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Around the world people are increasingly learning of the benefits of organic products. By eliminating man-made chemicals in food cultivation, we are left with wholesome, natural products that are healthy and delicious. We also leave the land healthier by not contaminating the soil with fertilizers and pesticides. Traditional Mayan farming techniques have always been organic. But this is changing as farmers increasingly look to chemical treatments for their crops. As these societies shift from an agrarian self-sufficiency to a market-based model, farmers are producing more in order to sell their extra crops in the market. Moreover, population increases have put more pressure on the land to produce higher yields. While chemicals provide short-term increases in yields, they can damage the soil and surrounding vegetation for years afterward, mitigating their overall benefit. At Ya’axche we are committed to the benefits of organic production. By promoting organic growing practices and healthy soil – through composting, vermiculture, crop rotation and mulching – we seek a system that will produce healthy yields far into the future. We support organic farm plots in communities surrounding our protected areas by sharing best practices with them and providing marketing support when it comes time to sell excess products. We are also members of the young Belizean Organic Producers Association, which is working to establish criteria and legislation to support a national certification standard. |
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"Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved."
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