Mesoamerican Palm Oil Alliance

Mexico and Central America are considered to be a promising new frontier for oil palm expansion as the availability of suitable land in Malaysia and Indonesia becomes increasingly limited and global demand for palm oil continues to grow. Palm oil is by far the most productive of crop-derived oils, and can actually represent an improvement in ecological function if plantations are established on degraded lands.

From private sector industry partners in Guatemala to smallholder farmers in Honduras and cooperatives in Nicaragua, Solidaridad is committed to facilitating vertical production of oil palm. Mesoamerica has the potential to become a leader in sustainable palm oil production.

After 4 years of engagement with the Honduran and Guatemala palm oil sector, MAPA grew to include 100% of the Nicaraguan palm oil sector, and a significant portion of the Mexican sector. A particular focus on the establishment of Farmer Field Schools, and achieving economy of scale through the Paisajes Sostenbiles (PaSos) initiative in Northern Honduras, show great promise to bolster the improvement and sustainability of smallholder productivity as well as bridging the RSPO certification gap.