Community: The Secret to Stopping Deforestation in Guatemala
The forest concessions of the Maya Biosphere Reserve have boasted a near-zero deforestation rate for 20 years.
Article
What's at Stake
A full third of Mesoamerica is covered in lush forest, which serves as home to scores of Indigenous and local communities, iconic wildlife, archeological wonders, and abundant biodiversity. While agriculture is the backbone of the region’s economy, it also drives deforestation and climate change.
On the front lines of climate change
Prolonged droughts and frequent hurricanes are making it harder for farmers in Mesoamerica to make a living. A lack of access to international buyers and government support compounds the problem, leading some farmers to cut down forests for more cropland, while others migrate elsewhere in search of better opportunities.
Our Impact
Our community forestry work in the Selva Maya is recognized around the world as a stunning success for people and nature. We also work with certified farmers on producing crops like coffee, cocoa, and fruits sustainably.
Our reach in certification
700,000 hectares
Through our certification program, we work to improve the sustainability of 61,443 smallholder farmers, 233 farm groups, and almost 3,000 large farms across 700,000 thousand hectares. Almost half a million workers benefit from these efforts.
Data through 2023.
Protecting forests and building up communities
1 million hectares of forest managed sustainably
We worked with community forestry businesses to improve their conservation practices while achieving US$53 million in sales of forest products from 2013 to 2023. As a result, the communities conserved one million hectares of forest.
Mesoamerica
We always start by listening. We work with farmers and forest communities to develop solutions to their specific challenges—which range from a lack of investment and business skills to poor soils and droughts. Our agricultural certification program supports farmers and workers, while our forest work helps both forests and communities thrive.
It Takes an Alliance: Activating Support for Indigenous Communities in Mexico
We worked with eight indigenous coffee-farming communities in Chiapas to build skills in fire prevention, business skills, and health and nutrition.
These Banana Farms in Costa Rica Are Growing a Brighter Future
Rich biodiversity? Check. Well-treated workers? Check. Prepared for climate events? Check. Costa Rica's banana industry has a long history of worker abuse and environmental destruction—but these certified farms are proving there's a better way.
The Rainforest Alliance's Work in Mexico
We are working to grow Mexico’s domestic market for sustainably produced products.
All resources for Mesoamerica
Community-based Climate Change & REDD+ Education in Mexico: Experiences and lessons learned in Oaxaca and Chiapas
Through the Mexico REDD+ Alliance, the Rainforest Alliance and project partners are implementing community-based climate change education and capacity building activities, using the Forest Conservation and Climate Change Curriculum Toolkit, in order to ensure that indigenous and smallholder communities receive the knowledge needed to make informed decisions about their natural resources and actively participate in […]
Reducing Tourism’s Threats to Biodiversity
Effects of a voluntary sustainability standard system on 106 Latin American tourism enterprises The tourism industry can harm wildlife, plants, and natural ecosystems through habitat destruction, pollution, over-exploitation of natural resources, and visitor traffic to sensitive ecosystems. One approach to mitigate such threats is the application of voluntary sustainability standards, supported by training for tourism […]
First Grade Curriculum: Belize
Learn about the mystical forests of the Maya and the second largest barrier reef in the world! Toledo Institute for Development and the Environment (TIDE) is working with communities in southern Belize to protect a huge swath of the Selva Maya (or Maya forest) and the coastal ecosystems downstream. Students will learn about the jaguars, […]
The GuateCarbon initiative and REDD+ readiness in Guatemala
As one of the only such projects in the world that is building on community-based production forestry and enterprise, GuateCarbon is generating important lessons with global significance.
Report on Governmental Incentives for Sustainable Practices in the Agriculture, Forestry, and Tourism Sectors in Latin America
This report examines existing governmental incentives that promote sustainable production in the agriculture, forestry, and tourism sectors in eight Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru. These laws and policies demonstrate a commitment to environmental stewardship in Latin America and provide a model for governmental incentives for sustainable production […]
Mexican Community Forestry: Enterprises and Associations as a Response to Barriers
In this brief, the case of Mexican community forestry is presented, with a special focus on the diversity of local enterprises and inter-community associations that have developed over the past twenty-five years, as well as an assessment of some of the main regulatory barriers that communities face in undertaking legal forest harvesting.