Selva Maya Tropical Timber Trade Mission
Businesses interested in sustainable tropical timber sourcing had the opportunity to explore timber species and meet key suppliers in Selva Maya, the second-largest tropical rainforest in the Americas. The event took place from November 17th – 23rd, 2024. The trade mission, organized by the Rainforest Alliance, FSC, and Probos, aimed to develop new market opportunities that promote forest conservation and strengthen the economic resilience of forest communities in Mexico and Guatemala.
Attendees met key actors across the tropical timber value chain, from established community forest enterprises to emerging suppliers, along with private sector stakeholders and government bodies. A unique opportunity to connect directly with potential suppliers of tropical timber from community-managed forests and learn more about the region's tropical timber species. These range from well-known commercial timber species such as mahogany and cedar to lesser-known timber species that are new to the market and have excellent technical specifications. Such species include chicozapote, tzalam, pucté, and manchiche.
Participants learned how responsible and ethical sourcing positively impacts the Selva Maya and the livelihoods of its guardians, and is critical to its conservation. All the forest communities visited are FSC-certified or in the process of becoming FSC-certified.
The expected results of the trade mission will benefit all. It provides great opportunities for the (FSC-certified) forest communities to explore and engage in business relations with interested tropical timber traders from Europe, which supports the creation of sustainable livelihoods. In addition, the business relations that can be established during this event directly contribute to increasing and mainstreaming the trade and use of timber from, and thereby incentivize, sustainable forest management.
The program was designed to give first-hand insight into the timber production chain from the Selva Maya in both Mexico and Guatemala. All relevant details about the mission can be found in the document available here.
A detailed report with the outcomes of the 2024 Selva Maya Tropical Timber Trade Mission by Luiza Lucena, PhD Candidate, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, and Mark van Benthem, Director, Stichting Probos, is now available.
Publications
Report: Lucena, L; van Benthem, M; Report Selva Maya Trade Mission 2024. Rainforest Alliance. May, 2025
Article in magazine 'Houtwereld' dated December 2024
Item in the ETTF newsletter, dated January 2025
Item in the ITTO newsletter dated February 2025
Information
Probos expert(s) involved: Mark van Benthem, Andries Polinder
Client(s): the Rainforest Alliance, FSC, and the Probos Foundation
Project period: 2024
