Maya Nut Institute
| Maya Nut Institute PO Box 2371 Crested Butte, CO 81224 |
Maya Nut Program Overview
The Maya Nut Program is a new paradigm for rainforest conservation and poverty alleviation | |||||||||
The Maya Nut Institute provides a new paradigm of community based conservation which focuses on women as the caretakers of the family and the environment. By providing women with the skills they need to earn income and feed their children, we improve women's lives and the lives of their families.
Our program is unique because it addresses key factors for sustainable livelihoods in one program: Sociocultural, Environmental and Economic Our methodology is based on the principles of active learning and suitable technology. Through one-day workshops in rural communities, we train women about the recipes, nutrition, processing, and marketing of the Maya Nut. In these workshops, women gather to cook together, exchange stories and experiences with the Maya Nut, and listen to short presentations on the health content of the Maya Nut, including how it compares to common food sources such as beans and corn. Some of the delicious foods they learn to prepare with the Maya Nut in these workshops include tamales, tortillas, salad, cakes, cookies, tortas, ice cream, and beverages. This knowledge of the Maya Nut as a free and nutritious food source motivates them to conserve rainforests, plant Maya Nut trees, and get organized to produce and market Maya Nut products so that they can earn income. The Maya Nut program has demonstrated positive and lasting impacts on: Since 2002 we have trained over 15000 women from 900 communities about Maya Nut for food and income | |||||||||
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A Maya Nut tree in a home garden in Honduras | |||||||||
One Maya Nut tree can produce up to 400lb of food per year!
A family with 30 mature trees can improve their food supply, health and income. Maya Nut leaves are excellent fodder for cows and goats, providing yet another benefit for families. | |||||||||
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Women selecting seed for reforestation | |||||||||
Women who learn about Maya Nut nutrition want to plant more trees so that they can feed their children better.
We have recently discovered a Mexican Maya Nut varietal from Merida which produces fruit in its 4th year. This is a vast improvement over unimproved varieties which tend to produce in their 8th year |
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