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FAO and EU Partnership

Peten, Guatemala

 Guatemala

May 2024 -  April 2029

GCP/GUA/044/EC


 

Promoting the ecological transition of Petén

Guatemala is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters and extreme natural phenomena, and though one third of its population depends on natural resources for survival, these same resources are threatened by overexploitation, deforestation, and unsustainable practices. Working in Petén, the country's largest department, the project aims to promote sustainable production and productivity in the forestry, agriculture and livestock sectors.

Linking the socioeconomic development of the region with the protection and sustainable use of natural resources.

The project aims to increase sustainable production and productivity in forestry, agriculture and livestock farming by promoting the increased use of sustainable and climate-resilient practices; increasing the production of nutritious food; and strengthening institutional capacities and financing for the ecological and inclusive transition of the agricultural sector. The project is funded by the European Union and implemented by FAO, in collaboration with Team Europe partners.

FAO, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA), provides guidance on the implementation of good sustainable livestock farming practices and climate-resilient agriculture. Both approaches contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation, helping to create more resilient livelihoods for families in Guatemala’s largest department, Petén.

This collaboration translates into:

  • Technical support to manage agroecological innovation centers;
  • Development and implementation of technical assistance and incentive plans for agricultural and livestock producers;
  • Implementation of regenerative livestock practices to make production systems more climate resilient;
  • Application of climate adaptation models in maize and bean production systems that are climate-resilient and low-emission;
  • Development of a gender profile for the department, along with a gender strategy for the entire initiative: Promoting the ecological transition of Petén;
  • Promotion of women’s participation in governance spaces focused on sustainable production and natural resource management;
  • Support for associative schemes in the agricultural sector to enable raw material processing and strengthen market linkages;
  • Design and implementation of capacity-building and business management programs for producers;
  • Development of a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) module for agricultural policies;
  • Design and launch of a climate risk information module;
  • Establishment of an inclusive financing mechanism to support low-emission livestock and sustainable agricultural production in Petén.

Through this joint effort, the European Union and FAO, in close collaboration with the Government of Guatemala, are contributing to transforming Petén’s agrifood systems into models that are more inclusive, sustainable and climate resilient.