In addition, madrecacao fixes nitrogen and fertilises the soil. Chilli peppers are used to produce an organic herbicide - a cheap and environmentally friendly solution. For others, worms have proven to possess a surprising income generating quality. Victor Guillen has significantly increased his tomato harvest since he started to produce worm-composted fertiliser. As the head promoter for agricultural techniques, Juventino Chamala is part of a widespread network of local people who see to it that know-how and information are being shared with their neighbours in the communities.
Women are particularly perceptive when it comes to environmental concerns.
After all, they are the main suppliers of water and firewood for the families, they know about medical plants and fruits. He is pleased to see that literacy classes are by now increasingly frequented by women and that alternative sources of income, such as kitchen gardening, become more and more popular. Getting the people on board accounts for the success of the team s approach. It was only last December that they could celebrate their success when the Guatemalan Congress by decree declared it an Ecological Reserve. Without the strong support from the communities that the NGO managed to mobilise this would have never been possible.