Zone in the Nicaraguan Mosquitia. As a result of these analyses, four publications were produced: one in English (corresponding to Belize) and three in Spanish:
- Analysis and prioritization of sustainable livelihood alternatives for the Central Belize River Valley Communities
- Analysis and prioritization of sustainable livelihood alternatives for the Mosquitia Communities in Honduras
- Analysis and prioritization of sustainable production alternatives for the communities of Alto Wangki Bocay (AWB), Nicaragua
- Analysis and prioritization of sustainable production alternatives for the communities of the Mayan Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala
Sailing the Patuca River to visit the communities of Pimienta in Wampusirpi, Honduras
Each of these analyses began with a process of research and subsequent prioritization of production chains. This prioritization was based on selection criteria that sought to strike a balance between local interest and/or productive capacities and opportunities in national and international markets. Conducting a rapid assessment in different contexts and in different countries posed the challenge of adapting existing methodologies, but triggered a versatile methodological design that allowed the collection of secondary information and qualitative data through approaches to communities, institutional actors, the private sector and multiple experts, whose evidence served to evaluate seven performance criteria:
1. The market potential for the productive alternative
2. The community's interest in the product/chain
3. The potential to generate income in the community
4. Compatibility with forests and impact on the environment
5. The potential to foster social inclusion and equity
6. The strength of the enabling environment
7. The nutritional potential of the products
Market and chain profile: the zoom
Once the production alternatives were identified, chain and market profiles were prepared for those with the greatest potential for these zones. These studies present the chain structure in greater detail and include specific recommendations that respond to the particularities of each zone. In Guatemala, priority was given to the honey and beehive products chain and the fat pepper (pimienta dioica) chain. In Honduras, the cacao and basic grains chains, specifically beans and rice, were more important, and in Nicaragua, beans and cacao. Details can be found in the corresponding publications:
Focus group with ASOSELVA partner in San Andres, Peten, Guatemala
Common challenges
Although there are specific characteristics in each region analyzed, the productive alternatives in these forest regions face multiple similar challenges. For example, the competitiveness of the productive systems has been compromised by the difficult access to these areas, as well as by the lack of basic services. In addition, the scarce presence and investment of government entities and private companies willing to support the strengthening of the chains in these areas leads to a lack of general enabling conditions for their development. Training and associative obstacles have also been detected, such as deficiencies in management, lack of administrative and commercial knowledge, together with difficulties in accessing financing. In addition, deforestation, the presence of other illegal activities and migratory phenomena and land occupation weaken the social fabric and add complexity to the intervention of some productive systems, highlighting the need to address these challenges in an integrated way.
Similar solutions
In the face of these challenges, the solutions proposed first address the food security and the sovereignty of communities, while working in addition on business ventures and initiatives for those products that present special opportunities. This approach may be more useful in preparing communities to face climate risks and subsequent insertion into markets as soon as they are able to strengthen their capacities and enabling conditions. In this sense, the development of production chains must go hand in hand with the strengthening of productive and administrative capacities of producer groups, as well as better linkages with institutions that provide technical and financial services. Similarly, community organization and associativity should be promoted and support should be given to the improvement or installation of infrastructure for processing, drying and storage of products adapted to the context of the area. At the productive level, it is recommended to promote agroecological practices as much as possible, strengthening capacities around seed banks and nurseries, evaluating varieties more adapted to the areas, and promoting the use of local inputs and the recycling of nutrients in order to improve the quality and sustainability of these products.
It is crucial that actions are also adapted to the contexts, needs and preferences of ethnic communities, encouraging informed interventions that take into account farmland and families as a unit, as well as social norms, and highlighting those products that will facilitate the conservation and safeguarding of forests.
Transport of products in the Alto Wangki Bocay special regime zone. Nicaraguan Mosquitia.
Partners:
Green Climate Fund, WCS, Re:Wild, Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD), Central American Integration System (SICA), Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT
Funded by the European Union
.
