It is about the livelihood, the dedication, the passion, and the vocation which represents the product in your hands
These are the men, women, young adults and family members who live in the communities in the Maya Biosphere Reserve and dedicate their entire lives to producing the world’s finest non-timber forest products for consumers to utilize. It is their livelihood, their passion, and their vocation.
The fresh ramon seed harvested from the trees and processed into a hot or blended drink, or the chicle turned into a high quality gum, or the beautiful luscious green palm plant from the xate grown in the forests are several of these products.
The hours of love, sweat, and tears are for you to enjoy at your leisure because you know the mother who works from the sunrise to sun down crafted her palm plant for your home. Or that ramon drink was harvested by small business owners who have been trained in their field for generations. It is more than just a vocation, it is a way of life.
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The Story of the Concessionaires
In Guatemala, community forestry concessions began in 1994, 4 years after the time of the creation of the Reserve. With 2.1 million hectares of land, there are 11 community forestry concessions granted by the government, nine of which are managed by local communities for timber and other forest products. This approach, called community forestry, is founded on the idea that people who make their living from the forest have a strong incentive to protect it.
Over the years, the community concessions have provided employment to thousands of people, creating and promoting sustainable forest business. Due to the active and viable local economy, the outmigration from the concessions is among the lowest in the country. Additionally, the concession have maintained a near-zero deforestation rate for more than 15 years.
In 2019, the government of Guatemala, through the Honorable National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP), granted a 25-year extension to the community-managed forestry concession of Carmelita, a community located in the Multiple Use Zone (MUZ) of the Maya Biosphere Reserve (MBR), in the department of Petén. The extension of the contract showcases the importance of concession in the lives of people and forest conservation.
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