Belize’s golden Mayan landscape benefits from FAO biodiversity initiative

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with the support of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and the Government of Belize, launched a four-year project aimed at conserving biodiversity in the Maya Golden Landscape (MGL) of Toledo, Belize. The initiative, “Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Belize’s Maya Golden Landscape,” was unveiled at the Kiki Witz Resort in Belmopan and is a joint effort between FAO and the Ya’axché Conservation Trust.

The project will target farmers and organized groups from ten stakeholder communities within both protected and communal areas in the MGL. Ya’axché Conservation Trust, a leader in community-based conservation since 1998, will play a critical role in the success of the project. Key elements include developing culturally sensitive protected area action plans, improving community resource management, and providing gender-responsive training in sustainable agriculture.

CEO of Belize’s Ministry of Sustainable Development and Climate Change, Dr. Kenrick Williams, emphasized the project’s critical role in promoting sustainable development and biodiversity conservation. The initiative will be led by a Project Steering Committee (PSC) and a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), with an 18-month work plan outlining project implementation and future collaboration.