Abstract

BUDA ARANGO, Gabriela; TRENCH, Tim  and  DURAND, Leticia. The use of camedor palm in the Lacandon Forest, Chiapas, Mexico: Conservation with development?. Estud. soc [online]. 2014, vol.22, n.44, pp.200-223. ISSN 0188-4557.

The use of non-timber forest products is associated with the conservation of eco-systems and the generation of income for forest inhabitants. However, this is not an automatic correlation. In the Lacandon Forest, the sale of camedor palm does generate income for local communities, but appears to have resulted in an over-exploitation of the resource. The government has attempted to regulate this activity through Wildlife Conservation Management Units (UMAs), but with limited environmental and social outcomes. We describe the harvesting and production of camedor palm in the Lacandon region and analyze the effectiveness of the UMAs, concluding that their limitations are the result of the instrument's emphasis on technical and normative aspects rather than on processes of negotiation and conciliation amongst stakeholders.

Keywords : non-timber forest products; camedor palm; environmental policy; actors; Lacandon Forest.

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