Biofactory: an opportunity for sustainable development
Photo: UNDP
* The efforts implemented in the biofactory seek to make this model replicable and scalable throughout the region.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has recognised the role of indigenous communities in mitigating climate change, as in addition to living and directly depending on forests, they seek alternative economic development that mitigates the effects of climate change.
It is therefore essential for them to ensure their access to stable economic income so that they can continue protecting their territories through their productive activities.
Leonardo Pérez, president of the Union of Indigenous Communities “Las Dos Culturas el Cerro de la Cachimba”, an organization that brings together nine indigenous communities in Cintalapa, considered the union of voices and efforts a strategy to improve their economy.
Biofactory: an opportunity for sustainable development
Photo: UNDP
The main activities of the Cerro de la Cachimba Union focus on community forest management and the production of corn, coffee and peanuts. Since 2023, together with the Cecropia1 organization as a local implementing partner, they have been carrying out the “Biofactory in the Zoque Jungle” initiative with the support of the Cooperation Mechanism for the Conservation and Sustainable Development of the Landscapes of the South-Southeast of Mexico.2
Based on the Climate Change Action Program of the Government of the State of Chiapas, the Zoque Forest was identified as a region vulnerable to climate change and deforestation. Therefore, the initiative proposes establishing and operating a biofactory that produces, supplies and markets bioinputs derived from forestry and agricultural residues that are currently considered waste, to strengthen the resilience of the livelihoods and ecosystems of the communities in Cintalapa.
Biofactory: an opportunity for sustainable development
Photo: UNDP
The initiative also seeks to manage a business model with a social, environmental and corporate and social governance (ESG) approach, as well as to strengthen the technical and business capabilities of the group that operates it.
Biofactories play a crucial role in promoting sustainable development in communities by offering innovative and environmentally friendly solutions for agricultural and forestry production, UNDP said.
They also contribute to a more climate-resilient agriculture by reducing the use of agrochemicals, which helps maintain soil health and biodiversity, while increasing crop productivity and resilience. They also foster job creation and local economic development, promoting sustainable agricultural practices that benefit both communities and the environment.
This biofactory under construction is located in the forestry sawmill of the Monte Sinaí II community, which is part of the Cerro de la Cachimba Union and which since 2014 has changed its agricultural and livestock practices to forestry practices on more than 100,000 hectares of the region.
In addition, within the framework of the initiative, demonstration plots have been established with production systems relevant to the food and economy of the region to evaluate and promote the effectiveness of the fertilizers and biological products that will be generated in the biofactory, as well as the effect that organic fertilization has compared to conventional fertilization.
In addition, the mechanism seeks to generate alliances to scale up the impact of conservation and sustainable development activities in the region.
Biofactory: an opportunity for sustainable development
Photo: UNDP
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