Mesoamerica

Lush forests and thriving communities 

What's at Stake

A full third of Mesoamerica is covered in lush forest, which serves as home to scores of Indigenous and local communities, iconic wildlife, archeological wonders, and abundant biodiversity. While agriculture is the backbone of the region’s economy, it also drives deforestation and climate change.

On the front lines of climate change

Prolonged droughts and frequent hurricanes are making it harder for farmers in Mesoamerica to make a living. A lack of access to international buyers and government support compounds the problem, leading some farmers to cut down forests for more cropland, while others migrate elsewhere in search of better opportunities.

Our Impact

Our community forestry work in the Selva Maya is recognized around the world as a stunning success for people and nature. We also work with certified farmers on producing crops like coffee, cocoa, and fruits sustainably.

Our reach in certification

700,000 hectares (data through 2023). 

Through our certification program, we work to improve the sustainability of 61,443 smallholder farmers, 233 farm groups, and almost 3,000 large farms across 700,000 thousand hectares. Almost half a million workers benefit from these efforts.

Protecting forests and building up communities

1 million hectares of forest managed sustainably.

We worked with community forestry businesses to improve their conservation practices while achieving US$53 million in sales of forest products from 2013 to 2023. As a result, the communities conserved one million hectares of forest.

Mesoamerica

We always start by listening. We work with farmers and forest communities to develop solutions to their specific challenges—which range from a lack of investment and business skills to poor soils and droughts. Our agricultural certification program supports farmers and workers, while our forest work helps both forests and communities thrive.

These Banana Farms in Costa Rica Are Growing a Brighter Future

Rich biodiversity? Check. Well-treated workers? Check. Prepared for climate events? Check. Costa Rica's banana industry has a long history of worker abuse and environmental destruction—​but these certified farms are proving there's a better way.... Continue Reading

Article

All resources for Mesoamerica

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A Day on a Guatemalan Coffee Farm

Experience life on Finca El Platanillo, a Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee farm in western Guatemala.... Continue Reading

Article
June 4, 2019
Fernando Orellana

What’s Behind Migration? In Part, Climate Change

Droughts and severe weather have devastated farms in Central America.

With the “caravan” of asylum-seekers now approaching the US-Mexico border, many news organizations have rightly pointed out that these are people are fleeing extreme poverty and gang violence caused in part by US intervention in their home countries. But there’s another reason behind the exodus: climate change.

"It’s almost impossible to know what the climate will be like at any given point in the year. When your survival...... Continue Reading

Article
November 2, 2018