Mexico - Sacred Orchids of Chiapas: Cultural and Religious Values in Conservation Project

The use of flora species for religious and traditional ritual purposes is a widespread practice in Mexico and other parts of the world. It is generally related to the decoration of altars and sacred sites, and demand depends on the ritual calendar.

In Mesoamerica and the Mayan and Zoque regions of Chiapas in particular, the 4 most widely used groups of species in indigenous and Christian rituals are bromeliads, palms, orchids, and cycads, in addition to hay, moss, and resins such as copal. Furthermore, large quantities of xate palm are collected from the wild, from tropical mountain rainforests, for sale; a large part of the market for this palm is found in the United States, responding to the demand from churches for wedding, funeral and Holy Week decorations.

The sustainable and culturally integrated management of populations of these groups of species will promote biodiversity conservation and protect remnants of their habitats, which are globally significant ecosystems (tropical mountain cloud forests, tropical rainforests, and temperate pine-oak forests). The project will contribute to the conservation of the Mesoamerican Pine-Oak Forest Ecoregion, one of the 200 global ecoregions identified by the World Wildlife Fund, which is located within the Northern Mesoamerican Hotspot described by Conservation International. The Mesoamerican Pine-Oak Global 200 Ecoregion is the richest subtropical conifer forest in the world. Specifically, the project will contribute to the conservation of the Central America Pine-Oak Forest and the Sierra Madre del Sur Pine-Oak Forest, as well as the conspicuous Ecoregion of the Chiapas Depression dry forest (Annex 3, Map 1).

The project will explore the relationship between religious practices and biodiversity. Given the importance of sacred plants to the various cultures, the participation of traditional and religious groups is strategic for the conservation of wild populations and natural forests that contain this globally significant biodiversity; it is also strategic for the maintenance of local cultures. The expected success of the project is based on the hypothesis that symbolic values can mobilize sectors with previously limited involvement in biodiversity conservation; in particular, religious congregations and traditional community organizations can be involved in developing a set of non-monetary incentives that could be applied for conservation. In the case of palms, the mobilization of national and international religious congregations also is expected to help in the development of fair markets, which in turn will contribute to the sustainability of local efforts to manage and conserve critical habitats.

The proposed approach is fully consistent with cultural dimensions of NTFP use by the population for ritual, ornamental, dietary or medicinal purposes, and therefore is linked to the survival of local culture and traditional knowledge as defined in the CBD under Article 8 (j). The project will break ground in this field in Mexico and will set an example for other parts of the world by developing concrete examples of conservation and related tools based on work with religious congregations and traditional organizations.

In Chiapas the project will work with the indigenous Maya Tzotzil and peasant communities that collect these species, whether for their own use or for sale. Furthermore, the project will promote the participation of Christian religious congregations from Mexico, the United States and Europe for the creation of fair and sustainable markets. The project will support linkages between the various stakeholders and will facilitate the allocation of resources to joint strategies, thus increasing impact and institutional coordination.

The project team has confirmed that the main stakeholders are willing to participate. Consultations have been carried out with the counterpart organizations and most stakeholders have already participated in various stages of the preparation of the current project proposal. The project will further seek the involvement and active participation of traditional leaders and religious groups in raising conservation and environmental awareness among their constituencies.

One of the main project partners is ARC, a worldwide network of 11 faiths that promotes participation by religious groups, based on their own traditions and beliefs, in environmental projects. This network provides valuable lessons in approaches to working with religious leaders. ARC will support the establishment of links with religious congregations, thereby helping them to acquire new experience that can be applied through the network in various social and ecological settings throughout the world.

The work program includes three main components. The first involves analyzing the status and uses of selected species and promoting strategies and practices for sustainable harvesting in and management of their natural habitats. The second focuses on fostering the participation of local and indigenous communities in these efforts, and on strengthening their capacity to manage these resources through measures that include small grants to develop local sub-projects for sustainable harvesting, propagation and conservation of relevant species. The third component will build partnerships and alliances with religious groups, particularly for the promotion of fair and sustainable markets for species with existing commercial value.

The project will be coordinated by Pronatura Chiapas, in close collaboration with ARC for the participation of Christian groups. The implementation partners include the communities, the University of Minnesota, and CONANP. The participants will also include the municipalities of Suchiapa, San Juan Chamula and Villaflores; Catholic and evangelical congregations; and SEMARNAT, CONABIO, CONAFOR, and the Mexican Federal Environmental Protection Agency (PROFEPA).

Its mission is the conservation of flora, fauna and priority ecosystems, promoting a development of the society in harmony and sustainabilityPronatura Chiapas A.C. is part of a national network of Pronatura offices operating in eight Mexican states. The association is made up by a multi-disciplinary group of professionals in fields such as: Biology, Ecology, Environmental Education, Agro ecology, Administration, Accounting, Graphic design, Medicine, Sociology and Anthropology, among others.

Project: Mexico - Sacred Orchids of Chiapas: Cultural and Religious Values in Conservation