To mark Valentine’s Day, we thought we’d quiz Marc Monsarrat, our East Africa and South Asia Manager, Sustainable Agriculture Division about romance and his ideal Valentine’s present… Read the rest of this entry ?
Posts Tagged ‘Guatemala’
Our Valentine’s Day Interview
14/02/2012Strengthening coffee farmers fight against climate change
05/12/2011El Platanillo in Guatemala has become the first farm to be verified in accordance with the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) new climate module. The climate module is a set of guidelines complementing the existing SAN-standard. It helps farmers to reduce their farm’s vulnerability to the effects of climate change, it minimises Greenhouse gas emissions while increasing carbon sequestration.
A New Way of Life – with just one Tree
26/11/2010To coincide with National Tree Week we’re posting this blog from Charlie Watson of the Rainforest Alliance about his recent trip to Guatemala.
In Guatemala’s Petén region, where deforestation is destroying some 45,000 hectares of rainforest each year, a transformation is taking place. A community who once relied on slash-and-burn agriculture now works as highly skilled carpenters. When working as farmers each village member used, on average, five hectares of forest per year for what, in the end, only generated a very low income. Now, community members use just one tree per year, earn a better income, conserve vital forestland and protect local biodiversity. Read the rest of this entry ?
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN THE MAYA WORLD
20/08/2010In the latest of our series of blogs focusing on the Rainforest Alliance’s tourism work Alfonso Muralles – owner of
Four Directions tour company — talks of his love for Central America, his interest in Mayan civilization and his passion for sustainable tourism.
The actual borders of Mesoamerica were defined less than 200 years ago — recent, when you consider that ancient Mayans were already recording their history in writing some 2,000 years prior. Travel to countries that hosted this ancient and advanced civilization is fascinating, particularly when such countries are still inhabited by Mayan descendants, keeping track of the ancient calendar and speaking languages with deep Mayan roots. But the fascination doesn’t end there. It peaks when visitors discover that nature has blessed this region with mountains that reach over 4,000 meters (13,200 feet) above sea level, stunning beaches and tropical rain and cloud forests that host an incredible array of species.
Guatemala is located in the heart of Mesoamerica, bordering El Salvador, Honduras, Belize and the Caribbean on the East, Mexico on the North and West, and the Pacific Ocean on the South. Since 1996, my wife Diana and I have run Four Directions tour company out of Guatemala. With a shared background in culture, community development and the environment, we set up Four Directions to provide multi-country itineraries in Mesoamerica with an emphasis on Mayan culture, sustainable travel and natural history.
Despite the idyllic geography and astonishing cultural heritage, more than 60 percent of Guatemalans live in extreme poverty. Adding to the discouraging picture is the country’s high crime rate – largely the result of a 35 year Civil War that ended in 1996 – and the fact that the world’s media only come calling when there is hurricane or landslide. All this doesn’t do much for Guatemala’s reputation as a tourism destination — but like many “reputations” those who are better informed know that Guatemala has an incredible amount of beauty and culture to offer, and more than 1.5 million tourists are expected to arrive to in 2010 alone.
In the developing world, sustainable tourism can be an important component of poverty reduction and education efforts. Through our relationship with the Rainforest Alliance, we have learned about the importance of having a positive impact on the communities where we bring travelers. Our staff has been trained by the Rainforest Alliance in sustainable tourism best practices and the process of verification has provided us with the tools do things better. As a result, we are involving more of the communities we work with in our business and actively seeking to respect their traditions, focusing on minimizing the environmental impact of our operations, and giving preferential treatment to hotels and services that are participants in this process.
Because we understand that sustainability must be present in every aspect of the tourism industry, we are working to become a verified company that operates under the Rainforest Alliance’s best management practices. This is a commitment that we are truly invested in– we must be, if we are to be successful in preserving the diverse natural and cultural wealth of Mesoamerica.
