A Maya Nut Micro Project to Build Community Resiliency

A Maya Nut Micro Project under the Community Resilience Building in the Caribbean Program has been implemented by the Belize Red Cross. It looks at providing not only food security to seven communities in the Belize and Cayo Districts, but also generating income. In addition, it addresses the wider issue of climate change. The Maya Nut Tree, which is also referred to as the Ramon Tree, is being planted, the nut harvested, packaged and sold.

Ana Edith Morales

Ana Edith Morales, Farm Manager

“In my country, it is called Ojushte. Here in the Mesoamerican region, it’s known as the Ramon Tree. It is the seed of the Ramon tree. It is a native seed very important in the diet of our Mayan ancestors. It has great properties as iron, folic acid, zinc, high fibre levels and it has vitamins A, B and C.  It is an extremely kind tree that doesn’t need big spaces, doesn’t need fertilizer, doesn’t need any type of chemical to grow; it is completely organic and it adapts to the climate. So we are telling people, plant a Ramon tree and you’ll be planting food for future generations, you will have cleaner air and you will help the conservation of aquifer areas.”

Lily Bowman, Director General, Belize Red Cross

“This time around, we actually are seeing tangible, profitable results from the work that they are doing. And we engage the community and not only the communities of the project, but we have even managed to include the neighbouring communities in some cases. So we have been working in seven communities – five in the Cayo District and two in Belize City. And once people started to know more about it, others got interested and things like that – that rippling effect of knowledge being disseminated. Engaging the community and taking what they are already doing on a small scale and trying to help them make it bigger.”

Frederick Hunter

Frederick Hunter, Belize Red Cross

“Sometimes you just need a spark to start a fire – a very small spark.”