Would you like to explore tropical species and suppliers in Selva Maya in Mexico and Guatemala?
Would it help you to know how community forests are managed and supported by local NGOs to allow responsible and ethical sourcing?
The Rainforest Alliance and ATIBT are organising a multinational trade mission to Selva Maya – the second largest rainforest in the Americas – to meet key actors in the Tropical Timber value chain.
Between 14 and 26 June, 12 participants will travel between Mexico and Guatemala to meet representatives from a range of well-established to less mature community forest enterprises, as well as private sector and government bodies.
This is a unique opportunity to meet potential suppliers of tropical timber from community managed forests and find out more about the tropical timber species in the region. These range from well-known commercial timber species such as mahogany and cedar to lesser-known timber species with excellent technical specifications.
Participants will also learn how responsible and ethical sourcing impacts on the Selva Maya and the livelihoods of its guardians. All the forest communities visited during the trade mission comply with the local forest management regulations whilst others have entered the FSC certification standard, which further ensures the legality of the timber.
Participants will also take part in the two-day Selva Maya Tropical Timber Business Summit, to be held in Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico. This event will bring together key players in the Yucatan Peninsula Tropical Timber industry, aiming to promote and facilitate commercial agreements between community forest enterprises of the Selva Maya in Mexico and the private sector in the rapidly growing region.
The Rainforest Alliance believes that local communities and indigenous people, if given secured rights to land and supported with technical capacities, incentives, and market access, can play a critical role in preserving forests. The multiple benefits of the rights-based approach are apparent in countries with a long history of secured community forest rights, such as in the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico and the Mayan Biosphere reserve in Guatemala.
Our position is to support the preservation or restoration of natural forests through responsible community forest management. It will also promote restoration of natural vegetation in agroforests and degraded forests, supporting no-deforestation smallholder agriculture production and restoration to agroforests, as well as socially beneficial and ecologically planted forests through reforestation. Lastly, to maintain strictly protected areas within a wider matrix of other uses and practices.
For more information contact Carlos Estrada from Rainforest Alliance at cestrada@ra.org