The goal of the CEC’s work on the Chamaedorea palm, a wild species endemic to Mexico and selected by the CEC’s Governing Council as a pilot species, is to study the possibility of using the market to protect the species. The basic question is, under what conditions, if any, would trading of a wild species be sustainable? This report, the first for this project, documents palm collection and cultivation in Mexico, and its market structure within and outside Mexico. This information is used to assess whether eco- labeling palm would provide sufficient incentive for sustainable trade in the species. Chamaedorea is a large family of palms that grow in the understory of tropical forests throughout Latin America. They are shade-tolerant and reproduce easily. They are valued by the floral and horticultural industries for their size and shade tolerance. These attributes have earned them a steady market as potted plants for interior decorating. Chamaedorea fronds are also used in floral displays, with peak demand during the Easter and Palm Sunday holiday seasons. There is a large variety of palm species endemic to Mexico, one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world. The country is home to 95 species of palm grouped in 22 genera, which represent 18 percent of the palm species found worldwide. There are more than 130 species of palm that grow only in the Americas, and the majority—50 species—are Chamaedorea palms. Of these, 14 species are native to Mexico, making Mexico the leader in number and endemism of Chamaedorea varieties.(...) |
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