Alimentos Nutri-Naturales, Guatemala
Case Study C0256
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| Date | 2007 |
| Agency | The Equilibrium Fund |
| Geographic coverage | Guatemala |
| Locality | Maya Biosphere Reserve |
| Biodiversity focus | Maya Nut forest |
| Development focus | Local women |
| Conservation goals | Protect threatened populations of Maya Nut and facilitate community reforestation with Maya Nut |
| Poverty reduction goals | Increase family income, nutrition and health by training rural women on the nutrition, processing, recipes and marketing of Maya Nut |
Summary
The Maya nut was once a staple food for the ancient Mayans but is threatened with extinction due to the spread of logging and conversion of land to agriculture. In the buffer zone of the Maya Biosphere Reserve, Guatemala, 56 women own and manage a business which employs over 650 community members to process Maya nut to feed their families and earn income. The Maya nut is not only an important source of nutrition for humans but 85% of endemic wildlife also rely on the Maya nut forests for food, shelter, and general habitat. The project has resulted in the conservation of 90,000 hectares of Maya nut forests and the planting of 150,000 new trees across Guatemala. Alimentos Nutri-Naturales has created a local initiative to resolve malnutrition, rural poverty and dependence on imported foodstuffs by marketing Maya-nut-based school lunches to local school districts. Through a partnership with the local government, Maya nut snacks will be distributed in schools as a healthy alternative to cookies at lunch time.
This project is one of the winners of the 2006 Equator Prize.
Conservation impact
The project has resulted in the conservation of 90,000 hectares of Maya nut forests and the planting of 150,000 new trees across Guatemala.
Poverty reduction impact
Alimentos Nutri-Naturales has contributed to resolve malnutrition, rural poverty and dependence on imported foodstuffs within local families, and by marketing Maya-nut-based school lunches to local school districts.
Strategy for Conservation/Poverty Linkages
Local conservation enterprise opportunities
Revival of traditional practices
Reference 1
http://www.theequilibriumfund.org/
More information
Gladis Rodriguez
E-mail: AlimentosNutriNaturales@yahoo.com
Phone: ++502 5990 0624