SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF WILD AGAVE SPECIES USED FOR MANUFACTURING MEZCAL IN MEXICO. PHASE II

This project seeks to equip peasant farmers from all over Mexico with the knowledge and skills necessary to sustainably harvest wild agave plants (Agave cupreata and A. angustifolia) from dry forests as a non-timber forest products, while generating an alternative and sustainable source of income for their families.

Dry forests are threated by land use change, infrastructure development, unsustainable use of natural resources, logging, cattle raising, illegal hunting, forest fires among others.

Through this grant, the Recipient will: 1) organize a second national meeting for at least 70 agave growers, mezcal producers and government representatives from the states of Michoacan, Jalisco, Guerrero, Puebla, Oaxaca, Durango, San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas, Tamaulipas, Chiapas, State of Mexico, Morelos and Sinaloa to exchange experiences and agree on common conservation and sustainable management strategies of the species; 2) organize two exchange of experiences visits for 40 mezcal producers from Guerrero on conservation, monitoring, data analysis, and sustainable production of wild agave plants; 3) implement three training workshops on sustainable harvest of agave plants, community participatory data collection and monitoring activities of flora and fauna for communities from the states of Michoacan, Oaxaca and Jalisco; 5) present the project results and outcomes to the community assemblies in the state of Guerrero; and 6) build two demonstrative parcels to show case best harvesting and restoration techniques.

Project products include the design and distribution of educational posters and a manual on community monitoring, management and conservation of agave plants