With the purpose of promoting indigenous produce as part of the region´s cultural heritage, the Festival of traditional cuisine of Southern Quintana Roo took place on August 26th in the Central Park of Bacalar. During this festival, the “Ramón Seed Recipe Book” was officially presented in Mexico as well as the protection of the natural heritage, represented by the Selva Maya, through the generation of sustainable economic alternatives emphasized.

One of these sustainable economic alternatives which contribute to the conservation of Mesoamerica´s largest tropical forest, is the collection, processing and commercialization of seeds and leaves of the Ramón tree (Brosimun alicastrum). This tree is native to the region and was already used in pre-Columbian times by the Mayans. Today, different community groups, particularly women, participate in the collection of the leaves and seeds of Ramon, which are then processed into flour, tea or other derivatives that serve as a basis for the production of fresh drinks, cookies and more.

To promote the production and consumption of Ramon-products, which generate sustainable income for local groups while conserving the forest, a recipe book had been developed in the Guatemalan part of the Selva Maya and presented at the festival.

The civil association Sociogénesis promoted the implementation of this Festival, supported by the Bacalar City Council and the Selva Maya Programme of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Intenrationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).