Managing the largest forest reserve in Mesoamerica

Guatemala

Asociación de Comunidades Forestales de Petén (ACOFOP), or Association of Forest Communities of Petén has been working on the protection and sustainable use of the forests in the ‘Multiple-Use Zone’ of the Maya Biosphere Reserve (MBR) for the last 24 years.

ACOFOP’s community forestry model manages more than 500,000 hectares of forest in the MBR, the largest protected natural area in Guatemala and the largest forest reserve in Mesoamerica.

The communal organizations that form ACOFOP protect the biodiversity and cultural heritage of the Maya Biosphere Reserve. Along with conservation actions, the community forestry model allows the communities that inhabit and care for the forests to generate economic and social benefits, through the sustainable use of timber species such as mahogany and cedar; non-timber products such as xate, ramón nut and pepper, as well as the management of tourism services.