Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Eco-Palms: Providing A Sustainable Commercial Alternative To Palms For Palm Sunday., Deidre Marine Peroff

Western Division, Canadian Association of Geographers

There is a widespread view that commercialization of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in the tropical forests of Mesoamerica is both economically and environmentally sustainable in rural communities. Despite this belief, research shows that the harvesting and commercialization of NTFPs alone do not necessarily alleviate poverty or maintain biodiversity within rainforests. This paper describes the eco-palm program, a program which serves to sustainably harvest and export Chamaedorea palm fronds from Southern Mexico and Northern Guatemala. The eco-palm program works with churches in the United States to charge a five cent premium on palm fronds that are imported from Mexico and Guatemala …