Representatives of the Committee on Food and Agriculture of the German Parliament visited for two days various productive and governance initiatives focused on sustainable development in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve and communities in southern Quintana Roo.
With the support of the German Embassy in Mexico and the Program for the Protection and Sustainable Use of the Selva Maya Forest of the German Agency for Cooperation (GIZ), on 2nd and 3rd of April, they held meetings with representatives of the City Council of Calakmul, the Municipal Council for Sustainable Rural Development of Calakmul (CMDRS), the Office of Calakmul Biosphere Reserve and the Selva Viva 3G Group of women entrepreneurs.
The activities began with a first meeting with Prof. Juan González, Municipal President of Calakmul, representatives of the Cabildo, the municipal public administration and presiding advisors of the beekeeping and forestry committees of the CMDRS. The topics that were discussed were the mechanisms of social participation that the City Council has for territorial planning, the role of the CMDRS and the main problems in access to the use and protection of natural resources in the environment of the Biosphere Reserve of Calakmul.
Subsequently, the Director of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, José Adalberto Zúñiga, gave a presentation on the initiative for the certification of local products and services under the name of Sello Colectivo “Sustainable Local Development of Calakmul”, which aims to distinguish those goods which are produced in the region under sustainable practices, beneficial to the conservation of the Natural Protected Area and which, at the same time, could incorporate the offering of carbon certificates.
During the second day it was visited the Calakmiel Company and a demonstration apiary whose infrastructure will allow the collection, handling and packaging of organic honey from an important group of beekeepers of the region in a scheme of production and export of honey that guarantees innocuity, quality and profitability of this activity.
Finally, the group of women “Selva Viva 3G” from the Tres Garantías community in the municipality of Othón P. Blanco, Quintana Roo, was visited. This group of entrepreneurs works with the ramon nut (Brosimum alicastrum) and shared with the delegation how they have developed their project not only through the harvesting of the fruit, but also through the management of plantations and processing of the nut and its leaves for producing flour, coffee and tea , with various beneficial properties for health.
The delegation of german deputies thanked the hospitality and availability to be received and share the experiences of work in the region and affirmed that they will take to their country a positive message to extend the commercial relations.
