Representatives of local communities in Mexico and Guatemala, national and international certifying bodies, universities and Christian congregations gathered in Cancún to discuss an initiative sponsored by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) of North America to market sustainably managed and harvested palms of the Chamaedorea genus in North America and potentially Europe. The event followed studies prepared by the CEC, documenting the market for the Chamaedorea palm in North America and Europe and surveying the interest of Christian congregations in purchasing a sustainably harvested (fairly traded) palm for a price that would permit palm gatherers to increase their income from the harvesting . Those studies demonstrated that: 1) the market for cut palm fronds is a large one, with Christian congregations being one of the more important consumers; and 2) Christian congregations were willing to pay a premium for palms that are sustainably harvested, insuring that a greater percentage of the earnings would go to the individuals and communities doing the gathering. The objective of the meeting was to discuss how to develop a program for sustainably harvesting and marketing the palm to the North American market. |
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