Once a staple food crop of Maya civilization, the ramón is a seed of an abundant, naturally occurring canopy tree called Brosimum alicastrum. The seed continues to be utilized in local diet, but even more is becoming a community and family practice that benefits their livelihoods through the development of ramón-based products and supports animal and environmental well-being through sustainable wild harvesting. Explore this page on ramón seed to hear from voices in the communities and collaborators, and learn its myriad attributes including nutritional components, environmental impacts, livelihoods and gender equity, ancestral roots, and social practices.
“The ramón seed is a species that nourishes not only humans, but also the birds and mammals.” José Román, Rainforest Alliance Latin America
Ramon tree, commonly known as yaxon in Mayan, stretches to heights of more than 120 feet with a thickness between 3 and 5 feet. The base of this tree features external roots that provide support for its height. The bark of this tree is thin, smooth, and whitish-grey with a sticky, milky sap inside. Ramon trees produce seeds in the fourth year that are nutritious and delicious, used as food by pre-Columbian people throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. It thrives in dry, shallow, alkaline soils and rich humid soils, and does not seem to be affected significantly by diseases or insects. It has a high tolerance for drought conditions and is typically one of the most abundant trees in a forest ecosystem - origins stretched back to the Maya civilization era some 2000 years ago.
“It was very utilized by our ancestors and our grandparents. In my case, I still eat it a lot, baked, and made into tortillas.” Juan Trujillo, Rainforest Alliance Petén
Ramon tree shows alternative bearing, producing massive quantities of seed one year and little or even no seed the next. Fruits mature within a 6 to 8 week period, and individual trees can be incredibly prolific, producing up to 400 kg of seed per harvest. In contrast, some communities reported producing no seed for up to three consecutive years, both in extreme cases. The seeds grown on ramón trees fall on the ground where local communities collect those that aren’t eaten by wild animals.
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